Background:
I have been a happy user of Home Assistant for about 2 years now. I live in a rental apartment and started with cheap Tuya wifi lights and gradually upgraded and integrated much more. My current setup is based of some Alexa’s (for voice control and response), different kinds of wireless light switches (the dimmer from Hue, different switches from Ikea) and sensors (Aqara P1 and Ikea motion sensor) via ZHA, and also some RF411 radio switches. Those control a mixture of lightbulbs, lightstrips, smart plugs, plant watering etc.
I also have experience in integrating all kind of KNX sensors and actors from a friends home into his homeassistant.
Question:
Another friend will build a new house this year (beginning in May, June) and asked me for advice on how to make his house smart from the start.
He wants to integrate: lights, switches, underfloor heating, blinds (outside), smoke detectors, and also make it smart with sensors (motion, window, door)
The best would probably to get it all from knx and make it smart via home assistant, but that is out of budget.
Do you have any recommendations of any of the above needed devices and experience in your home? Does it make sense to wait for aqaras new productline? Do you know any wired door, window, motion sensors that integrate into homeassistant?
I don’t have much here, but I’m basically on the same page so I’m interested in what’s going to be suggested here.
My thoughts were: dumb lights, smart switches. So the switch will change the color temp and brightness based in Home Assistant via ZigBee (and can be activated via ZigBee) but in case of any fuckup I can just push it and toggle the light (with color temp and brightness as they were set the last time everything synced)
If you start from scratch at a new building, you should think about wired connections.
To be honest I prefer KNX because of a huge manufacturer amount.
Loxone looks nice too, but is only one manufacturer.
There is also Homematic IP wired which can be extended with wireless things too.
Some DIYer have also used CAN or RS485 with custom components. But be patient, if you are not a professional electrician and have to book a company, they will usually not install DIY things.
The most important thing would be to plan the wiring. Even for network. For example:
Plan enough network outlets or at least empty conduit to a central place where you can mount a server rack and or electrical box.
Examples:
To all doors / windows for contacts
To all windows for electrical covers
Connection between the server rack and your heating (centralized or decentralized)
If you use a lot of wifi not all routers will properly handle a bigger amount of clients like 30-50+.
If you want to switch to KNX or any other wired system you could also do a classic installation first with relays to switch the mains power from a central place and using selv (safe extra low voltage) at your switches. If you want to switch to KNX or others later on, you can use the existing wiring as binary inputs and replace the relays to the bus connected relays.
The electrical box should have enough space left to place new devices.
Keep in mind that switched power outlets should also be connected at the central electrical box as light and binary inputs like door and window sensors.
To be honest: if you want to have a proper smarthome start with it and do not do interim solutions. At the end they cost additional money you do not need to spend when doing the proper solution at the beginning.