Smart homes have been around for decades now in one form or another and while there isn’t a single definition of what makes a smart home, “smart”, there are some basic ideas behind it.

To begin, let’s look at what a standard, “dumb”, house would consist of. That is a standard home that would have standard switches that turn on standard lights, standard wall outlets that you can plug standard appliances into, and some standard exterior features. In order to turn any of your lights on, you walk over to the appropriate switch and turn that light on. Very simple concept that has been working for ages. Stepping beyond that is when we start to embark on the smart home journey.

The first bit of smarts that a home typically gets is automatic outdoor lighting. An exterior light fixture has a photocell built into it. When you turn the switch on, the power goes to the new fixture and if it is dark, the light turns on. If it is not dark, the lights will stay off. The beauty of this setup is that you simply leave the lights on and the natural cycle of the sun will turn the lights on and off for you. Is this enough to call your house a smart home? Some would say yes and some would say no, but that is the basic concept of how it all works. Your home is controlled by more than just the switches themselves.

With this in mind, the first step to a smart home is deciding what do you want it to do? Do you want your outdoor lights to turn on and off with the sunset? Maybe you want to automate some lights based on when you leave the house or come home? Do you have a morning routine that you would like to follow at the push of a button? With all of the tech available in today’s market, your imagination really is the limit to what you can do with your home.