How to set up a smart home

A smart home system is one that allows you to control devices in your property through your phone, tablet or computer.

It runs through wi-fi or bluetooth and enables you to turn things on and off remotely, whether that’s the heating, lighting, kitchen appliances, TV or security alarms.

So if you’re heading home early before the heating is due to come on, you can switch it on through your mobile.

Equally, if you want the oven to warm up so it’s ready for dinner when you get there, that can be done using smart technology.

As well as making life easier and more comfortable, smart homes can save time, energy and money.

In fact they can help to reduce your energy usage by up to 30% according to The Eco Experts, saving you hundreds of pounds a year.

And they can make you feel more safe and secure.

For example, surveillance cameras with motion sensors and automated door locks can be switched on when you go to bed and while you're on holiday.

And gas leak monitors can automatically turn off the gas supply if they detect higher than normal concentrations of gas in the air.

To turn your home into a smart one, you’ll need:

1. Wifi connection

2. Smart home appliances and devices

3. A smart home system to connect, monitor and control these devices

A smart appliance or device is one that can be connected to your smart home system and interact with other devices. Televisions, ovens, refrigerators, alarms, doorbells, garage doors and stereos can all be smart.

A smart ecosystem is like a home hub for all of your devices to communicate through.

Think of it as the network for your smart home. If all of your devices are designed to work on the same network, they’ll work better together.

Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit are the main ones right now. They all have similar features, so it’s really down to your own personal preference which one you choose.

Keep in mind that most smart devices are designed for a particular ecosystem. It’s not always easy (or possible) to use a device designed for Apple as part of an Amazon ecosystem.

When you set your hub up, make sure it’s in a place that has a good wi-fi signal.

A smart speaker means you can control all the smart devices in your home with your voice.

Choose the speaker that fits with your ecosystem – so Alexa for Amazon, Google Nest for Google or Apple HomePod for Apple.

You can then turn things on and off with just a word or phrase.

Or you can set up rules to trigger multiple actions from your speaker at one time.

For example, ‘On my way home’ could turn the heating and lights on, warm up the oven and close the blinds.

To see if a smart-home product works with your ecosystem of choice, check for a logo on the box or webpage. For example:

• Works with the Google Assistant

• Works with Alexa

• Works with Apple HomeKit

These logos mean you can connect your appliance to the respective ecosystem.

However, different products may have different levels of 'smart' control.

For example, one smart oven might be able to turn on to a specific temperature, while another might help you choose the optimal cooking settings for each recipe, along with helpful cooking updates and notifications delivered straight to your device.

Always check the full list of commands and read user reviews to see what’s possible.

Some smart home appliances also come with voice assistants.

Look out for logos that show 'Alexa built in' or 'Google Assistant'. Siri is currently only available in Apple devices but is expected to roll out to third-party devices soon.

To connect products to the device, you’ll usually need to download a third party app and manually link your device to the home hub account.

Make sure you label each of your devices carefully, so that you know what room they’re in and what they are.

Smart plugs are an easy and affordable way to make your home smart, without buying loads of new appliances.

A smart plug can turn an ordinary lamp, coffee machine or TV into a smart appliance. Once they’re plugged in, you control them from your phone or speaker.

Just like smart appliances, you can schedule smart plugs to turn on and off with your schedule.

You can label your smart plugs too. So if you ask Alexa to turn the kettle on, it’ll know which plug you’re talking about.

A smart heating system is one of the best choices to save on energy bills.

86% of users say a smart meter has helped them to reduce their spending, according to The Coexperts.

You connect your phone to the smart thermostat and get total control over your heating.

Some smart heating systems can work off the GPS location of your phone. So they can tell when you’re nearly home and turn the heating on for you.

Or they could detect when you leave the house and automatically turn the heating off and save you energy.

Smart heating systems can also give advice on how you can use less energy. They can suggest automations to help you manage your home’s temperature.

Smart light bulbs are another popular smart home product.

Smart light bulbs are highly energy efficient and they’re fairly easy to install.

You replace your normal light bulbs with smart ones and connect them to your smart ecosystem.

The cheapest smart light bulbs will allow you to control the lights from your phone. You can set rules to turn them off as you leave the house or when it’s time for bed.

More expensive versions change colour or connect to your TV. If connected to a TV, smart lighting can automatically match the mood of a film or programme you’re watching.

Smart cameras are a great way to boost the security of your home. They can also make sure you don’t miss deliveries.

A video doorbell is a popular and easy to use option. It uses a camera to pick up if someone’s outside your house.

A livestream from the camera then feeds through to your phone.

If security's a concern for you, you can add more features to a smart security system. You could incorporate motion sensors around your home and garden, as well as sirens and door and gate locks.

And finally, for the fun stuff, a smart entertainment system lets you enjoy music or movies in any and every room of your house you want, without the need for loads of cables and remote controls.

With multi-room video, a movie library can be shared without the need for additional video sources in each room. So everyone can enjoy the same film - or watch what they want – at the same time.

With a smart audio system, you can easily distribute music, radio stations, audio streaming services, podcasts, and more to any part of the home at the touch of a button.

To control your smart home entertainment system, you can use a tablet or smartphone, a wall-mounted control centre or voice-control through a smart home device.

Many suppliers offer installation services and if you’re going for a system with multiple TVs and speakers it could save a whole world of pain to have a company help with the set up.

This helpful guide is a guest post from Zoopla, the leading property website and app for all your real estate needs.