My brother in law is renovating his house. Basically only the outside walls remain and inside all is changed. He is not a nerd, like me, but interested in HA anyway. So I’m looking for him if it is a good idea to pre-configure his house for use with HA.
The house should be configured is such a way that it could also run in dumb mode just like any other non HA house. So light switches should be able to switch the lights even if HA is not running. The heater should still work and so on. Only added automations would not work if HA is not functioning.
In my house it is not so nice because smart bulbs do not always work very well when manually controlled for instance.
He is living there with his wife and two kids so the house should not become geeky but only added comfort and ease. (my house is geeky).
I think zigbee as wireless system but you might have a strong argument for something else.
What kind of build in hardware should he get?
Switches or switches with a separate controller behind the switch? Type, brand.
Motion detectors
environment sensors
what thermostat
he has many solar panels and an electric car, floor heater. Most things are electric.
Basically this house could be a HA dream.
This is a personal perspective, and the community may have differing opinions. First, reconsider Home Assistant, especially if the house isn’t for a tech enthusiast. While HA is undeniably powerful, it requires a significant time investment. In this case, opting for something more reliable and user-friendly might be a better approach, depending on how comfortable your brother-in-law is with tech.
For smart switches, smart relays are preferable over smart switches,(in my case particularly because finding compatible options for local standards is challenging). Sonoff Mini is a solid choice—Wi-Fi models can run Tasmota, while Zigbee versions work well with the original firmware. These switches are affordable, safe, and reliable, with some units running since 2019 without issues.
For sensors, Zigbee is ideal for battery efficiency. In terms of door sensors, Aqara
has proven to be the best based on experience, though Sonoff is also an option. When it comes to motion sensors, both Sonoff and Aqara perform well, but Sonoff’s design is more visually appealing.
For energy monitoring, Shelly with a clamp works well and delivers good results. Of course, many excellent devices exist, but this recommendation is based on firsthand experience.
I’ll pick a bus-wired solution in case the whole house is rebuilt, providing essential functionality with its own controller and a compatible integration with HA for more advanced automation and add-ons (WiFi, etc).
I have something similar with the basic functionality provided by a (Fibaro) zwave network (retrofitted, not wired) and its controller as just a gateway to HA.
Consider KNX. It is a standard supported by many companies.
I build my house 15 years ago, with KNX as a wired backbone. It was “set and forget”, still works with zero maintenance. That’s what you want if you want something that just works. KNX can be fully integrated with HA if you want extra’s later on.
Only downsides I can think of is that KNX devices are not cheap, and the technology is not “bleeding edge”.
KNX seems a bit expensive. On homey they had a ‘review’ on KNX but that was probably skewed because the wanted to sell their own system. But from what I saw a single switch will cost at least €150 and other hardware is also expensive.
Fibaro looks nice. They have many products and it can work with HA.
Sonnoff that is a whole different story. If you want fire insurance on your house be valid then the devices you install should be CE compliant. The CE compliance of Sonoff is not valid. They have a CE certificate certified by a Chinese company however this company is not certified by the EU to give CE certificates.
Like I said, KNX is not cheap. However, you can find switches for at least half the price you mention. And you will also find switched for triple the price you mention. There is just so much choice (which also makes KNX sometimes overwhelming).
Additional attentionpoint for KNX: the (initial) installation is normally done by a professional installer. The setup is a bit more complex than setting up some Hue lights and switches.
Review this forum for discussions on future-proofing.
Everything in the home automation field is a moving target, especially HA. Anything you install today will be changed out at some point.
For resale value, as well as for family members and guests who might not be “into” home automation, make sure everything still works as expected even without HA.
HA is very much a work in progress. You do need to keep up with monthly updates, test all the changes and fix anything which breaks.
Be aware of the old IT support motto: You touch it, you own it.
That sounds like a perfect opportunity to set up a smart home the right way—future-proofed but still fully functional without HA. If you’re looking for recommendations on the best built-in hardware (switches, motion detectors, thermostats, etc.), I put together a comparison site covering smart home products: https://smarthomecompared.com/. It breaks down different options, including Zigbee vs. other protocols, and helps find devices that work well in both smart and ‘dumb’ modes. Might be a good resource for planning the setup!
I’m doing a whole house renovation right now and I’m using KNX with Home Assistant as the backend. Rock solid stability and no issues with WiFi, Zigbee or other wireless protocols.
It’s more complicated to install but the flexibility it gives you is worth it. For example, having switches in the bathroom is safe with the low voltage it uses.
I just moved into a new house in Netherlands and got charmed by BSeed wall switches.
They come in 2 varieties, both Zigbee as well as Wireless Lan.
Ofc they will also work stand-alone.
For another perspective, personally I prefer smart switches to relays, both because I think they look sleeker/smarter, and because I often customize the button click / double-click for “bonus” functionality (e.g. turn on/off all the lights in the room, or control a plug, etc). It’s neither critical nor obvious, but it has proven to be a nice convenience. I also don’t like that relays get “out of sync” between the switch paddle and light state.
Generally this level of customization requires either open-source WiFi (Tasmota / ESPHome) or Z-wave switches with “Central Scene” events. I generally prefer the WiFi because (a) there is a lot more market selection, so I can choose a design I like and with good usability, (b) the devices are often substantially (e.g. 50%) less expensive so I can get more of them for the same total price (and not feel as bad when I need to replace them in 5-7 years), and (c) the full configuration, including small automations, can be entirely on-device so they work without HA being available/online. The only down side is the time it takes flashing and configuring them, which is where the hobby aspect kicks in, but there are several vendors shipping pre-flashed Tasmota switches now. Regarding network availability, these devices are so low-bandwidth that many dozen (hundreds?) can co-exist on the same WiFI without any congestion issues, as long as they’re not using a lousy ISP-grade access point.
Most of my sensors are Z-Wave (except for some bluetooth hygrometers), as is my entire security system and my entire environmental control system. Z-wave components are generally higher-quality that I trust more for these “critical” systems, but as a result they have less market selection and higher costs. Also they are generally invisible so I don’t have to worry about what they look like or how we interact with them.