Every accomplished home automation enthusiast had to start somewhere. For some, home automation started with a Google or Amazon smart speaker. For others it was a selection of smart light bulbs. Still others got their start with smart plugs. The question that rattles around in my mind is this: do most smart home users start with a plan?
I am not normally a planner. I like to fly by the seat of my pants. But I have discovered that such a strategy can come back to bite me in the home automation arena. So I’ve decided that, moving forward, I would define my goals before adding any more devices or automations to my system.
Safety, Efficiency, and More
Safety and efficiency are the two primary goals most of us start with. Maybe a homeowner is concerned about safety and wants to install equipment to protect himself against burglary, smoke and carbon monoxide, etc. You might have another homeowner whose introduction into home automation is linked to wanting to spend less on heating and cooling.
There are all sorts of goals a homeowner could pursue under these two categories. Perhaps it would be helpful to take a look at them in a bit more detail.
1. Safety
Safety has been a core component of the home security industry since its inception. People were installing primitive home security systems long before home automation was a thing. So how has modern home automation impacted safety? Check it out:
- Video Surveillance – In the early days of home security, most people could not afford the CCTV cameras that provided video surveillance. So they went without. Today, wireless cameras are plentiful and dirt cheap. More people have access to video surveillance than they did 50 years ago.
- Remote Access – Thanks to the internet and smart home principles, those same wireless cameras can be accessed from virtually anywhere. People can bring up their phones from thousands of miles away and monitor their video feeds.
- Automation – Smart home automation makes it possible to automate lighting in a variety of ways. Programming lights to simulate a home being occupied can make that home safer.
These three things represent just a selection of what modern home automation can do for safety. Let us move on to efficiency next.
2. Efficiency
We can look at efficiency in a number of ways. First is energy efficiency. My sister-in-law’s introduction to home automation came by way of a smart thermostat already installed in a home she purchased. She and her husband learned how to use it and they now enjoy the benefits of more efficient temperature control.
Their home also came outfitted with a smart lock. They will be the first to tell you how much more efficient it is to open the front door with a keypad as opposed to using traditional keys. If necessary, they can unlock the door with a tap on their smartphones. That is the kind of efficiency they need when they have to carry groceries in from the car.
Everything from lighting to irrigation to adjusting window blinds can be made more efficient through automation. It is a matter of learning to program your system to do what you want it to do. Once you figure that out, efficiency goes through the roof.
How Much Control Do You Want?
For me, another key goal is maintaining maximum control over my devices. I could use a system like Amazon’s Alexa or Kasa. Both give me access to plenty of compatible devices. But I am limited with either ecosystem to the types of things the two companies choose to make available.
That may be okay for some smart homeowners. I wanted more control. So I opted for an open source home automation platform that allowed me to create my own scripts, design my own triggers, etc. I can do a lot more with my system than I could have done via Amazon or Kasa.
The interesting thing is that I did not know maximum control was one of my goals until after I got started. I went with the open-source system just because I love to tinker. But once I figured out how much control it offers, there is no going back. I have no intention of ever switching to a proprietary system.
How Much Money Can You Spend?
Coming up with a system that doesn’t break the bank might be an important goal to you. I know budgetary constraints or priority for me. But this particular goal might be more difficult to achieve than all the others.
Homeowners can invest in out-of-the-box solutions from well-known providers. Vivint is one such provider. Vivint’s inventory includes a complete selection of security and efficiency devices. Think of thermostats, smart locks, cameras, and just about anything else you could think of.
Other proprietary systems offer their own device inventories. The question is how much you are getting for the amount you are spending. Is the value there? And if you don’t think it is, could you get more value by building your own system from scratch?
DIY Home Automation Isn’t Easy
It’s important to consider the time and effort you put into home automation when weighing your budget against the value of a given system. Let me put it this way: DIY home automation is not easy.
The benefit of investing in a Vivint home automation system is that you don’t have to do anything. The company will install it and teach you how to use it. You don’t have to know anything about automation, writing scripts, or creating triggers. So it might be worth spending a little more money to avoid having to do things yourself.
There is plenty more I could write about on this topic. However, it’s time to close this post. Here is the main takeaway: modern home automation offers more choices than most of us can deal with. So to avoid getting lost, it’s a good idea to establish some goals before you get started.