Part 2 of Accidental Smart Home Week

In my previous post, I looked at energy monitoring; now, it’s time to move beyond the basics of smart bulbs and plugs. I’m looking for solutions that work well for our current living space but are also robust enough to migrate to our future "forever home."

The "Neutral Wire" Dilemma

As many UK homeowners know, our lighting circuits often lack a neutral wire at the switch. While complete rewiring is the "ideal" solution, it’s not always practical.

The Zigbee Advantage: You’re spot on about choosing Zigbee over Wi-Fi for your switches. Keeping these devices off your primary wireless network is essential for keeping your home's connectivity snappy.
Rotary Dimmer Breakthrough: You mentioned being stuck on the rotary knob front. There are options available! For example, the Samotech SM323-WF is a smart rotary dimmer designed specifically for UK two-wire circuits. While it uses Wi-Fi, it’s a dedicated piece of hardware that maintains that "traditional" tactile feel while offering smart dimming.

Heating & Climate

You’ve landed on the Netatmo Smart Thermostat and Radiator Valves.

Pro-Tip: While these do rely on the cloud, the integration with Home Assistant is very stable. You get granular control over each room, which is the "holy grail" for keeping gas bills in check.

Smart Blinds & Speakers

Blinds: The IKEA Fyrtur range is a staple for a reason. They integrate cleanly via Zigbee, allowing you to bypass the IKEA gateway entirely and pair them directly with your Zigbee controller in Home Assistant.
Speakers: The SYMFONISK range is essentially high-end Sonos tech at an IKEA price point. Pairing two bookshelf speakers per room is a great way to ensure consistent audio coverage without the premium "Sonos" branding markup.

Smart Locks & Security

Locking In: The Yale Linus is the gold standard for UK Euro-cylinder doors. Since you’re renting, the ability to just swap the barrel—rather than the whole mechanism—is a game-changer.
Sensors: You’re right to prioritize Aqara Zigbee sensors. Their form factor is tiny, their battery life is industry-leading, and they are essentially "set and forget" for windows and doors.

What’s Missing? (Feedback for the Comments)

You asked for missing categories—here is what I’d suggest adding to your list:

Presence Detection (mmWave): While PIR sensors are great for motion, they struggle if you’re sitting still on the sofa. Look into mmWave presence sensors (like the Aqara FP2 or similar). They can detect the tiny movements of your breathing, so the lights won't turn off while you're reading or watching a film.
Water Leak Sensors: Given that you’re planning extensive smart home upgrades, a few £15 Zigbee leak sensors placed behind the fridge, under the sink, or near your washer/dryer are "insurance" that pays for itself the first time they catch a slow drip.
Smart Buttons: You mentioned these at the end—don't underestimate them. A single Zigbee button by the bed to trigger a "Goodnight" scene (locking doors, turning off lights, checking the thermostat) is often the most used automation in the house.

Part 2 of Accidental Smart Home Week