I recently toured several million-dollar homes that boasted integrated smarthome tech. To my surprise, I didn’t see a single custom-built system like Control4. Most of the tech were gadgets you can buy and easily install yourself! (With a just few exceptions.)
For clarity, I live in an area where the average home sells for around $200,000. Few people own million-dollar homes, and they are typically large, often four or more levels, such as the picture above I took before touring the house.
While most of that money goes into luxury features like walk-in pantries, the size of home offices, and custom-themed game rooms, you also get some smarthome tech as part of the package. I went in expecting to see custom systems like a Control4 or Savant, but that wasn’t the case at all. I didn’t even see a single smart hub.
Instead, I saw video doorbells, smart assistant devices, smart thermostats, smart lights, smart water valves, smart sprinklers, and expansive (and therefore expensive) smart curtain systems. You could install most of these devices easily to get a similar smarthome experience. The good news is, most of those devices are accessible and affordable even if you can’t splurge on a four-story home.
Video Doorbells Were a Common Theme
Nearly every home I toured had a video doorbell, and that makes sense. Video doorbells are among the most important smarthome devices you can own, and now that I have one, I can’t live without it. Video doorbells provide security and peace of mind, whether you’re away or at home.
With a video doorbell, you can see who is at your door without stopping what you’re doing. With a quick in an app or a smart display, you can determine if your visitor is a solicitor, a delivery person, or a family member. And when packages do get dropped off while you’re away, at least you can keep an eye on them.
Most of these homes featured a Nest Hello video doorbell, which is an excellent premium choice. But for something more affordable that even skips the cloud, consider the Eufy Doorbell. It has nearly the same features as the Nest Hello at a fraction of the cost.
Smart Speakers and Displays Enhance your Doorbell
Every home I entered featured at least one smart speaker or display. That’s not surprising, given the lack of smart hubs. If you don’t want advanced automation, you can skip the complexity of a smart hub and rely on Google or Alexa to tie together your smart devices instead. And if you want whole-home audio, placing Echo or Google Home devices around the house will get you there.
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