Full Home Renovation - Help with Planning a Complete Smart Home Setup with Home Assistant and Apple HomeKit Integration

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Hello everyone,

I’m currently in the process of fully renovating my house and would like to set it up with a comprehensive smart home system. My plan is to use Home Assistant as the central platform while also integrating with Apple HomeKit, since I prefer Apple devices.

I need your help and advice on the best components and how to proceed with implementing the various systems I want to have. Here are my requirements in detail:

  1. Lighting

    • I’ll have both 230V lights and 24V LED COB strips (preferably individually programmable).
    • In my current apartment, I’m using MiBoxer controllers for LED strips, which I control through Apple Home, integrated via Home Assistant and ZigBee. However, in my new setup, I also want to use physical switches to control the lights in addition to app-based control.
    • Important: The lights should still be controllable via the app (Apple Home/ Home Assistant) even if they are turned off by the physical switch.
    • I want to create scenes and be able to control the lights through both Apple Home and Home Assistant.
    • I’m considering Sonoff for switches, but it seems limited in terms of ZigBee or Wi-Fi switches, especially for roller blinds (more on this below). Any recommendations for lighting control components?
    • I also plan to install motion sensors (for example, in the stairwell) that will automatically turn on the lights when movement is detected. Any recommendations for motion sensors that work well with Home Assistant?

  2. Roller Blinds/Shutters Control

    • I want all blinds to be smart-controlled (time-based and smartphone-controlled). Unfortunately, Sonoff doesn’t offer a solution for blinds. What systems would you recommend for roller blinds control that are compatible with both Home Assistant and Apple HomeKit? ZigBee or Z-Wave are preferred, but I’m open to other suggestions.

  3. Heating and Climate Control

    • I want to control my heating and thermostats through Home Assistant. Which smart thermostats do you recommend? Have you had good experiences with Tado or other brands that work well with Home Assistant and Apple HomeKit?

  4. Security and Surveillance

    • Cameras: I’m considering the Eufy solar-powered cameras because they’re wireless and flexible. Does anyone have experience using Eufy cameras with Home Assistant? Is there a direct integration, or is it only possible through Apple HomeKit Secure Video?
    • Alarm system: Which alarm systems integrate well with Home Assistant and also provide Apple HomeKit compatibility?

  5. Doorbell System

    • I want to install a smart doorbell with a camera that works with both Home Assistant and Apple HomeKit. Which models would you recommend?

  6. Garden and Outdoor Automation

    • Irrigation: I’m planning to automate garden irrigation, ideally weather-dependent. Are there any smart valves or systems that integrate well with Home Assistant for this?
    • Outdoor lighting: I also want to install smart outdoor lighting (230V and LEDs), which can be controlled with scenes and automations.

  7. Audio/Video Control

    • All TVs should be controllable via Home Assistant. I’m considering both Apple TVs and Samsung TVs. Are there good integrations for controlling these devices?

  8. Central Control

    • I want to have a central hub in the house where I can control and monitor everything. I’m thinking of installing a fixed iPad or touchscreen to serve as a Home Assistant dashboard. Does anyone have experience with this kind of setup? What hardware works best for a central control station?

  9. Networking

    • Since many devices will use Wi-Fi and ZigBee, I’m planning to set up a stable mesh network throughout the house. What routers or mesh systems do you recommend to ensure seamless communication between smart home devices?

Additional Questions:

•	Sonoff seems to be a good fit for many of my needs, but I’m missing components for roller blind control. Do you know of alternative manufacturers that offer similar budget-friendly and reliable ZigBee or Wi-Fi components?
•	Should I focus on ZigBee or Z-Wave? Or a mix of both?
•	Are there any devices or features that I haven’t thought of but should consider integrating into a fully smart home?

Thanks a lot in advance for your help and tips! I’m looking forward to your recommendations and experiences.

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Sounds like a great project!

Re 1: Lighting. Like many people, I have tried, used, discarded and kept a great variety of bulbs and strips. For me, Phillips Hue has been the best but the longevity of that product line is questionable. Stay away from Whiz. Kasa and Govee can be made to work. You mentioned wanting to control bulbs even if the physical switch is off. For this you will need to control the switches as well. I have been very happy with Leviton switches. Each switch requires WiFi 2.5 and an IP switch. I use either a controllable switch or smart bulb, not both, but only because I don’t need it.

Re 2: shades
I have had a very good experience with “Serena Smart Shades & Blinds by Lutron”. These are not inexpensive. They look great and work very reliably. Battery life now exceeds 1 year and still going. They integrate easily with Apple HomeKit and Home Assistant. Automations in HA work great. The Pico remote controller they come with is entirely programmable. My one nit is that they require a base station (typically provided with the installation) and the range falls off more quickly than advertised. They use WiFi 2.5Ghz to set up initially, then switch to Lutron’s proprietary wire network. I’ve been too lazy/preoccupied to investigate that further, but that is probably where a range solution can be found.

Re 4: cameras
I have both Eufy 2 and Eufy 3 type systems. Eufy 2 Base is HomeKit friendly. Eufy 3 is not. The Eufy doorbell I have (two cameras) works great but is Eufy 3 base only. I have yet to integrate any of it in any way with HA but there are integrations. I’ve yet to see any real success stories.

Re Networking

  1. I recommend pulling LOTS of Ethernet to (almost) every room - at least two cables. Don’t rely only on a mesh network.
  2. Separate the functions of routing, bridging, switching and access points. Sprinkle built in wired APs liberally. Ceiling mounts, for example. Keep in mind the difference between physical networks and logical networks. You will want multiple of each, It depends on the level of security you want. (Security is only as deep as your pockets.) There are people on the forum who know at lot more. At a minimum, plan to segregate your personal home devices (phones, tablets, tvs) from your IoT devices, from your servers (e.g., Pi-Hole DNS), from your security devices. I went the easy way at first, now I’m smarter and see both performance and security reasons to take the network design seriously.

That’s all for now. You asked great questions and I look forward to learning more from others who answer.

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One last thought: use cases. Think about the situations, scenes, actions that you want to have happen automatically or at your command in a wide variety of scenarios. I did this and used it to drive my functional requirements. From those you can derive the specs you need in devices. For example:

  1. Security: Person (Stranger) where they should not be
  • back yard
  • Porch
  • Inner side yard
  • Street side yard
  • Garage
  • Inside the house
  1. Lighting: Home Theater lighting scenes
  • Daylight
  • Full Evening
  • Getting Seated
  • Show underway
  • Show over
  • Gaming with sync
  • Gaming without sync
  • Safe walking floor, steps
  • Sports vs. TV vs. UltraHD movies
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Automating irrigation is such a time-saver. I’ve used a smart system like Rachio before—it connects to weather updates and handles watering automatically, which makes life so much easier.
For outdoor lighting, I’ve set up some 230V smart LEDs that I can control through my scenes, and it’s great for setting the mood in the evenings.
When I was fixing up my yard, I worked with a landscape design company ottawa, and they had some awesome ideas for blending smart tech into the outdoor space. They helped me figure out how to tie in smart lights and irrigation so everything felt seamless.