Do you know that you can turn your Airbnb into a smart home?

Well, I’ll walk you through the complete guide on cheap smart home devices and the good news is that it will not cost you thousands of dollars.

You may have a query in your mind, “Why I need to convert Airbnb into a smart home?”

In short, there can be countless reasons. However, I’ll highlight a few of them for the time being.

• Maybe you’re planning to retire there.
• Maybe you want to rent it to someone.
• Maybe you want to sell it. 

There can be hundreds of “Maybe” and thousands of “If’s and But’s”. No one else other than you knows the real reason behind converting your Airbnb into a smart home until you tell them.

Either way, I’ll walk you through the cheapest smart devices that will make your Airbnb smart. These devices are budget-friendly and easy to install.

Moving further, I would like you to answer a few of my questions. It will help me to understand you better and also provide you with a customized solution as per your taste.

Is your vacation home as dumb as your wall phone?

Do you want to make your vacation smart without spending hefty cash?

If the answer to both these questions is “Yes”, then you’ve definitely landed in the right place.

Smart Home & Airbnb: My Experiment

I’ve been working as a smart home consultant for quite a few time now. Almost every month, I deal with around 20-27 clients.

Mostly two categories of clients come to me. The first ones are those who have bought their first house and want to make it a smart home.

The good thing about these clients is that they have a decent budget if not good and are ready to spend money.

However, they are a bit reluctant about the new experiments. (just my observation)

On the other hand, there is a big chunk of people (second category) who have bought their second home and want to make it smart. 

They are mostly not interested in spending more and want the project to be completed at the minimum budget. 

These people aren’t reluctant to experiments if that can cut down the overall budget.

Either of the categories prefers local best buy until someone tells them that they can get smart devices online at a reasonable cost.

Personally, I advise people to buy smart devices online, but if the installation needs professional help, then it’s an intelligent move to buy from the local shop.

Moving further, this guide is for those who are planning to buy cheap smart home devices online and needs some guidance.

Saving Money With A Smart Home Vacation

If you ask me what should be the budget for my smart home? Trust me, I’ll not be able to answer even though I’m working day and night in this domain.

In fact, none can answer you correctly because of the volatile nature of this category.

In this post, I’ve mostly considered the smart devices that are budget-friendly yet comparable with the high-end smart products in the same category.

If you don’t have budget constraints, then you can go for the high-end products.

I’ve prepared a list of smart devices for my clients, and I’ll walk you through all these devices.

I can assure you that even though you’re on a tight budget, you can afford a decent smart home.

Best Smart Home Hub Under $50

It’s totally an idiosyncratic feeling when we want to convert our vacation home into a smarter one. Most of us navigate through the cheapest route to reach the final goal.

Anyways, whatever is your plan and your end game, you’ll always need a smart home hub.

There are numerous smart home hubs available on the market, but Wink Hub is something that I recommend to my clients who are on a budget.

Here, I would like to highlight that the Wink Hub isn’t the cheapest one in the market.

There are many hubs that cost less than the Wink hub. However, the cheapest hubs come with loads and loads of complications.

These technical hiccups may spoil your holiday mood. So, go for the one that has good customer reviews and ratings despite being cheap.

WAIT…

I’m not saying you to spend a good amount of your precious time searching for the products and going through their reviews and ratings.

Already, I’ve done the hard work for you. Just shortlist the products of your choice and read the reviews of these products. Hope you’re fine with it.

The installation process of the Wink hub is quite simple, and mostly, you’ll not need the professional hand.

The other important parameter is compatibility. I hope it will match your expectation. In short, it is compatible with almost everything that you’ll throw at it.

But, at the same time, you can’t compare it with the market leaders and high-end smart home hubs. They charge you for a reason 🙂

(Check the current price on Amazon)

A Smart Voice Assistant Under $50

So, I’m trying to build a smart home on a budget, right? If you agree, then I would say that a smart voice assistant is not a “must have” product in my list. 

If you’re very keen on controlling your smart home with your voice, then ONLY you should buy a smart home assistant.

In case, you’ve decided to buy a smart home assistant, then there are two categories that you can consider. Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini, both you can around $50. 

I’ve tried both the smart consultants. However, I found the Amazon Echo Dot more compatible with my smart devices. 

Another thing to highlight here is that Amazon Echo Dot is a front runner in its category and been around longer than its competitors.

However, it doesn’t mean by any way that the Google Home Mini isn’t as par with the former.

