Home Automation Starter Checklist

Quick reference for your first 30 days with Home Assistant.

Hardware Essentials

Option A: Plug and Play

  • Home Assistant Green (~£130) — easiest setup
  • Ethernet cable — hardwire for reliability
  • Zigbee dongle (optional) — Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB (~£15)

Option B: DIY Install

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB+) or mini PC
  • 32GB+ SSD (not SD card) — for reliability
  • Ethernet connection — WiFi works but wired is better

First 10 Integrations to Add

  • Mobile app — iOS/Android for location tracking
  • Google Home / Alexa — voice control basics
  • Philips Hue — if you have any Hue bulbs
  • Zigbee devices — sensors, switches, bulbs
  • Tasmota/ESPHome — DIY devices
  • Reolink cameras — if you have PoE cameras
  • Weather — built-in integration
  • Calendar — Google Calendar for scheduling
  • Spotify — media player control
  • Presence detection — via mobile app or Bluetooth

First 5 Automations to Build

1. Sunset Lights

Trigger: Sun sets
Action: Turn on living room lights

2. Morning Routine

Trigger: 7:00 AM on weekdays
Action: Fade up bedroom lights, start coffee (if smart plug)

3. Leave Home

Trigger: No one home (location tracking)
Action: Turn off all lights, arm security, set heating to eco

4. Arrival Home

Trigger: Someone arrives
Action: Turn on entry lights, disarm security, resume heating

5. Night Mode

Trigger: 11:00 PM or manual button
Action: Dim all lights to 20%, lock doors (if smart lock), turn off media

Dashboard Cards to Create

  • Lights card — room-by-room control
  • Weather card — current conditions + forecast
  • Camera card — live feeds from Reolink or similar
  • Media player — Spotify/currently playing
  • Buttons — quick scene triggers (Movie Mode, Good Night, etc.)

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • ❌ Using SD card for storage — corrupts within months, use SSD
  • ❌ Too many automations at once — start simple, build up
  • ❌ No backups — set up automatic backups to Google Drive or NAS
  • ❌ WiFi-only devices — Zigbee/Z-Wave are more reliable
  • ❌ Ignoring power consumption — some smart bulbs draw standby power

Recommended Reading

Want the Full Guide?

Build Your Own AI Home Assistant →

6,300-word complete beginner's guide — hardware selection, installation, first automations, local AI integration, and troubleshooting. No subscriptions, no cloud dependency.

Price: £9.99

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