Ever wonder how humans ever lived without microwaves, smart phones or DVR?  In short order, the same will be true for smart homes products that allows us to wake up to freshly brewed coffee, blinds opened to sunshine, thermostats adjusted to fickle morning temperatures and televisions turned on to our favorite morning shows.

Smart, connected homes, a market set to grow to $71 billion by 2018 according to Juniper Research, is not science fiction, it is a current reality made possible by the wide adoption of smart phones, broadband and the Internet of Things.

However, despite Google’s highly publicized $3.2 billion investment in Nest Labs and companies such as Samsung announcing Smart Home initiatives at this past CES, a mere two-percent of American households currently have any form of automation in their home.

Why does it seem this industry is on the cusp of exploding, but not quite there? It is mainly due to the misperception that smart homes require enormous costs, elaborate set-up and experts to install and maintain.

As with most technology, that was true initially, but the DIY smart home revolution is changing all that.  In fact,  Gartner, predicts that by 2022 the typical home could contain more than 500 smart devices.

As CEO of AXIS, a company that designs do-it-yourself (DIY) smart home products for Millennials, we believe that by creating awareness on how to get started we can help make the homes of tomorrow a reality today.  Here are 4 easy DIY steps towards a smart home 

1)   BREATHE, ROME WASN’T BUILT IN A DAY: Terms like ‘user interface’ and ‘geo-fencing’ scare the pudding out of most people, you are not the only one. But stay calm, with new DIY smart products on the market, you will be up and running in no time.
2)   BUILD A SOUND FOUNDATION FIRST: Before getting all of the shiny new toys that will make you the envy of all your houseguests, make sure you have a Wi-Fi Router, this is the key to any smart home. High-quality Wi-Fi will ensure all your devices will be able to communicate with each other.
3)   CHOOSE A SMART HOME HUB: A connected home is supposed to make life easier, but if you can’t remember which app turns off the lights, you may be in trouble.  However, this is fixed by purchasing a smart home automation hub, this will connect all gadgets and control them from one simple app, instead of many. CNET offers a comparison of various hubs.  We recommend a hub that supports as many of these as possible: Bluetooth LE, Lutron ClearConnect, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, and ZigBee.
4)   START WITH ONE COOL PRODUCT AT A TIME, HERE ARE A FEW TO BEGIN:

  • Switchmate: Exceeding their Indiegogo campaign goal by 300%, Switchmate is a smart light switch that installs over top of your traditional toggle or rocker style switches using magnets or an adhesive.  Using your smartphone, you can enable a geo-fence that detects when you are around so lights come on.  You can also control multiple light switches, set timers, and schedules all through the magic of Bluetooth Low Energy.
  • Nanoleaf LED Bulbs: The most energy efficient LED light bulb on the market will save you $100 per year on your energy bill and for those of us that would rather not spend Saturday afternoon buying bulbs, the Nanoleaf has an incredible 27-year lifespan.
  • Sesame Smart Lock: Replaces your key in favor of a smartphone and needs no tools to install. It actually installs right over your existing deadbolt. On top of this (pun intended), the native functionality of the lock is preserved, so you can still use your lock normally if your phone dies. The price of the Sesame is attractive, at a fraction of the cost of its competitors, but its true differentiator is the dead simple install.

These initial steps and product recommendations should encourage you to start the transition to a smart home in a way that is easy and won’t break the bank.  In time, you will be living just like the Jetsons.