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Smart home buying guide

30th June 2026 • 5 min read

Once the stuff of science fiction movies, smart homes are now the norm, transforming our day-to-day lives by allowing us to control our central heating, turn on and off our lights or see who’s at the front door from anywhere in the world, all via an app or a quick word with a smart hub!

But if you’ve yet to join the smart home crowd, knowing where to begin your set-up can be a little daunting. In this buying guide we’ll talk you through the relevant steps and highlight all the products you’ll need to turn your home into a smart home. 

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What is a smart home?

A smart home is the name given to a home that features a number of connected devices – such as lighting, security, central heating and speakers – which can be controlled via a smartphone app or voice assistant like Amazon Alexa or Google Home. A smart home is great at making everyday tasks easier by allowing you to control devices even when you’re at work or on the go, giving you far more control over your house, whether you’re saving money by switching the heating off when no one is in or talking to a delivery driver when you’re sitting at your desk miles away from home!

Smart speakers

Smart speakers like Google Home or Amazon Echo allow you to communicate with and control products within your smart home set-up via voice commands. They’re able to work with lots of different brands, and they’re great for making life super-easy by simply asking them to turn off the lights or turn the heating up. If you have a smart doorbell and a smart display (a smart speaker with a screen), you can ask “show me the front door” and live footage from your smart doorbell will instantly come up on the screen. You can even connect it to a smart camera in your nursery so you can check in on your little one whenever you like. The versatility of smart speakers allows you to play music, get the latest footy results, check the day’s weather – even ask it to read your child a bedtime story!

Shop Smart SpeakersShop Amazon Echo

Smart hub

A smart hub like Google Home or Amazon’s Echo Show 21 Smart Speaker and Display is basically the brain of your smart home ecosystem. The central point where all your smart devices sit, it allows them to communicate with one another as one seamless unit. Without a smart hub you can still control all your smart lights, cameras, plugs and other devices, but you’ll be operating them individually rather than cohesively.

Shop Amazon’s Echo Show 21 Smart Speaker

Smart tags and tracking

Smart tags are small Bluetooth tracking devices you can easily attach to things like keys, wallets or luggage. Once connected to your phone, you can locate them using their dedicated app, allowing you to pinpoint the item’s location – those pesky lost keys will be a thing of the past!

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Smart plugs

If you’re thinking about turning your house into a smart home but haven’t quite decided yet, smart plugs are a great place to start. They’re affordable, easy to set up and essentially allow you to quickly turn many existing products around the home into ‘smart’ products. For example, let’s say you’re about to go on holiday but are worried about home security. You can buy two or three smart plugs and connect them to existing lamps around the house. Once connected to a suitable app on your phone or tablet, you’ll be able to turn them off and on while you’re sitting in your hotel hundreds of miles away. You can even set schedules so your lamps will automatically turn on in different orders and different times each night.

Once you’ve used your smart plugs for a while, you’ll think of lots of other handy uses for them. If you have a fan or AC unit, you can use your smart plug to automatically turn them on in the middle of summer just before you leave work, that way you’ll return home to a living room that feels cool and refreshing instead of stuffy and uncomfortable.

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Smart security systems

Smart security systems include video doorbells, cameras, lights and motion detectors. These combine to make your home safer and more secure, giving you added peace of mind when you’re out of the house or even on holiday thousands of miles away. Cameras let you check your property at any time, while motion activation sends you an alert when movement is detected in your home or garden. Video doorbells not only let you to see who is at your door but also let you communicate with them – perfect if you get a delivery when you’re at work and want to tell them to leave it in your safe place. And there are other benefits to security cameras too – they make a fab way of checking in on your four-legged friends when you’re out of the house, making sure they’re relaxed, happy and not eating the furniture!

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Smart heating

Smart heating systems like Hive use smart thermostats and sensors to automatically adjust the temperature in your home. As well as adjusting temperatures via an app, you can also use sensors to detect when rooms are empty to reduce unnecessary energy use, potentially saving you money. Some smart heating systems offer a feature known as geofencing, which uses the location of your smartphone to manage your heating based on your proximity to your home. One thing to be mindful of when it comes to smart heating is that many of the systems will likely need professional installation, which will obviously require an additional cost.

