In this post, I’ll be discussing the various aspects of the smart home from scratch.

Whether you’re a newbie or an experienced smart home enthusiast, this post will definitely add some value. 

In the end, “you will get a rough estimate of how much does a smart home cost?”.

As a smart home consultant, I can say you that this is the first question that any person just beginning with a smart home will ask.

In the last couple of years, the trends have changed.

People are considering smart home automation as a part of their daily need which wasn’t a couple of years back.

There are many reasons that you need a smart home.

People have a wrong idea about building a smart home.

One of my clients said to me that building a smart home is very easy.

You just need to buy some smart plugs, some security cameras, some smart lights, and your smart home is ready.

Well, if you also have the same thought process, then let me tell you, more than money, you need to be well-versed with the basics of a smart home.

The installation process is easy if you’ve done your homework.

I’ll recommend you to go through some articles or books which highlights the problem that you can face during the process of making a home smart.

Without any further ado, let discuss the important parameters related to smart home.

Why a Smart Home?

If you’re thinking that I’ll give you a piece of good news, then you’re right. If you’ve done your homework right, then I can assure you don’t need a smart home consultant for setting up your home. 

In fact, you can consider it as a DIY smart home project and do it yourself.

Moreover, you’ll be able to save tons of money that you can use to buy smart devices.

Even before I started working as a smart home consultant, I converted my home into a smart home.

I didn’t hire any consultant, I did it on my own.

Since I did it on my own, I learned a lot.

Today I’m sharing with you my SUCCESS mantra.

I divide the entire smart home project into smaller ones.

Then, I took one small project at a time. After completing it only I moved to the other project.

I used to consider all the cost factor involved in the process.

This helped me with the cost-estimation.

This article is beneficial for those who want to make their home smart in a cost-effective manner.

If you’re looking for a high-end smart home, then this article isn’t for you.

Till now, I’ve helped hundreds of my clients in setting up smart homes and offices.

If I talk about the rough estimate of making a home smart, then it would be between $1500 to $5000 depending upon your requirement.

You may be wondering this is a wide margin, but you need to understand that you’re going to consider quite a good number of parameters while making your home smart.

REASONING

I had a reason to convert my home into a smart home, and I hope you too have one since you’re reading this article.

Nonetheless, the probability is very high that your reason may not be similar to mine.

For example, some people really wanna show-off by the means of a smart home.

I know many people who gave a party just to showcase their tech-savvy home.

On the other hand, some of my clients want to convert their vacation home into a smart home to remain to connect virtually.

The third category of people looking out for smart homes is senior citizens and elderly people who in fact need smart technology to support them.

I’ve just highlighted three reasons.

There can be countless reasons to move to smart homes.

Moving further, I’ll be talking about the benefits of smart home and how it can impact your day-to-day life.

So, keep reading.

HOME SECURITY

Security can be one of the reasons to move to smart homes.

I know many people who were concerned about what’s happening in their house when they are in the office or some other place.

In that case, it’s advisable to buy a smart security camera system such as Blink or Nest to keep track of the home remotely.

Personally, I prefer Blink over Nest.

After I installed the security camera system, I was mentally free and it resulted in my life becomes stressful.

To enhance the security of your home, you can also use smart locks.

Some of the top-notch automated locks are Kwikset Kevo and August Smart Lock pro.

The best thing about these locks is that they can be configured in such a way that they will unlock when you approach them.

Temperature Control

Most of my clients were concerned about temperature control.

Some of them don’t wanna water pipe to get damage in the cold.

A few were concerned that the renters would heat up the room and leave for the office without turning it back down.

Personally, I use smart thermostats for creating several zones of heating and then regulating them. You can try brands like Ecobee or NEST.

[Related]: Best Smart Thermostats

Lighting

Lighting is one area where smart technology can help you save thousands of dollars.

Trust me, I’m not kidding.

I mean it. It’s a huge area where smart technology has taken off very well.

Smart devices can help you schedule the entire lighting ecosystem.

