Smart home checklists

Before you buy: Is there reliable Wi-Fi where the device will live? Does it support Matter or your chosen ecosystem? If it is an in-wall switch, does the box have a neutral wire? What does it cost per year in subscriptions? Does it still work with no internet? Is there a manual override?

Before you hire: Which licensed trades are on the job, and is a permit required for the electrical work? Will every account be in your name? What documentation do you get at handover? What is the support arrangement and hourly rate after the warranty? Will they demonstrate offline behavior before final payment?

Before you move: Factory reset everything staying with the house, remove your accounts from those devices, take what you own, and leave the new owner a device list and any manuals. For devices you take, remove old automations and re-onboard them at the new address.

Keep these lists somewhere you will find them. The people who have good experiences with smart home technology are almost always the ones who asked these questions before spending money, not after.

How to choose

Check network coverage before every purchase

Stand where the device will go and test signal. This one habit prevents most returns.

Confirm the neutral wire before buying switches

Have an electrician pull a switch plate and look. Many older boxes have no neutral.

Total the subscriptions annually

Camera storage and monitoring fees over five years often exceed the hardware price.

Require account ownership in the contract

Every hub, camera, router and ecosystem account in your name, with credentials handed to you.

Ask for a handover document

Device inventory, network diagram, account list and plain-language instructions for the household.

Reset before you move out

Factory reset devices staying behind and remove your accounts, so the new owner starts clean and you keep no access.