The below post may contain affiliate links. This means we will receive a commission if you purchase through our link, with no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Read our full disclaimer.
Having a smart home simply makes life easier and more efficient!
Think about controlling your lights and thermostat from the comfort of your bed. No more flipping the switch and sprinting for the bed in the dark. 😉
Check out these 7 devices for turning your home into a smart home below! Stick around for commonly asked questions at the end, and why I ended up choosing Google for my smart home setup.
- Thermostat
- Doorbell
- Smart Speakers
- Nest Hub/Alexa Echo
- Smart Lights
- Chromecast w/ Google TV
- Cameras
The first 3 devices are the perfect trio for smart home beginners. These are the first 3 devices my husband and I started with when we were designing our smart home. They’re arguably the best way to get any beginner acclimated to the world of smart home technology!
1. Nest Thermostat
The Nest Thermostat is the perfect purchase for your first smart home device.
Why is this the perfect first smart home device? Changing the temperature is one of the more inconvenient tasks for a lot of people. Depending on the layout of your home, your thermostat could be on the complete opposite end of your house.
Trust me, there’s nothing worse than cozying up in bed and then realizing you forgot to turn the air down!
The Nest Thermostat is amazing because it’s completely controlled from an app on your phone (and by Google Assistant or Alexa – we’ll get into this later). You could be upstairs, downstairs, outside, or even in another state and be able to control your thermostat!
The Nest Thermostat also has a smart learning feature where it learns your habits and starts to adjust your temperature accordingly for you. This is a cool feature for some, however, I ended up turning ours off because it wasn’t my cup of tea lol. Even without it, I still would not buy any other smart thermostat.
Also, the setup instructions are SO easy, you can 100% do it yourself.
Another AMAZING smart device that you can pair with your Nest Thermostat is the Nest Temperature Sensor.
Your home might not be the same temperature in every room which can be frustrating. With a temperature sensor, you can let your Nest know which room you want to be a certain temperature. Whatever room you place the sensor in, the Nest will make the temperature exactly right where you want it.
Amazon Alternative
2. Google Nest Doorbell
The second smart home device you should buy on your “turning your home into a smart home” journey is the Google Nest Doorbell.
There are two huge advantages to having a smart doorbell: 1) Security and 2) You don’t have to open the door to see who’s there. Are you the type of person that turns the other direction when you hear the doorbell ring? I’m guilty as well lol. Trust me, this video doorbell will be your best friend.
Oh and definitely go with the wired version if you already have a doorbell. There is a battery version, but the wired version is way more reliable, and again, Google walks you through step by step how to easily install this on your own!
The Nest Doorbell acts as a video camera 24/7, so you always know what’s happening at your front door, front yard, and even the street in front of your house! It has a mic, so you can actually talk back and forth with people without ever opening the door. You’ll be able to know when you get a package and keep an eye on it until you get home. You’ll also get 3 hours of saved history without a subscription.
Nest Aware Subscription
You do not need a subscription to use the Google Nest Doorbell. But the subscription adds a few more features. Nest Aware is available for $60 a year at the time of writing this post.
The biggest advantage to adding a Nest Aware subscription is you get 30 days of video history as opposed to 3 hours. It also recognizes familiar faces and has sound detection.
I personally opted for this subscription myself because I like the fact of having 30 days of history! But that’s just personal preference. Plus, the subscription can be applied to an unlimited amount of devices as you continue to convert your home into a smart home!
Amazon Alternative
3. Google Nest Smart Speakers
The third smart home device you should buy, which completes the trio of perfect devices to start a smart home with, is a Google Nest Smart Speaker.
Think about the Nest Audio Smart Speaker as your control center. The smart speaker includes Google Assistant. You can simply say “Hey Google” and give it a command or ask any question you can think of.
And because it’s Google, it’s as if you searched for that question on your computer, but instead Google Assistant searches for you and then speaks the answer to you.
It gets even easier! If you don’t feel like opening the app for your thermostat, just say “Hey Google, turn the thermostat to 68 degrees”, and your thermostat is changed just like that!
The smart speaker can also be used for music! Link your Spotify or Apple Music account and say “Hey Google, play Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift”, and in 2 seconds TSwift will be pumping through your speaker! The more speakers you get, the more fun you can have.
You can link all of your Google Nest speakers together and have your music playing throughout your house on all speakers! Cleaning the house has never been so fun! 😉
The speakers come in two sizes:
- Nest Speaker
- Nest Mini
Both do the same exact thing, just one is larger than the other, which naturally sounds better than the other when listening to music. I have a bunch of the minis throughout my house because they’re more convenient, and super cheap for a smart speaker. I have 1 regular-sized speaker but don’t use it as much. And I’ll let you know why with the next device!
