It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of creating a home that automates your daily tasks. Who doesn’t want to control the ambient lighting in their living room while simultaneously asking Alexa to order more cat food and batteries for you? However, not only is it expensive, it’s overwhelming. Start small and build your smart network brick by brick.

Start with the essentials like a smart speaker. This will not only give you a trusty voice assistant to call on when needed, but it will also give you an idea of which ecosystem you want to build your smart home around. The primary options most go with are Apple, Alexa, and Google, but Samsung’s SmartThings isn’t a terrible option.

It’s not necessary to buy a speaker with a screen right away. As convenient as it is to have visuals, it’s more affordable to go with the speaker-only option first. Once you have your voice assistant installed and you’ve acclimated to its features, you can branch out to other smart devices. From smart locks and smart lighting to thermostats and video doorbells, you can have your entire house seamlessly work together to make your life easier.

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