If you’ve kids in your house, then you can understand the importance of managing light efficiently.

[Related]: How hubless light bulbs work with a smart hub?

Gadget Monkeys

I call my self a Gadget Monkey, and you may also fall into this category.

The Gadget Monkeys are the ones who love to learn through experimenting, taking one step at a time.

For example, you can find quite a good number of smart home enthusiasts who are interested in almost all kinds of smart devices. 

I know a few of my colleagues who are really successful as a smart home consultant.

Convenience

Convenience can be an important driving factor for making your home smart.

A few of my clients are senior citizens and sighted convenience as a major reason for building a smart home.

You can’t ignore the fact that smart home automation and smart home devices are the future.

In the last couple of years, there has been a tremendous addition in the smart device list.

With the evolution of artificial intelligence and IoT, the future of smart device is superlative.

Asking Alexa to play your favorite song or tell you about your favorite hotel location can be an example of convenience for some people.

Nevertheless, the insight is much deeper, and you’ve to believe in the power of machine learning.

You can’t even imagine what will be the future of smart devices.

It’s not very far when you’ll find the smart homes to be multi-dimensional and many more.

Personally, I consider a smart garage door opener an example of convenience.

In fact, I don’t have to open the door.

The concept of a geofence gives me the feasibility to open and close the door automatically.

Can you imagine this a decade before? 

Well, this is the power of artificial intelligence, and you can’t ignore its influence on your life.

If you want to buy some smart devices in the entertainment category, then you can definitely try the Harmony Smart Control by Logitech.

It’s a value for money product.

As a smart home consultant, I’ve seen a shift in the demand for smart home devices.

Nowadays small smart devices are more in demand as compared to the bigger ones.

In the home automation category, smart home appliances are taking away all the limelight.

Recently CES in Los Vegas awarded GE Kitchen Hub the best appliance award.

Convenience was the key factor in this award.

For your reference, I’m adding the self-explanatory video.

Where Should I Start From?

I hope you’ve got a fair idea about the smart home automation and smart home devices.

Now, you may have a question, “where do I go from here?”.

You may be confused regarding the first piece of architecture that you need to build. You don’t need to worry, it happens to everyone.

At times, people go on a buying spree to convert their home into a smarter home.

However, I’m not a supporter of it.

You shouldn’t buy all the smart devices at once to make your home full-fledged smart home.

For buying smart devices, I personally prefer e-commerce giants like Amazon.

The reason being simple.

I don’t have to struggle to return the items in case it isn’t compatible with my smart home hub.

Even before you start buying the smart devices, you need to ask yourself, what really you want at the end, and my advice would be to backtrack the result.

You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to be in the race rather you can start with as simple as smart switches.

What will be the end result?

Even if you’re the decision maker in your house, I would suggest you should discuss with your family regarding the smart home automation and selection of the smart devices.

However, I’m sharing with you the list of things that you need to consider for discussion even before you go for the buying spree.

1. Smart Home Security
2. Temperature Control
3. Voice Automation
4. Entertainment Automation
5. Smart Home Kitchen Appliances

Once you had a discussion on the aforementioned parameters, you can start buying the smart devices.

How much am I willing to spend?

As a smart home consultant, every day I wanna buy some smart gadgets to make my smart room automation more sophisticated, but money doesn’t grow on trees, and most of us have a limited budget to spend on smart devices.

So, rather than going for everything, you need to do smart buying.

In fact, you’ll find cool smart products getting launched almost every day, and as a smart home enthusiast, you’ll definitely feel like taking them home.

It has happened to me, and it may happen to you as well.

When I started there wasn’t anyone to guide me. I spent way more than my capacity because 

I didn’t assign the budget for my smart home automation.

I went on the buying spree and bought the smart product that wasn’t of utter importance.

As a newbie, it was the biggest mistake that I should have avoided.

I’ll request you to set up a budget for the smart home project and to avoid any confusion jot it down on the paper.

