Smart Home Tour 2023: How to SAVE Money!

Let's tour my smart home, and I'll let you know where you should spend more, or save with less expensive options!

A few of my favorites from each category... (affiliate links)

Smart shades

Voice assistants

Video doorbells

Sensors

WiFi

Robot vacuum

Smart lights

Ceiling fans

Hubs

Security cameras

Thermostats

Smart outlets
The ones I'm using aren't sold anymore. Most cheap ones that are compatible with your system will work great.

Smart buttons

Light switches

Garage opener

DISCOVER MORE

FOLLOW ME

0:00 Intro
0:25 Smart shades
1:07 Voice assistants
1:44 Video doorbells
2:28 Sensors
3:06 WiFi
3:48 Robot vacuum
4:29 Smart lights
4:59 Fan control
5:18 Hubs
5:52 Security cameras
6:34 Thermostats
7:08 Smart outlets
7:25 Smart buttons
8:04 Light switches
8:26 Garage opener
9:02 Wrap up
9:24 Ending

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MUSIC
Space Trooper by DivKid
The End by EVA

[SmartHomeSolver]

Where do YOU spend or save money in your smart home? 💸

[NathanChan]

May I just say how I love the playful quips between you and @PaulHibbert. Please never stop, unless they get mean, we are all lovers in the smart home realm... Robots are the fighters.

[Ironboost]

this video is GOLD for us who are just buying new homes and are looking for pro tips on making it smart, thanks!

[BigtimeBigA]

The Lutron switches I decided on based on this channel is the best upgrade I’ve done to my home automation, cost almost $2k to do all of them but well worth it.

[alain]

This is arguably One of your top 3 most useful & must-see videos on YouTube,    you save us effort and money and helped us to know more about the best smart devices' functions dependencies and when to go cheap, and e when to look for an expensive option sometimes is much suitable solution.
Besides, this video is a goldmine, YOU DESERVE to be at THE TOP SPOT in the smart home industry, I really enjoyed every second watching it.
I never thought of myself like omeone who could enjoy watching a guy bragging about how a simple smart home setup can be like this, amazing and highly organized.
I have one request tho, if we can see more of you since you opened second youtube channel

[BroncoPatriot]

Appreciate your overview and suggestions. The only one I disagreed on was the Lutron Caseta. Our last home had a mix of TPLink switches and Zooz zwave switches. Nothing but issues with both. Since moving to our new home I invested in Lutron and couldn’t be happier. 100% reliable, never have issues with integration into HA and finally VERY fast response time from either the switch, app or HA. Just my $0.02 if you are starting from scratch this is guaranteed to get lots of wifey points.

[TechWithBrett]

Reed your production quality is top-notch, Great job! I really wish I would have stuck with the same brand of products if I could have so I would have less apps, because I use a lot.

[Waitnomore]

I really love having a Tailwind iQ3 smart garage door, It automatically opens/closes once your car is within a user set distance. It also auto closes your door if its left open. Its compatible with most garage door opens on the market.

[stevezx]

I have 6 Wemo light switches and dimmers in my house. They work flawlessly!

Works with HomeKit Google and Alexa all at the same time in the same home.

[nikkiboyd]

Hey Reed I'd love a video about the technology from your old house. What did you take/leave and why, and how you transferred anything you left to the new owner's accounts

[AdamsTechLife]

What a great video, Reed! I have enjoyed Aqara, great price and work exceptionally well. I enjoyed the pacing and flow of your video as well!

[keithschneider]

Kasa switches have been great! Just bought some Aqara sensors and hub, so far I love them.

Guess I need to buy Paul's book! Seems wife approved!

[markloughtonUK]

That final scene was hilarious. My hue bulbs work flawlessly most of the time but for some reason on Wednesday morning the Wake Up routine failed in the bedroom yet worked perfectly the following day. Who knows why this randomness happens ?!

[CarlosLopez-ukwc]

Hello from UK, love your videos man !! Moving to my new house soon and I can't wait to start playing with smart things your videos are very helpful 👍👍

[DIYtechie]

Great video. I agree with everything except the garage openers. Just use an aqara sensor and a Shelly 1 connected to a regular garage opener. All my Shelly works flawlessly.

[samuelbernier]

I just upgrade to home assistant and you gave me a lot of ideas, continue your work, it is amazing!

[XxMrWinkrxX]

This might be your best video yet! Loved it!!

[Aurleis]

2:29 - IMHO, Third Reality Motion Sensors and Buttons are quite good (7:30 - although I agree that you may want to splurge on going higher end with the buttons). I use Sonoff Contact Sensors for doors/windows inside the house and Yolink contact sensors when I need the distance. I've noticed that the Yolink contact sensors doesn't seem to be as reliable when it's competing with other nearby 2.4Ghz devices.

6:38 - Big agree here. We went with an Ecobee Smart Premium (largely based on your video that discussed the air quality sensor), we've already saved so much on our gas costs and just use space heaters for the AZ winter (yes, I'm in the mountains north of your area). The amount of electricity that our solar power generates on a winter day with decent sun is enough to power 3 space heaters that we turn on periodically (two of which are based on temperature sensors nearby and comparing those with the set temperature of the thermostat, so that the space heaters will turn on more frequently during the day, while the furnace will take priority at night).

7:08 - I did go cheap on my first smart plugs, but I use mine primarily to control heaters/toaster oven/coffee maker and you will want to make sure it's 15amp rated. I do this because I have an automation that if the coffee maker is using greater than 1a of current, the smart plugs that are connected to space heaters will turn off (if they're already on, because turning off smart plugs when they're not drawing power causes one of my space heaters to reset back to 95 degrees).

Reed, this is a solid video as always and definitely a big help for those starting out or those who are looking to expand their smart home (which is everyone since they're as addicting as tattoos).

[javianjohnson]

4:04 I’m totally with you on getting a robovac that can map out your house. I have a standard one that just bounces around and trust me, its like babysitting with how much you have to make sure it doesn’t run over something that it shouldn’t be around. Thats definitely my next move

[awstott]

Oh the Zigbee!! I've got a bunch of hue bulbs and I have been happy with them - they just work. Same with a couple of hue motion sensors that I use to monitor light levels and turn on my zwave controlled strip lights.