What’s the biggest problem when it comes to building a smart home? I’ll tell you—it’s the fear of missing out. And If you’re thinking about building one, I’m going to show you the blueprint I used to build mine, right here behind me, and Trust Me – you can do it too.

Today, I’m excited to walk you through the blueprint I personally used to plan and build my DIY smart home from the ground up.

The good news is that I used my own money to build it.

So, if you’re thinking about turning your home into a smart home—which is all about making your life easier, safer, and maybe even a bit cooler to show off

then stick with me because there’s quiet a bit to consider.

So before we dive in too deep, let’s talk about some of the challenges you might face when entering the world of smart home technology.

Like many of us, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of devices and brands out there. It gets even more complicated with all the digital marketing, the protocols, and then wondering if those devices are even available in your region.

Take me for example who lives in South America.

I mean There’s always a bit of anxiety, thinking, “Is this a good idea? Will I regret building a smart home?” And then, of course, the fear of missing out on the latest and greatest gadgets.

I mean Lots of Questions start piling up in the head ?

Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Many people, including myself, face these roadblocks. But with the right information, you can easily navigate through this fear of missing out.

So to address the hurdles that I just mentioned – let’s first level the playing field and grade ourselves.

Are you a Noob … etc…..

So, Once you know where you fit and who you are – You essentially have two options when it comes to tackling the challenges of building a smart home:

Option 1 – You hire a service provider to take care of everything, letting them decide what’s best for your home.

This can be a pricey solution, as you’re outsourcing the entire smart home setup and management. In this case, you get what you pay for.

Option 2 – You take on the responsibility of building and managing your smart home yourself.

This might involve outsourcing some of the physical work. But you keep control over the management and integration of everything into the smart home ecosystem of your choice.

So I went ahead with option 2 which was Obvious, And To get started, I established three key rules when building my smart home:

  • No two homes are the same, and likewise, no two smart homes are the same.
  • Every household has different needs, and therefore, every smart home will have different requirements.
  • Lastly, setting clear goals is crucial to getting it right!

Once I had these rules in place, I then focused on my specific goals:

  1. One app for everything.
  • I wanted a smart home experience where I could control everything using just one app. I didn’t want the hassle of switching between apps just to turn on a light, check the cameras, or create automations.
  1. Full local control.
  • Privacy is a big deal for me, so I wanted all my devices to be controlled locally along with my data as well. Even if the internet went down, I knew I could still control everything.
  1. Family-friendly setup.
  • It wasn’t just about me; the whole family needed to be on board. Their input, including my kids, was critical to making this work. It was not just getting “The wife approval” but it was always a family approval.
  1. And finally, Budget-friendly approach.
  • With the world of IoT constantly evolving, I wanted to future-proof my smart home while keeping costs under control. I needed to balance staying within budget while ensuring there was room for upgrades in the future.

After setting my goals, the next step was to streamline the process of gathering smart home requirements.

To make this easier, I used a Kaizen tool, which comes from the manufacturing industry where I worked as a project manager for 10 years.

If you’re unfamiliar with Kaizen, it means “continuous improvement” and focuses on making small, regular changes to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance quality over time.

The specific Kaizen tool I used is called 3P to map out my smart home blueprint. They are

People:

Here I focused on the needs and behaviors of the people living in the home to ensure the setup was family-friendly.

Platforms:

Here – I considered the technology platforms and systems that would integrate all devices to meet my goals of using one app for everything and having full local control.

Products:

Here – I selected the brands, devices and hardware—like sensors, cameras, and lights—that would bring the smart home to life while keeping it budget-friendly.

So now lets go ahead and fill up these 3 buckets to put a full circle to meet my goals

When it came to people, the answer was simple—my family. It was just the 4 of us with occasional guests visiting our home. My family’s feedback helped me decide what devices to include and how it would make it easy for everyone to use.

Now, When it came to platforms for a single-app experience, the decision was straightforward since we’re an Apple household. We use Apple products for work, entertainment, like the Apple TV and HomePod mini, so the obvious choice for managing our smart home was thru the Apple Home app.

However to make a Home truly smart – we needed a Smart Home Hub & guess what we were already using the Apple TV & the HomePod minis which act as a smart home hub.

And you may ask “what is a Smart home hub?” – Well this is how I explained it to my kids ?

A smart home hub is like the “brain” of a smart home. It helps all your smart devices talk to each other and work together.

Imagine you have a toy robot, a remote-controlled car, and a talking doll, but they all need to be controlled separately.

A smart home hub essentially brings them all together so you can control everything from one place, like a magic remote!

So, instead of turning off the lights or locking the door one by one, the hub can make them all work automatically, like when you leave the house or go to bed.

However, living in South America, access to smart devices was challenging, expensive, and limited. So, before selecting the devices, I first focused on setting up a strong Wi-Fi & Local network that could also double down as a security system.