Well, I did the mistake because I wasn’t aware of the price of the smart devices.

I was having no clue about what I was doing and where I’ll end up.

However, to make things simple and easy for you, I’ll discuss the various categories and products that you’ll need on your journey to make your home start.

The good news is that I’ll also help you with the rough estimate of the products.

What does it actually cost?

The actual cost is something that depends on loads of parameters.

If I am putting some price range in front of you, then it will be an injustice to the topic.

However, I’ll try to come up with some key points and numbers to the best of my capabilities.

I’ve tried a lot of smart products as a personal user as well as a business person.

As a smart home consultant, It is really important for me to recommend the product that is really amazing because people trust my words. 

The brand that I am gonna mention in this post is the ones that brought me success.

Almost all these products have a huge word of mouth publicity.

Some of the factors that made these products very popular are cost-effectiveness, value for money, and most importantly positive reviews and feedback from the customers.

Smart Home Hub

First and foremost, you need to buy a smart home hub.

I’ll recommend you to go for Samsung SmartThings Smart Home Hub.

It should not cost you more than $150 dollars.

However, you can check the price as well as reviews on Amazon.

You can also try high-end smart home hubs depending on your budget.

Moreover, you can install Samsung SmartThings without any professional help.

Smart Home Lighting

People prefer smart home lighting because it provides convenience and saves electricity bill.

• Do you require colored lights?
• How many light bulbs do you need?

You can get good smart home lighting system in the range of $50 to $200.

However, the budget can shoot up if you’ll be adding more smart lights to your smart home.

Personally, I recommend Philips Hue Lights.

If you’re the one looking for some colored lighting, then you need to consider Philips Hue Color Starter Kit.

You can check the reviews and price of these products on Amazon.

 These are my recommendations.

Nevertheless, you can also look for other well-known brands on the market.

If you’re on a shoestring budget, then I would recommend you to go for smart light switches rather than smart light bulbs.

On the downside, using a smart switch can be a nightmare.

I had a bad experience with a smart switch.

A few years back, I installed a smart switch, but it wasn’t passing juice to a particular bulb.

I called the electrician and he said that the smart switch isn’t compatible with the old wiring in my house.

I’ve shared my experience but it is rare of the rarest situation.

Once you’ll start using the smart devices, you’ll realize that smart home automation is a fragile domain, and you need to take every step with care.

Smart Home Thermostats

I’m very particular about the smart thermostats.

Most of my clients ask me for the recommendation, and I’m really scared of recommending a smart thermostat without using it because if the thermostat recommendation doesn’t go well with my clients, then I’ll have to face the heat, and ultimately it will affect my business.

It is good to bring home a thermostat that has good ratings, great reviews, etc, but at the same time, you need to look for a smart thermostat that can integrate well with your smart home hub.

Personally, I’ve been using Samsung SmartThings Smart Home Hub for a long time, and it is compatible with the Ecobee series of smart thermostats.

So, I’ll recommend you to use the Ecobee3 Lite.

This thermostat is highly affordable and performs as per the expectation. 

If I’m not wrong, you can get Ecobee3 Lite for less than $250.

In case you’re looking forward to this smart thermostat, you can check the current price and customer reviews on Amazon.

Smart Home Security Cameras

Well, the smart home security camera is a smart product anyone would love to take home.

I’ve been frequently grilled on this topic.

A countless number of queries from my clients and future prospects make this question very important.

Whether it’s your home or your office, security is incomplete without the smart home security cameras.

Gone are days, when security cameras were only present at the banks, restaurants, hotels and high-end marketplaces.

Today these cameras are more sort of necessary than a luxury.

Correct me, If I’m saying something wrong?

A majority of my clients are inclined towards the latest security camera available on the market.

A few of my clients keep on adding the security cameras with the innovative and latest technology and discarding the older versions.

Already I’ve mentioned before that I personally use Samsung SmartThings Smart Home Hub, and I’ll ONLY recommend the cameras that will work well with this hub.

