Smart home technology and home automation technology in the past where very expensive and had to be professionally installed. While there are still smart home technology that is still installed by professional’s DIY installation has become very practical and very reasonably priced now.

If you are thinking about getting into home automation I have a list below of 10 smart home technology devices that are easy to use for beginners. Many of these projects don’t need a lot of experience for you to complete and won’t cost you an arm or a leg to start using.

Here’s 10 Smart Home Technology Ideas

1] Lighting… This is the easiest place for a beginner to start, simple replace the old light bulbs with new wireless LED ones. Next you just have to follow the instructions that come with the new LED bulbs. Some types of bulbs will require a smart home hub that connects to a home network, other types of bulbs can be controlled via Bluetooth from your smartphone or other device.

If you want to have some dimmers you can get smart dimmer switches and replace your existing ones with the new ones that can also be controlled by your smartphone using an app.

2] Saving Energy… Another good idea is why not save on your energy bill with a smart learning thermostat. Adding a smart thermostat will allow to control to control the temperature in your home when you’re away, you can program the smart thermostat to warm up your home before you get there. You can also save more money on your air conditioning cost by installing some wireless blinds.







Using motion sensors that can turn on the light when you enter a room and you can even install a smart home ceiling fan that will also help cut down on your heating and cooling costs. There are many smart home technology devices that you can use to save energy and keep more of your paycheck in your pocket!

3] Setting a Mood… This is a cool way to begin entering the world of home automation. When you adding some smart lighting simple just change the bulbs to dimable LED ones and you can make a room take on any cool color you want with a few easy button pushes on your smart phone app. You can also add your favorite music to create the special romantic setting.

The Samsung SmartThings home automation starter system can do this for you. [see it here on Amazon]. You’ll also be able to control ceiling fans to cool any room you want to add to the mood. Another great thing about going wireless is you can use some wireless speakers and control the whole thing from your smart phone.

4] Securing Your Home… The most common use of smart home technology is using it for home monitoring and can be done with DIY Home Automation Systems especially if you’re new to home automation. It’s simple to make your home secure by adding some door or window sensors and with a few cameras in place your home can be monitored right on your cell phone.

The system can also send you alerts and text messages if any of your sensors detect window movement or glass breakage. Once you have received the alert you can call the authorities and report a break-in in progress and alert the rest of your family to an attempted break-in.

5] Preventing a Disaster… In addition to detecting intruders your smart home technology can also alert you to home hazards like: Fire, smoke, water tank leaks and gives you an early warning which can prevent injury or even save lives and costly repairs by having an early warning to the disaster taking place.

6] Home Monitoring… Wireless cameras not only serve as a home security devices, they can also be used to monitor your children from your smart phone. This is a great way to alert you that your kids are home from school and are actually doing their homework and any chores. If you have pets you can see them in your home and with the right device you can even talk to them… Pretty cool!

7] Wireless Speakers… Yup…Having wireless speakers is great news for the music lovers. Can you imagine listening to your favorite songs anywhere in your home. Get a set of outdoor wireless speakers and you can enjoy your music outside and relax. Easy as pie… connect to your network or home automation system and you’re ready to go. You even can use the voice command feature right from your phone.

8] Fitness Band… You’ve probably seen these bands on runners a lot, not only does this handy wrist device count your calories, heart beat and steps in can also be used to control your smart home. While you’re out on your morning jog you can h as you have a fresh cup of coffee brewed just as you come in. A great smart home technology device that you wear, talk about automating your life!

9] Smart Locks… No more having to carry keys around and worrying about losing them or forgetting them somewhere. Right from your phone you can lock or unlock your doors [keep a hidden key handy in the event of a power outage]. A much safer way to control your homes security and you can get alerts any time the door is opened.





10] Smart Garage Hub… This connects to your smart home system and lets you control your garage door from your smart phone and will also give you updates when your garage door is opened or closed.

8 “Cool” Things You Can do With a Smart Home Technology System

When you think about the technology in home automation the first thoughts that may come to mind is the system will make your life and home a lot simpler and convenience. That being said the real advantage especially if you’re a beginner to the whole home automation idea is that you can start small and add more devices to your system anytime you want.

