5 Smart Home Automations Every Family Should Set Up First

You don't need a fully automated smart home to feel the benefits. These five automations are the ones that made the biggest difference in our daily routine — and each one can be set up in under 30 minutes.

We've listed them in order of impact. Start with number one and work your way down. By the end of an afternoon, your home will feel noticeably smarter.

1. Automated Lighting Schedule

What it does: Your lights turn on and off based on time of day, with no switches needed.

Why it matters: This is the single most impactful automation for a family. You'll never walk into a dark house, and your kids will stop leaving every light in the house on.

How to set it up:

• Start with 2-3 smart bulbs (Philips Hue or Govee, $12–$15 each) in your most-used rooms
• Set them to turn on at sunset and off at bedtime using the app
• Add a motion sensor in the hallway ($15) for automatic lights during midnight trips

Time savings: ~5 minutes per day of flipping switches, plus lower electricity bills from lights that actually turn off.

Pro Tip:

2. Smart Thermostat Schedule

What it does: Your thermostat adjusts based on your family's schedule — warming up before you wake, lowering when you leave, and cooling down at bedtime.

Why it matters: Comfort plus energy savings. The Ecobee or Nest typically pays for itself within one heating/cooling season through reduced energy use.

How to set it up:

• Install an Ecobee ($170) or Nest ($130) — both include step-by-step installation guides
• Set your family's weekday and weekend schedules
• Enable "away" mode that activates automatically when no one's home
• Add room sensors ($40 for a 2-pack) in the kids' rooms so they're always comfortable

Cost savings: Typically 10-15% on heating/cooling bills, which can be $150+ per year.

3. Automated Morning Routine

What it does: One trigger kicks off your entire morning — lights gradually brighten, thermostat warms up, coffee maker turns on, and a daily schedule notification hits your phone.

Why it matters: Mornings with kids are chaotic enough. Having the house ready when the alarm goes off removes several small friction points that add up to a calmer start.

How to set it up:

• Put your coffee maker on a smart plug ($12) and schedule it 5 minutes before your alarm
• Set bedroom lights to gradually brighten starting at wake-up time
• Use Alexa or Google Home routines to combine: lights on → thermostat up → news briefing or family schedule readout

Time savings: ~10 minutes of groggy fumbling every morning, plus a genuinely more pleasant wake-up experience.

4. Goodnight Routine

What it does: Saying "goodnight" (or pressing one button) turns off all lights, locks the doors, sets the thermostat to sleep mode, arms the security system, and enables your phone's Do Not Disturb.

Why it matters: No more walking around the house checking that everything's locked and turned off. Peace of mind in a single command.

How to set it up:

• Create a "Goodnight" routine in Alexa, Google Home, or Home Assistant
• Include: all lights off, thermostat to sleep mode, front door lock, security cameras to "home" mode
• Add an Apple Shortcut or Android routine on your phone to enable Do Not Disturb and set your morning alarm

Time savings: ~5 minutes of nightly rounds, plus the mental relief of knowing everything is taken care of.

5. Smart Doorbell & Entry Notifications

What it does: See who's at the door from your phone, get notifications when packages arrive, and know when the kids get home from school.

Why it matters: Security and awareness without being glued to the window. Especially valuable for families with latchkey kids or frequent deliveries.

How to set it up:

• Install a Ring Video Doorbell ($100) or similar device at your front door
• Set up motion zones to reduce false alerts from cars and pedestrians
• Enable notifications for ring events and motion
• Add a door/window sensor ($15) to the front door to know exactly when it opens

Peace of mind: Priceless. Especially when you can check the door from work and see that the kids made it home safely.

What's Next?

Once you've set up these five automations, you'll have a solid foundation to build on. Some natural next steps:

• Add smart lighting to more rooms
• Set up automated bathroom fans with humidity sensors
• Create "movie time" or "dinner time" scenes that adjust lights and devices in one tap
• Explore Home Assistant for more advanced automations

Check out our Smart Home guide for more ideas, and visit our Resources page for our full product recommendations.