From nowhere it means that there aren’t good smart security cameras of other brands in the market.

If you aren’t convinced with my recommendation or you’re using the smart home hub of other brands, then you’ve to take a call on your own risk.

 While selecting a smart security camera, you need to consider a few things.

Look for a camera where you don’t have to pay a monthly subscription fee for the storage of the clips.

Secondly, the smart security camera should have an option to expand the system if needed in the future.

If you’re leaving in a cold place such as Antartica or London, then you should also consider how the camera will work in the rain, snow, and sub-zero temperatures.

After considering all these parameters and conditions, I narrowed down on Blink XT Cameras.

You may find this camera in the range of $130 and $330 on Amazon.

You can check on Amazon the current price and the customer feedback.

[Related]: How to pick a smart security camera?

Smart Home Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

The Samsung SmartThings Home Hub can easily integrate with the smoke detector systems.

I’ve got a couple of the First Alert OneLink System in my office which I was able to integrate with the Samsung SmartThings fairly quickly.

You can get the smart smoke detectors in less than $150. 

Window and Door Sensors

If you’ve got a good number of windows and doors, then using the sensor on each one of them can definitely soar the price.

However, I’ll definitely surprise you with my findings.

Without any further ado, let’s begin.

1. There is a huge price difference if you’re buying sensors individually vs in bundle. For example, a sensor may cost you between $20 and $30 depending upon the brand that you’re going for. However, if you’re ready to buy a bundle of these sensors, then let me tell you, it will NOT cost you more than $150 for 10 sensors.
2. If you’re buying an ADT SmartThings Starter kit, then you can have an option to buy ADT’s home monitoring service.
3. If you’re on a shoestring budget, then I would recommend you to try SmartThings sensors.

Smart Home Locks

The smart home locks can easily influence your smart home automation budget.

If you’re looking for smart locks for all the doors in your home, then definitely the budget will shoot up.

Another important aspect of the smart home lock is that you’re buying it for your own and your family security, and if you are taking it lightly, then you’re definitely fooling yourself NOT others.

There has been a gradual increase in the demand for smart home locks in the last couple of years.

Personally, I use the Schlage Z-Wave Connect Camelot series, one on the front door and one on the rear door.

The best thing about the aforementioned home lock is that it is compatible with SmartThing Hub as well as Alexa.

They may cost you $200 per lock, you can check the customer price and reviews on Amazon.

Garage Door Automation

A Raspberry Pi can be a good option for the Garage Door Automation but you need to be tech-savvy to use it in the best way.

I’m not tech-savvy so, I prefer the GoControl Linear Z-Wave garage door opener.

It is user-friendly and the installation process is quite easy.

The GoControl is highly affordable and you can get one for less than $100.

It is highly compatible with SmartThings, and I haven’t faced any problem using it for over a year now.

If you’ve some different recommendations, then let me know in the comment section.

You can check the current price on Amazon.

Smart Home Blinds Automation

This one is a costly affair.

The process of conversion is also tedious because you need to convert each window/blind in your house individually, and you need to buy a kit for this purpose.

I ONLY know My Smart Blinds company which is very reliable and the kits provided by this company will cost you around $130.

I prefer this kit for my office rather than at home.

My house consists of a good number of windows and I personally don’t like to convert them at all because I love light.

If you’re looking for energy-saving, then you can try it.

However, I don’t put it in a “must-have” category.

Entertainment Automation

Well, I’m gonna share with you something amazing.

I hope you’ll like it. If you’re aware of this trick, then let me know in the comment section.

Furthermore, I’m assuming that you’re well aware of the fact that Dish had a built-in addon to their Hopper that would allow you to use an Alexa or Google Home to the hopper, and as a result, you can change the channel with your voice.

Can you turn ON/OFF your television with the voice?

Well, using the aforementioned method you can’t do it.

Nevertheless, I’ve got a solution for you.

You can try Logitech Harmony Smart Control.