Home automation DIY systems are designed to take over and automate your homes devices with the accent being on lighting, HVAC systems and the most important thing is your homes security. You are in control of what and when you add more to your system or you may be happy with just a few devices being automated.

Here are 8 Things Smart Home Technology Can Do

1] Home Theater System… A lot of people find a home theater system as a good starting point and for good reason, with the number of home theater components that you can control really lets you customize your system. The biggest downside to these systems is having so many remote devices to control the TV, radio, DVD, blue ray and wireless speakers makes the system complex to control.

Enter the world of smart home technology where you only need one remote to take charge of the whole system. Not just the home theater but, your lights and if your using cool lighting effects it gets easier to control everything from the comfort of your big chair. Add some floor level accent lighting to give some light for you and your guests to get up and leave if they need to do something.

2] Control Your Music… It’s very likely that everyone in your home has different music tastes and listening levels. A home automation system gives you the ability to cater to your family’s different music preferences by storing all your music sources in the system and allows for playing of each person’s favorite music in different rooms throughout your home.

Just imagine you can have your relaxing music playing in your favorite room, and at the same time your teenagers can listen to their favorite music in their own rooms without disturbing you. If you’re going to be having a birthday party you can pick the music for that event and play it in another location. Being able to play different music in different locations at the same time allows everyone to enjoy their own taste without bothering other family members. This can all be done with the smart home system and wireless speakers in the desired rooms.

3] Button Control Lighting… Years ago automated light controls where build into some top end homes while the walls where open. Nowadays control systems can be added to any home including exterior as well as interior, this lighting can be operated from a normal switch or from an automated touch screen device and in some cases can be set-up to work from a remote control device.

Most of the newer smart home technology allows access to your lighting directly from your smart phone; the feature I really like about these systems is it knows which lights are on in your home. You can use your automation to turn off lights that where left on to save on your electrical bill and you can turn lights on automatically when it gets dark simply by programming your system.

4] Custom Lighting… In addition to turning lights off and on you can create virtually unlimited lighting options with your system. A great feature I like is you can lights in one room turn on slowly from dim to bright to help with waking up if you’re working shift work. Or another option is to have the lights in a child’s room slowly get dimmer.







You can even pre-program certain lights to come on at certain times and if you’re away you can randomize which lights come on from day to day to give the home a lived in appearance. You can even install automate window blinds to open and close as well.

5] Conserve Energy… The biggest expense of your home is energy, with the heating and cooling system followed by lights left on. If you’re like most people you go to work for the day and come home in the evening and many times you’re in a rush to get to work and you don’t remember to turn the heat or ac down before you go. Well you can depend on a home automation system to take care of this for you.

Your smart home system can be programmed to turn heat and ac and lights on and off whenever you want. I have found that having the system turn on the heating or ac unit about an hour before I get home really saves on my energy bill. If you’re concerned about someone in your family coming home before you do you can easily set up motion sensors to turn on the systems for you.

6] Peace of Mind… Now you can have peace of mind when you’re away from your home using smart home technology devices that you can add to your system. Door open sensors including the garage overhead door, with the water sensors installed in the basement that will send you an alert to your phone if there’s a water leak. You can even get a device that you can remotely turn the water off.

Another cool feature is you can setup the window and door sensors to alert you when someone is sneaking in or out of the house.

7] Monitor System From Anywhere… Doesn’t matter if you’re down the block or away on a vacation or business trip you can get up to date information on your automation system from any web browser. This lets you confirm and make adjustments to any of your settings. If you need someone to check on your home while your away to water plants you can adjust the system to allow for this.

Again from any web browser you can see your systems data and if you have cameras installed you can see thru them to confirm everything is good.

8] Use Night Mode… Once you have activated night mode you can check to see that lights are out, temperature is set to night mode and check that all windows and doors are securely closed and locked.

That’s just 8 things you can do with your home automation system, there are lots more worth checking into.





