Ultimate Guide to Starting and Growing a Smart Home in 2024!
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the creator shares his insights on building the ideal smart home, emphasizing three key goals: invisibility, high spouse approval, and long-term reliability. He advises against relying solely on voice commands or multiple apps, recommending a unified dashboard and the use of sensors for seamless control. The video also discusses selecting a smart home system, the importance of choosing devices that support local control, and offers tips for creating effective automations. The creator concludes with a Q&A session addressing common questions about smart home setup and management.
Takeaways
- π‘ The ideal smart home should be invisible, operate seamlessly, and have high spouse approval to avoid annoying guests or family members.
- π§ Long-term reliability is crucial; the smart home should not become a time and money pit after a few months of use.
- π£οΈ Voice commands can be useful for specific tasks but are not ideal for controlling every aspect of a smart home due to their clunky nature.
- π± Using multiple smart home apps can be overwhelming; a unified dashboard that combines all smart devices is recommended for easier management.
- π οΈ Sensors are key for an ideal smart home as they allow the home to adjust automatically to daily activities, enhancing convenience and meeting the three goals.
- π Smart buttons are useful for quick, specific actions that don't fit well with sensors or voice commands, providing tailored control.
- π‘ When choosing a smart home system, consider customization options and compatibility with various sensors and devices for a truly personalized setup.
- π Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread are different protocols for smart home devices; each has its advantages and considerations for system selection.
- π Matter is a new standard for smart home device compatibility, but it's still developing, so it's not necessary to wait for Matter compatibility to build a smart home.
- π Adding conditions to automations can prevent them from running at inappropriate times, thus avoiding family annoyance and ensuring a smooth smart home experience.
- π Starting simple with automations and focusing on one task or room at a time can lead to a more effective and manageable smart home setup.
Q & A
What are the three goals for an ideal smart home according to the video?
-The three goals for an ideal smart home are: 1) It should be invisible, working seamlessly in the background. 2) It should have high spouse approval, meaning it should not annoy anyone living in or visiting the house. 3) It should have long-term reliability, avoiding the risk of breaking down and becoming a time and money pit.
Why does the video suggest not relying solely on voice commands for controlling a smart home?
-The video suggests not relying solely on voice commands because it can be difficult and clunky to remember what to say, which is not in line with the goal of seamless operation in the background and being family-friendly.
What is the recommended way to control a smart home according to the video?
-The recommended way to control a smart home is through sensors that adjust based on everyday activities, as they help achieve all three goals of an ideal smart home.
Why are smart buttons suggested for certain situations in a smart home?
-Smart buttons are suggested for specific situations where quick actions are needed, like sending a robot vacuum to clean a specific room, and where sensors or voice commands are not practical or desired.
What is the importance of choosing the right smart home system according to the video?
-Choosing the right smart home system is important because it acts as the brains of the smart home, allowing you to combine all devices into one dashboard, connect sensors, and provide the necessary customization to meet the family's needs.
Why might a more advanced smart home system be more family-friendly than a simple one?
-A more advanced smart home system can be more family-friendly because it offers more customization options, allowing the system to be tailored exactly to the family's needs, which can help avoid annoyances and improve overall satisfaction.
What are the different types of smart home device protocols mentioned in the video, and which one does the video recommend?
-The video mentions Wi-Fi, Thread, Zigbee, and Z-Wave as smart home device protocols. It recommends Zigbee for its wide selection, affordability, and reliability.
What does the video suggest about the new 'Matter' standard for smart home devices?
-The video suggests that while Matter promises compatibility and local control, it is still new and being developed, so it's not recommended to limit oneself to only Matter-compatible devices at this stage.
How should one approach creating automations in their smart home according to the video?
-The video advises starting simple and focusing on one room or task at a time, adding extra conditions to prevent annoyances, and gradually building up complexity as one becomes more familiar with the system.
What are some tips for maintaining a reliable smart home system as mentioned in the video?
-Some tips for maintaining a reliable smart home system include prioritizing devices that do not rely on the cloud, using a good Wi-Fi system with multiple access points or a mesh system, and starting with simple automations that can be expanded over time.
Outlines
π‘ Building the Ideal Smart Home
The speaker shares their experience and outlines three key goals for an ideal smart home: invisibility, spouse approval, and long-term reliability. They discuss the importance of choosing the right control method, which includes voice commands, smart home apps, and a unified dashboard. The speaker emphasizes the role of sensors in achieving the smart home goals and suggests using smart buttons for specific, quick actions. They also highlight the need for a smart home system that can integrate all devices and act as the 'brain' of the smart home, while cautioning against relying solely on simple systems with limited customization options.