You just need to integrate this device with a voice assistant such as Alexa, and you’re done.

It gives you the feasibility of customs controls any of the home theatres using your voice.

If you’re skeptical about the installation, then let me tell you, it is super easy.

Within a couple of minutes, your installation will be completed.

I would request you to check the current price on Amazon.

Voice Automation

Let’s dive deep into the voice assistant.

If you’re familiar with Alexa and Google Home, then you’ll be aware of the benefits.

I use both Alexa and Google Home on a regular basis, and both of them are good to have in your office as well as at home.

If I’m not wrong then Alexa was released in November 2014 and within a couple of years, a lot has changed.

It is very surprising how Alexa has improved over time and stayed successful in an industry that is very fragile.

From home automation to playing your favorite music, you can find Alexa doing lots of things that you would have never imagined before.

The good thing about Alexa is that it keeps innovating and improving.

I can assure you that Alexa is one of the most popular smart home devices that people are looking up to.

If we talk in terms of compatibility, then Alexa has an edge over the competitor such as Google Home Mini.

Google Home was officially released at the end of 2017, and so you can consider it a sophisticated voice assistant.

Anyways Google Home is the product of the tech giant Google, and you must be aware of the fact that Google Home will definitely increase the percentage of the voice search on the Google search engine.

Currently, you will find the inclusion of snippets in the Google algorithm. 

You can buy these voice assistants on Amazon.

Since I’m using Alexa lately, so I can give you an overview of the price.

Amazon Echo will cost you around $100 and the mini version which is also called Echo Dot will cost you around $65.

Smart Home Kitchen Automation

Something is better than nothing and it’s always good to know something about everything.

Well, my husband dominates in this field.

He may not be the master of anything but he is a jack of many things.

I’ve to learn this quality from him.

There are tons of smart household appliances available on the market, and you can’t deny the fact that each of these items has its own market share.

I’m not suggesting you should go and buy one simply because you find it innovative and interesting.

The best approach could be to first understand your smart home automation correctly and then buying the smart appliances that are compatible with your smart home hub.

Well, you can follow some other strategy also, I’ve just shared the one that I preach to my clientele.

I’m gonna throw some light on the smart devices in the kitchen category that I recommend to my clients.

All these smart devices are affordable and you can check the current price on Amazon.

• The Anova Culinary Precision Cooker:  A Wi-Fi connected smart cooker that you’ll love to see in your kitchen as a smart home enthusiast. (check the current price on Amazon)
• The Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker W/Smart Chef Technology: You can expect unbelievably smoked food from this Wi-Fi-enabled electric smoker. The best part is that they can be controlled by a mobile app and at the same time, you can expect the notification on your mobile from this smart little beast. (check the current price on Amazon)
• The Weber Kitchen Thermometer: It uses Bluetooth in such a way that you don’t need to stand in the kitchen to check whether the food is cooked or not. In fact, it cooks any food at the right temperature. (check the current price on Amazon)
• Behmor Brewer Connected Coffee Maker: A coffee maker that you can operate through your smartphone.
• Gourmia GTA2800 Wifi Air Fryer: The Wi-fi enabled air fryer can do a great job for you. It can be controlled by a smartphone.
• Kenmore Smart Refrigerator: I highly recommend this smart refrigerator. It uses a superlative technology called Genius Cool which acts like a linear compressor and dual evaporator. (check the current price on Amazon)

CONCLUSION

The smart home automation popularity is slowly and gradually changing the way we live.

You shouldn’t be worried about the budget as you can add smart devices to your home slowly and gradually.

If you’ve got a budget of $1000, then you can start building your smart home.

My advice will be to NOT put all the eggs in the same basket.

You can start with the smart home hub and then add the devices that are compatible with your smart home.

Remember, sometimes compatibility can be an issue.

So, before buying a smart household appliance, you need to check whether it is compatible with other devices or not.

If you found this article valuable, then share it with your friends and colleagues.

Feel free to contact me for any doubt or query.