I can't sleep.
It's not stress, exactly. It's not anxiety. It's just... my brain won't shut up about the new place.
We're moving mid-December. The house is bought, the old place is sold (and yes, I took every single smart device with me), and now I'm sitting here with all this smart home gear packed in boxes and an new empty house waiting for me that I can't even touch yet.
And my brain is going absolutely wild with possibilities.
The exciting part
This is a fresh start. A blank canvas. Well, not completely blank, there's already some equipment installed that (I'll talk about in another post). But in terms of my smart home setup? I get to rethink everything.
At the old place, things kind of evolved organically over time. I added a sensor here, automated a light there, gradually built up the system as I learned what worked and what didn't. It was great, but it was also... chaotic. There was no grand plan. No intentional design. Just iteration after iteration after iteration.
Now I have the chance to do it right from the start. To think about the whole system before I install a single device. To plan the network infrastructure, to choose the right hardware for each job, to build something cohesive instead of accumulated.
And that's incredibly exciting 🤗
It's also completely overwhelming 😧
Where do I even start?
Seriously, where do you start when you're building a smart home from scratch if you are into smart homes already?
Do you start with energy monitoring? Get solar production dialed in, understand power consumption, build automations around when to run high-draw appliances?
Or do you start with climate control? It's going to be December. It's winter here. Making sure heating is automated properly seems pretty important when you're moving in the middle of cold season.
Maybe lights are the right first step? They're usually the easiest wins. Quick to install, immediate value, you feel productive. But are they actually the foundation, or are they just the fun part that makes you feel like you're making progress?
And what about security? Locks, cameras, door sensors, window sensors, alarm system. That feels important. That feels like something you'd want sorted early. But which systems? Which brands? Which approaches?
I'm genuinely stuck on where to prioritize.
The hardware spiral
Then there's the hardware question. And this is where I really start losing sleep.
Smart locks: I've never had them before. My old place just had regular keys. But now I'm thinking... wouldn't it be great to have codes for family, temporary codes for guests, automations that lock up when we leave? But which ones? There are so many options. Z-Wave, Zigbee, WiFi, Matter, proprietary protocols (kidding, I don't want anything proprietary of course). Some have keypads, some have fingerprint readers, some integrate with existing deadbolts, some replace everything. And since we're all on Apple in our household, Apple HomeKey support would be amazing. But does that limit my options too much? I have no idea which direction to go.
Network infrastructure: Everyone seems to love talking about PoE (yes... Trevor, P. O. E.). Power over Ethernet for access points, for cameras, for sensors. It sounds great in theory. But does it actually make sense for a residential setup? What cabling is already there? Do I need to run more cables? Do I just stick with Wi-Fi for most things and call it good enough? And what about the core network, managed switches, VLANs, proper segmentation? How deep do I go?
Wall tablets: I see people with these beautiful wall-mounted tablets showing dashboards and controls. They look amazing. But are they actually useful or are they just pretty? Which tablets? How do you power them? How do you prevent them from being dated in two years?
Door and window sensors: Every door? Every window? Just the ground floor? Just the exterior doors? Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Matter? How many do I actually need before I'm just collecting data for the sake of collecting data?
Alarm system: There isn't one installed currently, so I get to pick from scratch. Do I go with a traditional alarm panel that integrates with Home Assistant? Do I build something entirely with Home Assistant and sensors? What about professional monitoring? Are there alarm panels that work well with open systems, or am I looking at proprietary nightmares? What actually makes sense for real security versus just having fun with automation?
Cameras: Okay, I already know I like Reolink. I've used their stuff before and it's solid. But they have SO MANY models. Do I want PoE cameras? Again, where are the cables heading? Battery powered? Wired but not PoE? PTZ or fixed? Indoor, outdoor, doorbell? 2K, 4K, 5MP, 8MP? I already have their NVR. And how many cameras is the right number? Because I could easily see myself going overboard here.
I'm not even scratching the surface and I'm already dizzy.
The questions I can't answer yet
The worst part is all the questions I can't answer until I'm actually in the house.
Where are the existing electrical outlets? Where would wall tablets actually make sense? Where are the blind spots for cameras? Where does the network equipment even go? Is there a proper place for a tiny server rack or am I improvising with a closet?
What's the Wi-Fi coverage like? Do I need more access points? Can I hardwire them or am I running everything wireless in a mesh?
Where are the light switches? Are they in places that make sense for smart switches, or am I better off with smart bulbs? Or a mix of both?
I don't know. I can't know. Not until I have those keys and can actually walk through the space and start making decisions based on reality instead of speculation.
But that doesn't stop my brain from spinning through every possible scenario at 11pm.
What I actually need
Here's what I'm hoping for from the community: recommendations.
Not just "buy this brand" recommendations, but "here's how I approached this problem" recommendations.
Where did you start when you built or rebuilt your smart home? What was the first thing you automated and why?
What hardware has genuinely made a difference for you? Not the stuff that's cool in theory, but the stuff you use every day and couldn't imagine living without now.
What did you overbuy that you regret? What seemed like a good idea but turned out to be more trouble than it was worth?
What infrastructure decisions set you up for success? Did you run ethernet? Did you plan for PoE? Did you go heavy on Wi-Fi? What would you do differently?
Smart locks, anyone have strong opinions? What actually works well and integrates cleanly with Home Assistant? Bonus points if it supports Apple HomeKey. Any manufacturer/model is MUST try?
Camera recommendations for someone who likes Reolink but is overwhelmed by options? What models have you actually deployed and been happy with?
Wall tablets, worth it or just decorative? If you have them, which tablets and how did you handle power and mounting?
Alarm systems, what are my options when starting from scratch? Traditional panel that integrates? Pure Home Assistant? Something else entirely?
I'm genuinely asking. I want to know what actually works in practice, not just what sounds good on paper.
Reality check
I know I need to calm down. I know that I'm not going to have everything perfect on day one. I know that the smart home will evolve over time just like it did at the old place, and that's fine.
But having the chance to think about it intentionally before I start installing things? That feels valuable. Even if it's keeping me up at night.
Mid-December. That's when I get the keys. That's when this all becomes real and I have to actually make decisions instead of just spiraling through possibilities.
Until then, I'm going to keep losing sleep and asking questions.
Thanks for letting me spiral a bit here. I'm sure once I'm actually in the house and can make concrete progress, I'll sleep better.
Until then, happy automating, and Choo Choo! 🚂
../Frenck