π οΈ Choosing the Right Smart Home System and Devices
The speaker advises on selecting a smart home system, considering factors like compatibility with different protocols (Thread, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi) and the level of customization desired. They discuss the trade-offs between ease of use and customization, suggesting that more advanced systems can be more family-friendly due to their flexibility. The speaker also recommends against relying solely on Wi-Fi devices for smart home setups, advocating for a mix of technologies. They mention their preference for Zigbee devices due to their wide selection and reliability, and touch on the importance of choosing devices that don't rely on the cloud for long-term reliability.
π§ Implementing Automations for a Seamless Smart Home Experience
The speaker emphasizes the importance of automations in making a smart home feel magical and user-friendly. They suggest starting simple, focusing on one room or task at a time, and using conditions to prevent annoyances from automations. The speaker shares their personal journey with smart home automations, including the transition from Smart Things to Home Assistant, and offers advice on how to get started with Home Assistant. They also address common questions about naming conventions, the benefits of using Home Assistant over Homebridge, and the value of combining different smart home ecosystems like Apple HomeKit and Home Assistant for a more reliable and feature-rich smart home experience.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Smart Home
π‘Invisibility
π‘High Spouse Approval
π‘Long-term Reliability
π‘Smart Speakers
π‘Dashboard
π‘Sensors
π‘Smart Buttons
π‘Smart Home System
π‘Zigbee
π‘Automations
Highlights
Three simple goals for an ideal smart home: invisibility, high spouse approval, and long-term reliability.
Controlling a smart home should be seamless and not rely solely on voice commands.
Using smart speakers primarily for music and notifications rather than controlling the entire home.
Avoid using multiple smart home apps; instead, opt for a unified dashboard for device control.
Sensors are key for an ideal smart home, allowing it to adjust based on everyday activities.
Smart buttons are useful for quick actions in specific situations where sensors or voice commands are impractical.
Combining all smart home devices into one system is crucial for a cohesive smart home experience.
Customization is important; a more advanced system can be more family-friendly due to its flexibility.
Consider the type of sensors and devices when choosing a smart home system, such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread.
Zigbee offers a wide selection of devices and has proven reliable for the speaker's smart home.
Matter is a new standard for smart home device compatibility, but it's still in development and not necessary for all devices.
Prioritize smart home devices that work without cloud reliance for long-term reliability.
Automations should be simple and focused on solving specific problems in the home.
Adding conditions to automations can prevent them from running at inappropriate times, reducing family annoyance.
Despite the effort, perfect automations often go unnoticed but are crucial for a seamless smart home experience.
Smart home automations save time and allow for more focus on family and important activities.
Rapid fire Q&A session addresses various smart home setup and management questions.
Home Assistant is recommended for its device integrations and local operation, complementing other systems like Apple HomeKit.
Transcripts
[Music]
after years of experience building a
smart home I know what most people
should do and more importantly what not
to do so I've come up with three simple
goals of what my ideal smart home should
be and I think you'll agree number one
it should be invisible working so
seamlessly in the background that you
forget it's even there second is high
spouse approval basically anyone living
in your house or guest visiting should
not be annoyed by your smart home the
last goal is to have long-term reliab AB
ility you don't want it breaking a few
months down the road and turning into a
time and money pit so I'm going to show
you how to build the ideal smart home
with those goals in mind and at the end
I'm going to answer a bunch of questions
that were submitted it's going to be
super helpful and packed with
info all right first one of the most
important parts about building a smart
home is knowing how you're going to
control it you might think oh I'll just
put a bunch of smart speakers around the
house and use voice commands for
everything this might seem seem like a
good idea when you're first starting I
know that's what I did when I first
started but now guess what I hardly even
speak to these things it's been 84 years
because it's difficult and clunky to
remember what to say so yeah not really
in line with seamlessly running in the
background and familyfriendly so I
wouldn't plan on controlling your entire
smart home with voice commands maybe
just a handful of voice commands you use
on the couch is more reasonable I mainly
use Smart speakers to listen to music
and play voice notifications another way
you might want to contr control your
smart home is with a bunch of smart home
apps on your phone but don't do that
it's just too much only use these
individual smart home apps to
occasionally adjust settings trust me
the better way is to use a dashboard
that combines all your smart devices so
they're organized in one spot you can
quickly access them on your phone or
family members can control things on a
shared tablet at least I thought it was
a great idea to do this you're going to
need to combine all your smart home
devices into one smart home system and
more on that in a minute but this is
great because there's always going to be
times where you're going to need to
manually control something and this just
makes it so easy so dashboards are
convenient but the ideal way to control
your smart home is with sensors they
make it so you can go about your day
while your smart home adjusts based on
your everyday activities like walking
into a room using a kitchen counter or