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Smart lighting systems

If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, you’ll probably remember the humble dimmer switch being the height of home lighting tech. Well, things have changed a lot in recent years thanks to smart lighting systems. Taking intelligent illumination to the next level, smart lighting systems allow you to set your lights so they automatically turn on when you get home or enter a room, then off again when you leave. You can also easily adjust the brightness levels and even customise the colour tone to match your mood!

As well as helping you save energy by turning off your lights when you don’t need them, these systems also offer added security to your home when you’re away on holiday as you can switch them on with just a tap on your smart phone screen. Smart outdoor lighting systems are also available, which means you can illuminate your garden in countless different ways.

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Why should I make my home smart?

There are lots of reasons why you should consider making your home a smart home. One of the obvious ones is the convenience it provides, allowing you to control your heating, lighting, security and other set-ups in a fuss-free way, all from your phone or voice assistant.

Another benefit of having a smart home is the energy efficiency and cost savings that can come with it – such as setting your central heating to only be on when people are home, or switching off lights and other electrical appliances you accidentally leave on when you head off to work, all from the comfort of your office desk, train seat or break room!

You’ll also increase your peace of mind when it comes to home security. Worried about your home while you’re away on holiday? Forget having to call a friend or family member to pop round and check things out, just put your mind at ease instantly by dropping in on one of your security cameras, or use motion activation settings to get instant alerts on your phone whenever movement is detected in your home.

How can I create a smart home?

If you’re new to the concept of a smart home, you can prevent yourself from becoming overwhelmed with the tech by starting small with an entry-level smart home setup. Choose a few devices, such as smart bulbs, a smart doorbell, or maybe a few smart plugs. You can then download the manufacturer’s app and connect them to your Wi-Fi. Then all you need to do is connect them to your central smart ecosystem (such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple HomeKit) and you’ll then be able to practice controlling your smart devices using an app or voice commands.

Once you’ve got to grips with how your new smart home works you’ll be able to add other smart products like thermostats and security cameras.

Best smart home devices on the market

Best smart lighting system

This versatile lighting solution by Philips provides full control over your home lighting. A wide range of indoor and outdoor lights and bulbs can be connected to a central Hue Bridge via your Wi-Fi, allowing you to control your lights with an app or voice assistant. You can automate routines, adjust brightness and even choose from millions of colours as when you like. The Philips Hue Smart Lighting System lets you expand with bulbs, lights and even light strips in your home and out in the garden to give you full control over your lighting.

Shop Philips Hue Smart Lighting System

Best smart home security system

Quick and easy to install, the RING Alarm Home Security Bundle is a great way to protect your home, and can be customised to suit your house or flat. You get a base station which all the other components will connect to, a keypad for easy arming and disarming of your system, a contact sensor for fitting on a door or window, plus a motion detector and a range extender. You’ll also get an indoor camera so you’ll always be able to check in on your home when you’re away. Once you’ve installed this bundle and have got used to how the system works, you can then add other cameras, motion sensors and contact sensors to cover your whole house.

Shop RING's Alarm Home Security Bundle

Best smart tags

This pack of 4 Apple AirTags make it easy to keep track of everything from your keys and wallet to luggage and backpack. One tap is all it takes to connect to your iPhone or iPad, while a built-in speaker helps you find your important stuff, or ask Siri for help by simply saying “Siri, find my car keys” or “Siri, find my gym bag”. You can put your AirTag into Lost Mode and you’ll automatically be notified when it’s detected in the Find My network. IP47 water resistant, each AirTag takes a replaceable battery that lasts for over a year.

Shop Apple's AirTag 4 Pack

Best smart home heating system

The Hive thermostat lets you use your smartphone to control your combi boiler directly from the app. Phone not to hand? Then just ask Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri to turn up the temp or cool things down a little! You can schedule your heating to match daily routines and use Holiday Mode to help save energy while you’re away.

Shop Hive's Thermostat Combi and Multizone

Maintenance and troubleshooting

The art of living smart

Now you’re all clued up on how to turn your home into a smart home, you’ll have no trouble diving into our collection of smart home products to find the ones that will make you and your family’s life that little bit easier. While you’re there, why not check out some of the stand-alone smart products we have to offer – everything from a smart fridge to a smart heater and everything in between! And don’t forget, when you shop at Very you’ll not only enjoy fuss-free delivery straight to your door, but also the option of Very protect to cover your smart products against accidental damage from day one.

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