I chose the UniFi network because it follows Apple’s philosophy of seamless integration between hardware and software which was a clear winner as well – Since it offers local control & access to all of the camera footage, which was a top priority for me. I’ve already made a video on my UniFi Protect setup for security, and I’ll have a video on the networking side of things soon.

To integrate third-party devices into the Apple Home app, I used Homebridge, which allowed me to bring in non-native Apple devices.

For managing Smart devices, I chose the Zigbee protocol, which creates a self-healing, local network that doesn’t rely on the cloud, and most importantly lots of white labeled branded products out there and I use these 2 websites to purchase budget friendly brands.

I also plan to add Home Assistant in the future for even more flexibility.

By using these integrations and plug-ins, I was able to expose all my devices to the Apple Home app, achieving that singular, local-control experience with solid self-healing network coverage across my home.

Well with whatever platform you choose to work with – your top priority is to always look for devices that work with it natively. This way you are assured it works out of the box as well as in most cases have a hassle free setup.

If they dont work – Don’t worry – there are open source platforms to get them to work to your platform of choice.

Now When it came to choosing products, the process was straightforward after discussing it with my family.

However, Before we built our home, we were renting an apartment where I had already set up a few smart devices—like a smart lampshade, a smart switch,  Nanoleaf panels and a blind.

My family got used to the convenience of automations, like lights turning on and off at specific times, and saw the value in having a smart home.

When we discussed what devices we needed  for our new home, we had a clear list:

  1. Smart switches: We chose Zigbee-based smart switches to control groups of regular (dumb) lights throughout the house. All bedrooms and most other rooms have these smart switches. These switches also needed to be controlled manually.
  2. Smart lights: In areas like the living room and outdoor spaces, we added smart lights that can be programmed into scenes, change colors, and adapt based on the environment & Time.
  3. Blinds: We opted for smart blinds to reduce the cost of curtain materials and add convenience. And can also be controlled using a Remote.
  4. Air conditioners: In South America, its expensive and not so common to have a HVAC systems, We went with smart split air conditioners.
  5. Security: Since we opted for UniFi that powers the network – it made clear sense to go with their security cameras and doorbell, all integrated into one system for a seamless experience.
  6. Entertainment: We really needed a top notch sound and viewing experience that included Dolby Atmos, a giant TV as well as Immersive Lighting. We really love our Movie nights.
  7. Battery-powered devices: Last but the least, We would use buttons for scenes, and sensors to control various aspects of the house. With these devices you can add them to automations which we will talk in a second.

However as I had mentioned earlier, getting these products was always going to be a bit of a challenge.

Most of our smart devices are purchased from AliExpress, and while we deal with some taxes, many of the white-label products work perfectly. Using the platforms I mentioned earlier, I was able to integrate all of these devices into the Apple Home app.

After setting up the smart devices and making them accessible in the Apple Home app, the next step was automations.

this is where the real “smart” part of your home comes to life. Without automations, you just have smart devices that work through touch, voice, or a physical button, but they don’t really interact with each other or perform tasks automatically based on time, location, or even conditions.

With my Apple TV and HomePod Minis acting as the brains of the smart home, I could now teach the system to execute actions on its own. This is what truly makes your home smart.

If you remember the concept of Kaizen—making small, continuous improvements—that’s the iterative approach I’m taking with my automations.

Right now, we have basic automations like “leaving home,” “arriving home,” and a “goodnight” scene. Since we’ve only been in this house for about seven months, we’re still adjusting and haven’t fully defined our routines yet.

Yes I’ve set up some sensors with basic automations, but it’s important to note that a smart home doesn’t need to be perfect right away. It’s a gradual process that evolves as you and your family live in it.

As a smart home owner, I observe how we use the house and also have family discussions on the weekends to see what automations would make sense and bring value to all – It truly needs to be an open communication.

You really don’t want to force automation. At the end of the day – it should feel natural and adapt to your lifestyle over time.

So, that’s my smart home blueprint – from setting goals to using the 3P method and to first get everything into one app.

If you’re planning your own smart home, take your time, set your goals, and remember, you’re building this for you and your family.

Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to Like & subscribe for more updates on our Smart Home journey and other exciting DIY smart home projects.

Until The next time, cheers and happy automation

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️:
================
00:00 Opening
00:27 Smart Home Blue Print Overview
00:52 Current Smart Home Challenges
01:47 What Kind of Home Owner Are You ?
03:01 Smart Home Options
03:48 My 3 Key Rules to a Smart Home
04:15 My 4 Goals to Building a Smart Home
05:27 3P Kaizen Tool
06:34 People Area
07:18 What is a Smart Home Hub?
08:09 Smart Home Platforms
09:27 How to Choose a Smart Home Platform
09:46 Smart Home Products
11:54 From Where we Purchase
12:21 Smart Home Automations
13:59 Closing

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