Starting your home automation journey

A few years ago after buying a property, I began the process of making our home “smart” – I purchased a couple of Eachen Smart Light Switches and had them installed. I then downloaded and opened the native mobile application – Eachen uses the eWeLink app – and was so impressed that I could now turn my lights on and off with my mobile phone. My home was now smart, well, so I thought…

After chatting with some friends who were also very interested in the whole smart home scene, I then learned that my home was quite far off from actually being smart. Yes, I could turn my lights on and off with a mobile phone, but what was smart about this? For the lighting to be considered smart, it would need to do things automatically, like turn on when motion was detected. 

I did some research and came across the Sonoff Motion Sensors. I purchased a few and installed them in strategic places around the house. I then created automations within the eWeLink app to have the lights turn on automatically when motion was detected. Likewise, if motion was no longer detected, the lights would then turn off. Hooray! I was now quite happy with the setup. Unfortunately, I soon became unpopular in my house as the lights would turn off despite obvious motion. I then realised the limitations on the eWeLink app and that I needed to have longer scanning periods before a “turn_off” trigger was executed.

My quest for the perfect solution began. I was directed to a platform called Home Assistant which provided incredible levels of sophistication, brand integration and seamless automation. The only problem was that it looked quite daunting. In order to get Home Assistant into my home, I would need a Raspberry Pi (or another mini computer to run the software), a basic understanding of coding and a lot of time to figure it all out. 

With the help of some like-minded friends, we got stuck in and eventually created a near-perfect solution for my home. 

After showing other friends and family, it became apparent that many people loved the idea and solutions we had built, but it all felt too daunting for them to implement within their own homes. This got us thinking, why not offer assistance to people? 

Creating a smart home shouldn’t feel scary or unattainable, nor should it be reserved for very fancy and expensive homes. There are so many products available today that can likely accommodate your specific house and dreams. 

Automate[it] was brought into existence by a few friends that all have a real passion for smart solutions and helping people live smart and work smart. We’ve spent copious amounts of time figuring things out so that you don’t need to. My advice, think of something you’d love to make smart and get in touch with us. We’d love to help you on your journey!