DIY smart home: start with one device, not a project
A smart home doesn't need a KNX project, an electrician or subscriptions. One smart bulb or plug is enough to get the idea — then the home grows room by room. Here is everything to start with: protocols in plain language, budget tiers and guides for every brand.
Four steps to your smart home
Pick a protocol
Wi-Fi devices work with your home router right away. Zigbee needs a small hub, but its sensors run for years on batteries. Matter ties it all together going forward. Details in the protocol guide.
Start with a starter kit
One hub and a couple of devices: a bulb, a plug, a door sensor. Your first scene runs the same evening.
Grow room by room
Once the idea clicks, add rooms one by one: motion sensors in the hallway, temperature sensors in the bedroom, a leak sensor under the sink.
Automate scenes
Lights on motion, heating on schedule, notifications on your phone. Want full control without the cloud — add Home Assistant.
What you can do yourself — no electrician
From the box to the first scene
Plug-in devices, sensors and hubs don't touch fixed wiring — unbox, add to the app, and your first automation runs the same evening.
Zigbee ecosystem
Sensors, switches and bulbs forming a self-healing mesh — with batteries that last for years.
Wi-Fi devices
Tuya, Shelly and Sonoff — the cheapest start with no extra hub, controlled from your phone in a minute.
Matter for the future
The new standard that lets Apple, Google and Amazon ecosystems see the same devices.
Local control
A Zigbee hub or Home Assistant keeps scenes at home — lights work even when the internet is down.
Budget in tiers
First device, a room, a flat, a house — each tier has its own list and real prices in the shop.
What you will need to start
The minimal kit a smart home starts with — everything is in our shop.
- A hub (Zigbee hub, or the Wi-Fi router you already own)
- A smart bulb or plug for the first scene
- A door/window sensor and a motion sensor
- An app on your phone — Tuya, eWeLink or Home Assistant
- A guide for your brand — read and follow along
DIY guides: protocols, brands, topics
Read and follow along — each guide goes from unboxing to a working scene.
Zigbee
Mesh networking and hubs — the base of a bigger home.
Read →Wi-Fi smart home
Starting without a hub — what to know.
Read →Matter
The standard bridging Apple, Google and Amazon.
Read →Shelly
Relays behind the switch — an old home turns smart.
Read →Tuya
The most affordable ecosystem with thousands of devices.
Read →Sonoff
eWeLink relays and switches for beginners.
Read →Aqara
Quality Zigbee sensors and switches.
Read →Xiaomi
The Mi Home ecosystem at a sane price.
Read →SwitchBot
Robots that press your ordinary switches.
Read →HomeKit
The Apple home — Siri and automations.
Read →Smart lighting
Bulbs, strips and switches — where to start.
Read →Smart security
Sensors, sirens and cameras on your own.
Read →Smart climate
Thermostats and sensors for comfort.
Read →Energy monitoring
See where power goes and pay less.
Read →DIY planning
Planning devices room by room.
Read →Budget tiers
From the first device to a full home.
Read →Frequently asked questions
Can you really set up a smart home without an electrician?
Most of it — yes: plug-in devices, bulbs, sensors and hubs never touch fixed wiring. An electrician is only needed for in-wall smart switches or DIN-rail relays — every guide marks those parts honestly.
Where do I start on a small budget?
With one Wi-Fi bulb or plug — it costs about as much as lunch and shows the principle. The next step is a Zigbee hub with a few sensors; we describe the budget tiers step by step on a separate page.
Zigbee or Wi-Fi — which one?
Planning more than a couple of devices — Zigbee: battery sensors last years and don't load your router. Want the cheapest start right now — Wi-Fi. They combine safely in one app.
Will devices work without the internet?
Zigbee with a local hub and Home Assistant scenes run locally — the internet is only needed for remote access. A pure Wi-Fi device without a local mode depends on the vendor cloud — our guides show which devices offer local control.
Can I upgrade to a more serious system later?
Yes. Zigbee devices move over to Home Assistant, and Matter bridges ecosystems. If the home grows to KNX level, your devices stay on as an extension — not wasted money.
Start your smart home today
Pick your starter devices in the shop — and tonight your phone will switch the lights for you.