the garage door opens and sensors make
it possible to hit all three of those
goals for the ideal smart home when you
think of smart home sensors you might
think of the classic contact and motion
sensor but it goes beyond that many of
these sensors can actually be other
smart home devices like if the doorbell
detects a person your smart home can do
an action the last way to control your
smart home is with smart buttons these
are for weird Corner cases that you want
something to happen quickly like the
button in our bathroom that will send
the robot vacuum to clean this specific
room the timing of this is sporadic so
sensors wouldn't work work I don't want
to remember a voice command and I don't
need a full-on dashboard in the bathroom
wait maybe I do wait what no Reed no on
second thought a smart button is a
perfect solution for situations like
this so now we know the best way to
control your smart home now we need a
system to make it all happen this will
allow you to combine all your devices
into One dashboard connect sensors and
act like the brains of your smart home I
recently made a video about the best
smart home system and I'll link it down
below if you want to check it out but
here are a few things you might want to
keep in mind when picking out the right
system for you number one an easy simple
system might not always be better in
fact it can be the opposite for example
say you have a few Amazon Echo you've
collected over the years so you want
Amazon to be your smart home system it's
easy to use so it makes sense right well
you're going to run into issues with all
three three of those goals for the ideal
smart home because you're limited on how
much customization is possible say you
don't want motion lights to turn on if
the TV is on or you don't want certain
automations to run if visitors are over
with Amazon this isn't possible yes it's
easier to use but you'll be limited in
what you can do what sensors are
compatible dashboard options and the
list goes on so it seems
counterintuitive but a more advanced
smart home system can actually be more
familyfriendly because you can customize
it exactly how your family needs it to
work the other thing to consider when
picking a smart home system is what kind
of sensors and devices you want to use
there are thread zigby Z-Wave and Wi-Fi
to choose from Wi-Fi is pretty
self-explanatory but the other three are
their own protocols they build out mesh
networks of threads zigg or Z-Wave
devices to expand across your house and
not clog up your Wi-Fi bandwidth one
thing to watch out for is if you go with
a smart home system that's only
compatible with thread you could bump
into some problems because thread is
still fairly new so you might run into
some more issues than something like
zigg also many thread devices cost more
than their zigby counterparts besides
Wi-Fi the majority of devices in my
house are zigg it gives me the widest
selection lots of inexpensive options
and it's been very reliable I'll link
some of my favorite zigby devices down
below and I'm planning on doing another
sensor video to find the best so hit
that subscribe button to not miss it I
know that's a lot to go over but there's
one more thing to think about when
choosing a smart home system how much
tinkering do you want to do like do you
want to customize everything to your
heart's content or are you fine just
letting the system do it for you home
assistant is open source which means
it's free and not owned by some big tech
company but it does require some
tinkering to keep it working it's gotten
way easier over the years but is
definitely more more work here are some
of the smart home systems I recommend
home assistant is the clear winner for
me but for lots of people tinkering
isn't ideal which is completely fine I
personally don't mind tinkering let's
see building something in my quiet
garage and getting a break from
this yeah I'll take as long as I
need okay now you know the best way to
control your smart home and the system
to make it happen now we need to add
smart devices so you can actually
control things around your house I have
a list of basically every device I'm
currently using my smart home that you
can check out for yourself I only use
devices that I absolutely love since
I've tried a lot over the years but here
are some things to look for when you're
buying smart home devices the first
thing is matter this is a new standard
that promises to make all your smart
home devices work together so should you
only buy devices that are matter
compatible well in my opinion you
shouldn't limit yourself matter is still
very new and currently being developed
so you could be waiting a while if you
only want matter devices the benefits of
matter are compatibility with basically
all the systems and it doesn't require
the cloud to work well you can already
do this with zigg zwave and thread
devices right now so again this is just
my opinion but one thing that matter
devices do really well is not rely on
the cloud for them to work and I would
highly prioritize this when bu new smart
home devices that way if the company
that makes the device unfortunately ever
did go out of business you could keep
using it in your smart home so this
supports that third goal that I said for
long-term reliability if you already
have Smart Home devices that require the
cloud like I do it's not the end of the
world I wouldn't throw them out and
it'll probably be fine my last tip about
smart home devices is about Wii I see
comments all the time saying avoid Wi-Fi
devices at all costs I don't agree with
this if you have a good router and
multiple Wi-Fi access points to cover
your house or even a good mesh wi-fi
system then you'll be just fine my smart
home Wi-Fi devices stay connected and
can still work without the cloud like
the everything presents one I recommend
not skimping out on your wi-fi system I
mean think about how much your family
relies on it with all their devices you
don't want Wi-Fi problems I mean my kids
will lose it if a video takes one second
to
buffer all right time for the last piece
of the puzzle to building the ideal
smart home making it all work together
using automations in whatever platform
you use this is where all your hard work
