How I Turned My Home into a Smart Home
Well, not a SUPER smart home but smart enough! Actually, I have been on the “hunt” to make my house as accessible as possible for my daughter. She has cerebral palsy and uses a walker or a wheelchair or I just carry her. You can read more about her story here. Anyway, I wanted her to be able to control the light, the temperature and even the TV without having to ask for help. It has been GAME CHANGING. I also love that she can figure out an answer to her questions in a matter of seconds. Keep reading to see what all I have done so far to make our house smart!
I have the Google Nest WiFi router with two WiFi extenders. That way the WiFi blankets the inside of the house and the outside. These hubs also work as a Google assistant which is awesome. Especially when we want to play music throughout the house or call to each other in another room. Everything I have connects to Google except for my Ring doorbell. I bought that before I decided to go with Google.
LIGHTING
These have been amazing! I did have to put in a good sized investment on this one but I think that the pros outweigh the cons on this one. I bought the Phillips Hue light kit that came with 4 bulbs and a bridge. I also purchased another bulb from target. So I use 2 bulbs in my daughters bedroom and 2 bulbs in her playroom and 1 in the living room. She can easily use google home to turn on any of these lights that she needs. Another cool thing about these bulbs is that they are dimmable. I love this feature.
These are the TP-Link smart plugs that I got from target. Fairly inexpensive, they are quite bulky though. I just have them connected to 2 smaller plug in floor lamps in the living room for more of a dim lighting for at night. I want to purchase another one for Christmas time to control the tree from where ever I am at.
THERMOSTAT
This was my 3rd smart purchase for my house, the Google Nest Thermostat. I loved the ability to set schedules or get the house warm/cool on my way home from work. Phoenix can easily change the temperature too without having to ask for help. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, haha. If you know, you know. Also, I was able to get a $65 rebate through my energy company! Definitely look into that if you plan on going this route.
DOORBELL
First smart purchase I made, the Ring Doorbell! I lived in a not so great area for a while and there were break ins, etc. I had to have some way of watching my house when I was at work or while I was in bed. Highly recommend something like this.
Smart TV
I love that my smart TV can connect to my Google assistant and I am able to control it somewhat from anywhere or from Just asking Google. Even when I am away from home I can turn it off. I can also turn down the volume just by asking Google.
Thanks so much for reading! I hope this helps you get started in turning your home into a smart home! Maybe it will give you some ideas on what would help you figure out what would work best for you! I did this over a few year period, so not all purchased at once of course. We will talk soon! Let me know what you end up doing in the comments! <3
xo Jacqueline