My family looked at a house not too long ago, considering a move after proclaiming that we were in our forever house. The shiny object was new construction, modern, and had conveniences that we’ve only once had in the houses we’ve owned, like a true guest room, an office, and an attached garage. Plus, it had a modern design, and was in an area of our city that we love.

Ultimately, we decided that it was overpriced and the finishes were just not right for us and we’d want to replace much of it. We were inspired, however, by its smart home technology, and decided to upgrade our own home, over time, to a smart home. This series of posts is about our journey from a dumb home to a smart one… our choices, reasons for those choices, what we learned, and what we would do differently.

I’m writing this in part as a journal so I can reflect back, an exercise of the brain during a still ongoing pandemic, and hopefully, as a guide for others who decide to pursue the same path.