As you newbie, you can go with any of the two. Trust me, you’ll not find much difference.

WAIT! 

I forget to compare Amazon Echo Dot with his big brother (Alexa). Other than the voice quality, Amazon Echo Dot is at par with the Alexa.

Anyways, it shouldn’t matter you a lot. Of course, you aren’t buying the former to use it as a speaker, right?

If you’re looking for a smart assistant with a great voice, then Alexa is the best option.

At times, Amazon comes with really hot deals. So, it’s advisable to track the price of the smart devices before taking a final call.

For example, the aforementioned voice assistants are generally available on Amazon for $50, but during the Christmas last year, it was available at half the price.

Hope I made my statement.

(Check the current price on Amazon)

Budget-friendly Smart Lighting under $50

Once you’ve picked your hub and(or) smart assistant, the next thing that you should do is to pick smart lighting.

Well, I’ve got a reason for it, I’m not saying simply. Smart lighting can save you hundreds of dollars. 

Nowadays, most of us forget to switch off the lights. It may not sound to you a big expense until you club the unwanted lighting bill for the entire year.

Well, I’ll help you to convert the existing system into a smart one. 

I can read your mind. Well, don’t get worried.

I’ll not say you replace your current lighting with the smart ones rather I’ll introduce smart switches that can be of great help.

I’ll recommend TP-Link Smart Wi-Fi Switches. You can take it home for less than $50. Trying to replace the existing dumb switches with it.

There is more than one way to make your dumb lighting smart. 

You can replace the existing plug-in outlets with smart ones. It will also serve your purpose. Finally, the choice is yours.

You can get a pack of four for $50 or so. This is a great way to make your lighting smart when you’ve devices like lamp already powered by plugging into the wall.

(Check the current price on Amazon)

Cheap Smart Home Security ($50 to $150)

To be honest, smart security cameras don’t come cheap. Even the cheapest of them is definitely expensive as compared to other smart devices.

However, I’ll try my best to help you with the cheapest smart security cameras.

There are many smart home security cameras available on the market, but I’ll bet high on Blink XT Cameras.

Already I’ve written a detailed article on how to select a smart security camera? Have a look, it will be an eye-opener for you.

The reason I recommend a Blink XT Camera is the simple installation process and its capability to perform in any kind of weather condition.

They are literally rock solid and rain, snow, and cold conditions can’t affect their performance.

Coolcam door and window sensors are the ones that I’ll recommend you if you’re looking for window and door sensors. If you’re using a Wink hub, then nothing can pair better than Coolcam sensors.

You can check the price of these sensors on Amazon.

Cheap Smart Entertainment Controller Under $50

I’ve found a relatively inexpensive IR Controller that will work fine with your entertainment system.

In conjugation with a voice assistant, you’ll be able to turn ON/OFF your TV using your voice. Needless to say, you’ll also be able to change the channel using your voice.

The Broadlink IR Control Hub can be brought home at around $30.

Another good option is the Harmony Smart Controller, but it will be a bit costly.

Cheap Smart Home Thermostats Under $100

I’ve written a detailed article on thermostats. Have a look, the post also includes a buying guide.

However, today I’ll walk you through the thermostats that you can consider if you’ve got a budget constraint.

If you’re the only one who doesn’t mind spending a few extra bucks on the thermostats, then you can try the high-end NEST thermostats. 

Personally, I use and recommend the Ecobee series of thermostats. They are valued for money products.

If you’re a frequent reader of this blog, then you’ll be aware of the fact that the aforementioned thermostats are the market leaders in their price segments.

You may be thinking that what’s new in it, right?

I present to you Honeywell Wi-Fi programmable thermostats. You can take this home at $100 or so (expect some fluctuation in the price)

At the low-end, you can’t have a better option than the Honeywell thermostat. You’ll never regret investing in it.

Check the current price on Amazon.

CONCLUSION

All the aforementioned smart devices are the budget devices. Keeping in mind that you’re interested in making your vacation home or second home smart, I’ve recommended these products.

I’ve also assumed that you’re NOT gonna stay in the vacation home for most of the time, and at the same time, you’re interested in making your home smart at the budget.

There are loads of inexpensive smart devices available on the market, but selecting the correct one is a bit tricky.

I hope you’ve gained some information by the means of this article and let me know your feedback in the comment section.

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Don’t forget to read: Smart Home For Elderly People