Planning your smart home

Smart homes are becoming a popular way to make our daily lives easier. But with so many home automation systems on offer, planning your smart home is key.

Our guide will help you plan your smart home, from choosing the right smart home devices to hiring the right smart home technology expert.

Setting smart home goals

Before you buy every smart home device in sight, have a clear plan for what you want. This will help define your smart home setup and make sure that your budget is spent in the right places.

There are so many options on the market that it can seem confusing to know where to begin.

When planning your smart home, it’s often best to think about what you want it to do for you:

• Do you want a smart device that can improve your home security?
• Do you want a smart device to help improve energy efficiency and reduce bills?
• Do you want to install smart devices to simplify daily tasks and offer greater convenience?

Knowing your goals helps you pick the right smart house devices.

For a stress-free smart home planning experience, use our free search feature to find experts in your local area.

How to build a smart home

Smart homes use internet-connected devices to monitor and manage appliances and technology within the home from a remote location. Generally, when building a smart home, you need three components: a smart hub, a smartphone application and a smart device.

Typical smart home devices include home appliances, thermostats, lights, plugs, speakers, home entertainment systems, doorbells, cameras, and outdoor and landscaping equipment.

While many smart devices are designed for self-installation, it’s worth hiring experts for a professional job.

A smart home technology consultant can advise whether the smart devices you’d like to install are compatible with your existing setup. They will also, of course, make sure your smart devices are properly fitted, working correctly, and fully integrated.

Services they offer include:

• Review your home and discuss your needs and wants from your smart home set up
• Design and plan the specifications of your smart home technology
• Provide professional advice and guidance on the latest smart home products
• Suggest the most appropriate smart home technology for you and your home
• Liaise with other related tradespeople and professionals, such as electricians and smart home installers

Smart home basics

Once you have a clearer idea of what you want the technology to achieve, you need to make sure of compatibility across the system.

That means making sure all your smart home devices work well together and “talk” to each other in the smart home platform you choose.

Start by selecting a primary system—this is the base of your smart home. Look at how user-friendly the app is since this is where you’ll manage the settings and controls of your smart home.

Some of the leading players in the smart home arena include:

• Amazon (works with Alexa)
• Google Home (works with Google Assistant)
• Apple HomeKit (works with Siri)
• Samsung (works with SmartThings)

When selecting your smart home devices, check for wording that states they are compatible with the smart home platform you choose.

Smart home devices

You might want to start small when setting up a smart home. Perhaps choose one or two smart devices and build up from there.

At the end of the day, the smart home is all about seamlessly adding tech to improve our daily lives.

Let’s look at some of the key devices/components for a smart home set up. 

Smart speakers and voice assistants

Voice control systems are a revolutionary way to control your home.

Devices like Amazon Echo (with Alexa), Google Nest speakers and Apple’s HomePod don’t just play music. They also answer questions, set reminders, and control other smart devices.

Smart light bulbs

Smart lighting systems offer remote control, dimming, scheduling, and even colour changes from an app.

You can turn smart bulbs on and off easily while sitting on your sofa, lying in bed, or even after you’ve left the house.

You can also control their brightness and create mood lighting, which increases energy efficiency and helps you save on bills.

Smart thermostat

Smart thermostats are brilliant home devices. They can save you money and let you control your home’s heating with a tap on the screen.

Devices such as Hive or Nest adjust heating based on your habits, keeping temperatures comfortable and saving you energy.

It’s worth checking with your energy supplier first to make sure the thermostat is compatible with your current heating system.

Smart locks

Enhance security with a smart lock. These keyless entry systems use electromechanical locks to control entry to your home.

A smart lock can lock or unlock remotely and monitor activity by sending notifications when locks in your home are activated.

You can add a smart lock system to any entry point on your property, allowing you to remotely control access and even set up lock and unlock schedules.

Smart security systems

Smart security systems include door/window sensors, motion detectors, and alarms. If there’s a problem, they can send alerts to your phone.

Wireless CCTV systems connect over a network and capture video in high-definition. Some high-end systems use night vision to capture footage during the hours of darkness, using onboard infrared detectors. With connected apps, you can remotely view footage from anywhere in the world.

How much does it cost to make your house a smart home?

Individual smart devices generally cost more than traditional versions. For example, a standard light bulb might cost around £5, whereas a smart light bulb typically costs around £15.

The cost of making a smart home depends on the size of your home, i.e. the number of rooms, and the scope of the job. The products you select and the level of customisation you opt for will also impact the overall cost.

To give you an idea of the cost of creating a smart home:

• A simple installation of heating and lighting controls in one room, WiFi based (not hardwired) costs, on average, £500
• A simple smart home that controls your lighting, heating, and security alarm can cost in the region of £10,000
• A high-end, complex system, professionally installed, e.g. Crestron, can cost around £100,000

Take a look at our smart home cost guide for more information.

Benefits of smart homes

By understanding the key smart home features and ensuring device compatibility, you’ll create a home that’s technologically advanced but also user-friendly.

Let’s recap on some of the benefits of smart homes:

• Greater convenience: One of the key aims of smart homes is that they can simplify daily tasks. That could be adjusting your central heating on your way home from work or dimming the lights without leaving the sofa
• Improved energy efficiency and reduce bills: Devices such as smart thermostats and smart lights can learn your habits and set the heating and lighting to your needs. This can save on wasted energy
• Better home safety: Smart locks and CCTV systems give you more ways to stay safe in your home – even if you’re not there. Doorbell cams and smart smoke detectors can connect to your home’s Wi-Fi and alert you to dangers in real time

FAQs

How to design your smart home?

Once you’ve decided on what sort of smart home you’d like, there are some practical considerations to factor in. That is, how will a smart system work and look within the layout and aesthetics of your home.

With the help of your smart home technology consultant, you need to look at:

• Room by room: Do you want smart appliances in the kitchen and smart lighting throughout. Look carefully at your needs in every space
• Your home decor: Seek out devices that blend seamlessly with your existing interior design. Do you want super contemporary devices or timeless, neutral styles that work with all
• Wires and devices: Look at how you can keep your home clutter-free by hiding wires and concealing technology
• User-friendliness: You need to make sure your smart home is accessible to everyone, regardless of how tech savvy they are. Look at hands-free devices, easy controls and simple app management

What is needed to start a smart home?

A smart home relies typically on three components: a smart hub, a smartphone application (or phone app) and a smart device (such as a speaker, lights or doorbell).

Central to the smart home control system is the hub. This device connects and manages all your smart components, making sure everything talks to each other and works together. Examples include Google Home and Samsung’s SmartThings hub.

You’ll also need a good network with a quality router to provide a stable and far reaching Wi-Fi connection so all the smart devices can work well together.

What qualifies a home as a smart home?

A smart home is a property that uses internet-connected devices to monitor and manage appliances and systems within the home from a remote location.

Typical smart home devices include home appliances, thermostats, lights, plugs, speakers, home entertainment systems, doorbells, cameras, and outdoor and landscaping equipment.

Ready to take the plunge and set up a smart home system? Enter your postcode below and find recommended smart home technology consultants in your area.