Cox Communications, ATT&T, Google, Amazon and the list goes on and on of people and companies vying for you to use their products and options. You can find a myriad list of products at Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon Prime, Best Buy and almost any retailer you walk into. You no longer have to do full on home automation when you have all these Wi-Fi capable products that you can use with virtually no monthly fees.
Now the big question comes to mind. How do you decide what and who’s options and products you want use? First you need to start with a list of what is your highest priority to get done first. Start by making a list of what’s most important and what benefits you get from each item. Also don’t forget to list the true benefits of each. Below is something I started to put together while looking at automating my own house.
| Item I want | Reason | Benefits |
| Lighting | Kids leave all the lights on | Save on my electrical bill/safety |
| Cameras | Car was broken into in driveway | Safety |
| Thermostat | I forget to raise temp when I leave | Can changed temp when I forget |
| Home Assistant | Because it’s cool | No benefits, I just like it |
| Door locks | Don’t have to use keys when drunk | Kids can’t lose their keys |
| Wireless Audio | Don’t have to get up to change music | Another cool item to have |
The one thing I would note here is for the Wi-Fi thermostat. I would pay the extra and get this from your air conditioning and heating company. They will be responsible for the warranty if anything ever happens to it. Otherwise you have to send it back and wait for another one, not much fun in August. Make your list, do your homework and enjoy thinking of the many things you can do with each item. You’ll also be the envy of all your friends.
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