Amazon Alternative
4. Google Nest Hub (and Nest Hub Max)
The Google Nest Hub is the ultimate control panel for your smart home devices. When you’re making a smart home, it’s nice to have a central location for controlling everything. This device pairs perfectly with the first 3 devices in this list!
The Nest Hub is essentially the same thing as the Nest Audio Smart Speaker but with a screen! 9 out of 10 times you’ll see these placed in the kitchen because that’s where you spend most of your time. Also because you can ask Google to show you a recipe and it’ll pop up on the display.
Something else that’s really neat about having the Nest Hub is that when someone rings the doorbell, it’ll stream the doorbell cam on the display screen. So if you’re in the middle of cooking dinner, and someone rings the doorbell, you can see if it’s worth your time to drop everything and head for the door haha.
You can also control your thermostat, smart lights, and even use it as a digital photo album.
I utilize the digital photo album in my recently updated kitchen and my guests absolutely love watching the pictures go by! To see more of how I upgraded our small kitchen, check out 9 Simple Kitchen Remodel Ideas On A Budget.
Then there’s the Nest Hub Max
What’s the difference between the Nest Hub and the Nest Hub Max? There are really only 3 differences:
- The Nest Hub Max has a noticeably larger screen by 3 inches.
- The Nest Hub Max has a camera whereas the regular Nest Hub does not.
- The Nest Hub Max has larger speakers, which sound twice as good as the Nest Hub.
Other than that, they do the same thing and work the same way! But you can check out this article for a better comparison.
I personally own the Nest Hub Max – we actually got it as a gift. I have to say, I love having the camera in my kitchen which points towards my backdoor and garage door which adds that extra feeling of safety. I’m not super into the idea of cameras inside the house, but I can handle just this one in the kitchen!
Amazon Alternative
5. Philips Hue Smart Lights
Philips Hue Smart Lights might be your favorite smart home technology. When thinking about turning your home into a smart home, smart lights are essential!
You’ll have the ability to turn lights on and off with your phone or Google/Alexa.
Important: The first time you buy any type of Philips Hue Smart Lights (bulbs, light strips, etc.), you need the Bridge, which comes in the starter pack that I’ve linked above. Whether you get a different kit or opt for the color-changing bulbs, it’s required that you have the Bridge.
It simply hooks into your internet router and is how the bulbs communicate with each other and the app. One bridge can have up to 50 Philips Hue smart lights running on it, so once you have it, you’re set!
Philips Hue offers many different types of products, from regular light bulbs to bulbs that can change millions of different colors, to light strips, and so on. Their products are expensive, however, they last a really long time!
Plus, you can spoil yourself by saying “Hey Google, turn off all the lights” when you are ready for bed. There are SO many amazing benefits to having Hue lights including adjusting the brightness and more.
The color-changing bulbs are called White and Color Ambiance. These are SOOO awesome because you can set them to whatever color you want for whatever kind of mood you’re in. Nothing is more relaxing than a soft blue room at the end of a long day! Don’t forget the Bridge if you do go with these!
6. Chromecast with Google TV
When you’re thinking about how to turn an old home into a smart home, you may have a few “dumb” TVs. These are TVs that don’t have the capability to stream Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, or other streaming services.
Instead of buying a thousand-dollar TV for these capabilities, you can get them for an extremely inexpensive price. Chromecast with Google TV makes your dumb TV a smart TV. All you need to do is make sure that your TV has an HDMI port available, and a nearby outlet, and just like that you have yourself a smart TV!
This will bring all of your favorite streaming services you’ve been missing out on to your TV. No more grabbing the laptop to watch your favorite movies and shows!
This is one of the cheapest ways to convert your home into a smart home!
Amazon Alternative
7. Google Nest Cameras
As you’d expect from Google Nest, they have indoor and outdoor security cameras which help when thinking about turning your home into a smart home that’s secured.
I don’t have personal experience with either indoor or outdoor cameras, aside from the Nest Doorbell and the Nest Hub Max, but I’m sure they have very similar features. If I were to get another camera, it’d definitely be the Google Nest Cam with Floodlight. Well-lit outdoor security is never a bad thing!
If you’re looking for top-notch security inside and outside of your house, definitely check these cameras out!
When adding more Nest cameras to your smart home design, you should definitely start looking into the Nest Aware subscription, if you haven’t already. Check out #2 for a refresher!
Amazon Alternative
How much does it cost to make your house a smart house?
If you’re looking at turning your home into a smart home from scratch, this cost will be solely based on how many devices you purchase right off the bat.
If you purchase the first 3 recommended smart home devices as a foundation for the rest of your smart home journey, you’re looking at around $350. With all things considered, this is actually a great deal for having a solid basic smart home setup!
There are mesh systems, security systems, and much more that you can add to build your smart home, so the cost is going to really be dependent on how smart you want your smart home!
