6 easy steps for building a smart home
Bec Summer
STACK Writer
Building a smart home can seem daunting at first but it’s simpler than you think, even if you’re not tech savvy. These six handy steps will help get your smart home up and running in no time.
Start small
From little things, smart homes grow. Begin with a basic device like a smart light bulb or plug that’s easy to install, so you can get a feel for how the companion app on your phone can control it remotely and set timers and schedules.
Once you’ve got a handle on the basics, progress to a more advanced device like a security camera or video doorbell, and then graduate to more sophisticated tech like HVAC controllers.
Connect
Strong, speedy and stable Wi-Fi is essential for optimal connection and control of your smart home. Consign your old router to the outer and upgrade to a new one for faster and smoother operation.
Also consider setting up a mesh network for wider and stronger coverage throughout the home, to banish buffering and any dead zones.
Control
A smart speaker is a simple way to control smart home devices using voice commands. Tell it to turn off the lights, start the coffee machine, and also get news/weather updates, reminders, and answers to questions on demand.
Smart home devices can be connected via a speaker’s app for basic voice control, but to automate and customise settings you’ll want a dedicated smart home hub that conveniently consolidates all your devices into a single app.
The hub becomes the control centre, or brain of the smart home, and should ideally be positioned in an area that’s accessible to all members of the family or household, and user profiles can be easily set up.
Hubs with a touchscreen display give you more functionality, including streaming, making video calls, and viewing real time video from connected security cameras and doorbells.
Perhaps the most important part of smart home management is the ecosystem that comprises all your devices. Choosing one that’s compatible with your existing tech and voice assistant lets you more easily manage and automate your smart home.
Many smart home devices support Alexa and Google Assistant, and if you have an iPhone and Macbook, then Apple HomeKit is the way to go.
Check the device’s box or specs for supported systems, and also look out for the Matter standard for interoperability between devices from different brands.
Position
For devices like security cameras, speakers and lights that are placed throughout the home, it helps to assign them a designation.
This can be the name of the room or a number, or you can group them by room so your voice assistant knows which ones you want to control: “Turn off bedroom lights”, “Play [music/podcast] on speaker 2”.
It's also very helpful for window and motion sensors – you’ll want to know which one was triggered when receiving a push notification.
Again, good Wi-Fi coverage is a must to ensure all your devices are in range, and if you have a large or multi-storey home, a mesh network will boost the Wi-Fi signal so it remains consistently strong in every corner.
Set routines
Routines, aka ‘scenes’, are basically a sequence of preset instructions that schedule smart home devices to activate and deactivate at predetermined times with a single command.
They can be easily set up via a smartphone app or smart home hub – it’s a bit like programming a computer, albeit a lot more straightforward.
For example, set a routine to unlock the front door and turn on the lights and TV when you arrive home, or one that shuts everything down for the night when it’s bedtime.
Routines are also useful while on holiday to turn indoor and exterior lights on and off periodically.
They can be as simple or as complex as you please, and are easily customisable to include additional commands or remove ones you no longer use.
Smarten up your old appliances
Just because a device or appliance is old doesn’t mean it can’t be made smart.
Smart plugs with Wi-Fi enable ‘dumb’ appliances – like a lamp or coffee machine – to be easily switched on and off from the companion app, wherever you are.
You can also set timers and schedules, and use voice control where supported. They are also great energy savers for HVAC and devices with a standby mode.
And if you have an older model TV with a HDMI port but without preloaded streaming apps, you can easily make it smart using a media streaming dongle.
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