Sample output · default answers
Smart Home Setup Checklist — full sample
This is the actual structure our generator produces from the default answers. When you buy, you fill in the form and your version reflects your household — rooms, timeline, province, and everything else.
Your rollout plan, in priority order
- Tackle these first — the rest of the checklist still covers everything else, but this is your order:
- 1. Security & cameras — see the "Security & access" section below
- 2. Climate & energy — see the "Climate & energy" section below
Foundation — network & hubs
- Confirm 500 Mbps modem + WPA3 router firmware up to date
- Guest Wi-Fi enabled with a strong, separate password
- Separate IoT SSID / VLAN for smart devices — keeps a compromised smart plug off the same network as your laptop
- Wired backhaul or mesh nodes covering every room
- Google Home / Nest hub or speaker placed centrally
- Matter / Thread enabled where possible — the modern standard that lets devices work across ecosystems
- Automation naming convention decided (e.g. Room > Device > Function)
- Family shared account / home invitations sent to everyone in the household
Whole-home Wi-Fi coverage — indoor & outdoor boosters
- Map your Wi-Fi dead zones room by room before buying anything — a free Wi-Fi analyzer app saves you from over-buying
- Even with decent coverage today, every camera and sensor you add increases the load on your network
- Indoor mesh nodes or Wi-Fi extenders — one per dead zone, not one per room
- An outdoor-rated access point or extender for detached garages, sheds, or larger yards
- Wired ethernet backhaul between nodes wherever possible — it outperforms wireless mesh backhaul significantly
Lighting
- Smart switches/dimmers anywhere you want lighting to keep working even if the app or Wi-Fi is down — look for a system using its own radio, not just Wi-Fi (Lutron Caséta is the category standard here)
- Smart bulbs anywhere you don't want to touch the wiring or switch
- Decide switches vs. bulbs room by room — mixing both in the same room usually causes confusion
Room — Living room
- Smart lighting plan for Living room (bulbs, switches, or plugs)
- Voice assistant / speaker for Living room
- Motion or presence sensor if useful in Living room
- Automations: bedtime, wake, away, movie-night in Living room
- Verify Wi-Fi signal in Living room is 3+ bars
Room — Kitchen
- Smart lighting plan for Kitchen (bulbs, switches, or plugs)
- Voice assistant / speaker for Kitchen
- Motion or presence sensor if useful in Kitchen
- Automations: bedtime, wake, away, movie-night in Kitchen
- Verify Wi-Fi signal in Kitchen is 3+ bars
Room — Primary bedroom
- Smart lighting plan for Primary bedroom (bulbs, switches, or plugs)
- Voice assistant / speaker for Primary bedroom
- Motion or presence sensor if useful in Primary bedroom
- Automations: bedtime, wake, away, movie-night in Primary bedroom
- Verify Wi-Fi signal in Primary bedroom is 3+ bars
Room — Entryway
- Smart lighting plan for Entryway (bulbs, switches, or plugs)
- Voice assistant / speaker for Entryway
- Motion or presence sensor if useful in Entryway
- Automations: bedtime, wake, away, movie-night in Entryway
- Verify Wi-Fi signal in Entryway is 3+ bars
Smart soffit & outdoor accent lighting
- Permanent smart soffit or roofline lighting — pick one continuous run rather than a patchwork of separate strips
- Confirm outdoor-rated (IP65+) fixtures and a nearby weatherproof outdoor outlet before installing
- Set a holiday/seasonal colour schedule so it's not a manual switch flip every season
- Landscape and pathway lighting on the same smart schedule as the soffit lighting
Climate & energy
- Smart thermostat installed in zone #1
- Heat/cool schedules set for weekday, weekend, and away
- Smart vents to zone individual rooms without a full ducted zoning system, if your thermostat supports them
- Whole-home energy monitor at the electrical panel — this is what actually shows you which devices drive your bill, not just the utility's monthly total
- Smart plugs on major appliances you want to track individually
Smart plumbing & water protection
- Smart automatic water shutoff at the main line — the single highest-value smart plumbing device for flood prevention, since it can shut the water off automatically the moment it detects a leak
- Water leak sensors near the washer, dishwasher, water heater, and under every sink
- Test the shutoff and every leak sensor once installed — don't assume it works until you've triggered it on purpose
Smart electrical
- Smart electrical panel or a monitoring-only add-on that watches for electrical fire risk without replacing your panel
- Smart plugs for anything you want scheduled or remotely controlled without rewiring
- GFCI/AFCI-aware smart switches in bathrooms, kitchens, and garages where code requires them
Security & access
- Camera #1 — location, power source, storage plan, motion zones
- Camera #2 — location, power source, storage plan, motion zones
- Security system — self-monitored or professionally monitored DIY systems are the most common Canadian option
- Smart doorbell installed and paired
- Smart lock with per-user codes — confirm it works with your ecosystem's hub before buying
- Alarm / siren integration with automations
- Away routine: cameras armed, lights simulate presence
- Notifications tuned so you're not spammed — motion at the front door matters, motion in your own backyard usually doesn't
Smart blinds & window coverings
- Motorized blinds, or a retrofit motor kit for blinds you already own
- Sun-based automation — close in the afternoon sun, open at sunrise — usually saves more on cooling than people expect
- Manual override confirmed to still work if the hub or app is down
Garage
- Smart garage door opener/controller, or a retrofit controller if your existing opener isn't Wi-Fi enabled
- Automation: confirm the door is closed at a set time every night, with a notification if it's been open too long
- Camera or sensor covering the garage interior if it's also used as an entry point to the house
Fire, smoke & CO — smart upgrades
- If your home already has hardwired, interconnected smoke/CO detectors, look for a smart hardwired replacement that stays compatible with that interconnect wiring, rather than ripping out the whole system
- Get push notifications for smoke/CO alarms when you're not home — that's the actual value-add over a standard hardwired detector
- Confirm detector age — even smart ones need replacing roughly every 10 years
Entertainment
- A streaming device or smart TV platform tied to your ecosystem
- Multi-room audio if you want music synced across rooms — some systems work across ecosystems, ecosystem-native speakers are usually cheaper but more locked-in
Home network rack — organizing all of this
- A small wall-mount network cabinet (roughly 9U-12U) to hold your router, switch, NVR, and any hubs in one ventilated, lockable spot instead of a tangle on a shelf
- A network switch with enough ports for every wired device you're adding — cameras, access points, hubs
- Label every cable at both ends — future you will thank present you
- Leave 2-3 spare ports and rack space for whatever you add next year
Your Google Home / Nest starter kit
- Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) or Nest Hub Max as your central display and hub
- Nest Cam (battery or wired) for indoor/outdoor security
- Nest Doorbell for the front door
- Nest Thermostat for climate control
- A Nest Aware subscription if you want longer video history — check current plans before committing
Automations & schedules worth setting up
- Away mode: lights off, thermostat setback, cameras armed, doors locked — triggered by everyone's phone leaving
- Morning routine: lights on gradually, thermostat to daytime temp
- Bedtime routine: lock doors, lower thermostat, turn off lights except night lights, arm cameras
- Vacation mode: lights on a randomized schedule to simulate presence, water shutoff auto-armed
- Notification rules: only get pinged for what matters, not every single motion event
Review & maintain
- Update firmware on hubs, routers, and cameras monthly
- Re-test automations after any router or ecosystem app update — that's the most common thing that silently breaks
- Review camera storage/subscription costs annually — cloud storage fees add up across multiple brands
- Revisit this checklist once a year as new devices and standards (like Matter) mature