pays off and it feels like magic as
things happen around you without you
needing to even think about it it's one
of my favorite things ever but wait
before you jump in I have some advice
when you're first starting out don't get
too carried away and create complicated
automations start simple and focus on
one room at a time in fact you can even
get more specific by focusing on one
task at a time think about a problem in
your life and then automate it and then
move on to the next one this will help
you keep track of what's supposed to
happen so if it breaks you know where to
look and fix it quickly you might be
like oh it's not going to break I made
the perfect automation yeah famous last
words I think the same thing too when
I'm creating automations and then my
family enters the mix they have a PhD in
home automation construction almost all
the automations that my family breaks
can be fixed easily with some extra
conditions these are what stop the
automation from running if other things
are happening in the house like if we
have guess over if the TV is on during
certain times of the day or if someone's
away from the house then it can stop an
Automation and keep your family from
getting annoyed now just a warning
making perfect automations is kind of a
thankless job remember at the beginning
making an invisible Smart Home home that
works seamlessly in the background well
if your automations are running
perfectly no one's really going to
notice which is a good thing but if they
break you're going to hear about it it's
not always like that though and
automations have made our life so much
easier I don't have to focus on the
mundane tasks and instead focus on my
family and as much as I joke I love
spending time with my wife and kids and
these automations put more time back in
my day it's 100% worth it in my
opinion
all right before we wrap it up here's
some rapid fire questions and answers
you guys ask me on Instagram if you
don't follow me over there you
definitely should all right best naming
convention for automations and devices I
try to be as descriptive as possible
when I'm naming my automations or
devices and maybe a little extra
descriptive especially putting in what
room they're in that way when I need to
find them I can quickly search for the
room and they'll pop right up how to
keep all the automations organized well
I don't I just name them really well and
when I need to find them I just again
search for the room or whatever it is
and they quickly pop up homebridge or
home assistant I would use home
assistant you still get that homebridge
functionality built in but then you have
some extra features with home assistant
best zigg repeaters I don't know if it's
the best but I use some inexpensive
sonoff zigg Outlets that extend my zigg
mesh system all over my house and it
works really well well I'm also using
the aara pet feeder which works as a
zigg repeater too start with four smart
switches is the first thing yes smart
switches are one of the best things you
can do to start with because they're
very familyfriendly everyone can still
use the switch like they normally do but
then you can automate it and we moved
into this house smart switches were the
first thing that I added how to
transition away from smart things
unfortunately there isn't an easy way to
switch from one smart home system to
another you can either slowly move
devices and automations over little by
little or do it in one Fell Swoop how to
go from smart things to home assistant
this is something I did and there's
actually an integration in home
assistant for smart things so you can
bring in all your smart things devices
and then slowly you can disconnect them
from smart things and switch them over
to home assistant so someone ask why
they should do this well if you're
already happy with your smart home
system then no you don't need to change
but if you do want to switch over to
home assistant you can have way more
device Integrations like I have almost
every device in my smart home integrated
into home assistant and it opens up the
doors to way more things that are
possible should I just pick one company
like Casa and stick with them yes if
you're going to replace like all your
light switches going with one company
keeps it more uniform it's easier for
your family looks nicer so yes for that
but for like Casa light strips not
really I have some Costo light strips in
here A different kind over in the corner
and it kind of feels all the same once
you're you're automating them and using
them in the dashboard so I don't think
it makes that much of a difference is it
expensive well I'll answer your question
with another question someone else asked
how do I stop spending so much money on
it I feel you what's a good cheap system
to start and upgrade later on I would
probably choose Google they have really
easy to use routines and then you have
their new script Editor to make a little
more advanced automations and then if
you want to take things up a notch and
use something like home assistant you
can still use all the speakers and
displays for announcements and playing
music and not waste any devices which
hubs are worth combining I prefer
combining apple homekit and home
assistant they both complement each
other well and both run locally so
they're very reliable how to get started
with home assistant I'll link some of my
favorite videos down below but I'm also
thinking about making a
beginner-friendly home assistant video
and if I do it will probably be on the
second channel so if you're interested
follow me over there all right that's
the end of the Q&A hopefully this video
was helpful in your journey to build the
ideal smart home focusing on those three
goals has helped me build a smart home
I'm very proud of I barely know it's
there my family loves it and it's been
working reliably for the last couple of
years I know you guys can do it and if
you have any questions then let me know
down below thanks for
watching Apple Jack I'll never let go I
promise just slide over and let me on
there's room for two I'm sorry there
can't be two smart home voice assistants
wait you just said you'd never let go
why would you do
this
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