Is it worth making your home a smart home?
100% yes! I cannot tell you how much more convenient having a smart home is than not. You really don’t realize how reliant you are on smart technology until the power goes out lol. But that just goes to show how much you truly use your devices after you get acclimated to your smart home!
But in all seriousness, make it easier on yourself! If you have the ability to have your thermostat, lights, cameras, and all of the action at your fingertips, do it!
Why turn your home into a smart home?
There are many benefits to making your home a smart home. I think convenience is the biggest advantage.
Having a smart home puts all of the control in your pocket. You feel more connected to your house, and all of the little conveniences that come with setting up a smart home begin to add up.
Having the ability to control every corner of your house, whether it’s lighting, thermostat, or whatever else you decide for your smart home, makes you feel in control. Like your captain of the ship! Having Google audio speakers allows you to ask for timers to be set, or what the score of the game is.
So why turn your home into a smart home? It simplifies your entire house and makes things easier!
How can I make my home a cheap smart home?
Remember, you don’t need to buy every smart device out there to have a smart home. A $50 speaker with Google Assistant or Alexa enabled is still enough to give you some perks of a smart home.
Those first 3 devices on the list could truly be all you ever purchase and that could be a good enough smart home for you! Smart homes don’t have to be expensive – again it’s totally up to you and how smart you desire your home to be. Get used to the devices before buying more!
A few of these entry-level smart home devices will get you acclimated so you feel comfortable expanding upon your smart home.
What are the problems with smart homes?
No technology is 100% perfect. Think about your phone. Occasionally it’ll shut off for no reason, or your call will fail, or Siri will start talking to you for no reason. But these are typically rare events. The same goes for smart homes!
Sometimes your camera will not be viewable for several minutes for no reason. When you tell Google to turn on your lights, it could be delayed by 10+ seconds. Occasionally Google will spew out an answer completely unrelated to your question.
Or it just won’t pick up your question to begin with. And just like your phone? Sometimes the best thing to do is turn it off (unplug it) and try again. But again, these things aren’t happening all the time, just randomly and every once in a while. It’s technology after all – it’s bound to happen!
I will say, the most consistent smart home device I’ve had experience with is the Nest Thermostat. I can’t really think of a single time that has thrown me for a loop, but the rest of the devices in this list have all had their moments lol.
Also, technology needs electricity. In the event of a power outage, your smart home devices will obviously be kicking back and be no help to you! But since power outages are few and far between, this shouldn’t be a reason to sway you away from turning your home into a smart home!
Why did I go with Google for my smart home?
Google (Google Assistant) and Amazon (Alexa) are the two biggest competitors when it comes to smart home devices. So why did we go with Google for our smart home?
Google smart devices obviously use Google as their search engine. While Amazon Alexa uses Bing as its search engine. So when you ask your device a question, those are the search engines they are pulling their answers from.
Although it really probably doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, I trusted the Google search engine over Bing, merely because it’s been around longer. Also when you open up a browser to ask a question, chances are you’re searching on Google. So that’s one reason.
The first smart device we purchased was the Nest Thermostat because this is one of the most popular choices on the market for smart thermostats. This was prior to it becoming the Google Nest Thermostat, even though Google had already acquired Nest.
Finding out this info after the fact, it only made sense to stay with the same brand of devices to make our smart home ecosystem as simple as possible. I also liked the look of the Google Nest Doorbell better than the Ring, so maybe it was a little bit of an aesthetic thing when I was thinking about getting this device in advance! 😉
So if you’re wondering how to make your home a smart home with Google, then this post is right up your alley! But check out the Amazon alternatives if that seems like more of the route you’d like to go.
The best Google Assistant/Alexa-enabled smart speaker
If music is as important of a thing in your house as it is in ours, you’re going to want the best-sounding speaker that’s enabled with your favorite smart assistant.
Hands down, the best smart speaker is the Sonos Move. It is a little bit on the pricier side, but for what it is, it’s totally worth it! My husband actually won this in a raffle, and I’ve got to say I’m absolutely blown away by the sound!
It’s a relatively small speaker, and it’s portable too so you can bring it to a different room, in your backyard, or even to a park.
We have ours in our primary bedroom but tend to carry it around our house when we want to jam out. It can get LOUD too. It’s the best-sounding speaker that I’ve heard for the size! And the best part is, it acts like any of your other Google/Amazon speakers with the built-in assistant!
Turning your home into a smart home can seem intimidating, but Google and Amazon make it as easy as possible to fully convert your home to a smart home all on your own!
This post was all about turning your home into a smart home with the best beginner devices to get you started.
These 7 devices are the perfect place to start. Let me know in the comments how you will be turning your home into a smart home!
Other Posts You Might Like:
Leave a Reply