Home Assistant · real-world setup notes
A smart home that works for you, not the other way around.
The Local Home is a local-first smart home blog from a Home Assistant hobbyist, and the home of Home Assistant in a Weekend, a step-by-step plan for beginners. I share what runs in my own house, what I’ve learned, and the gear I’d recommend.
Latest posts
All posts →The first posts are on their way. In the meantime, check out the recommended gear or the book.
Featured
Home Assistant in a Weekend
Go from “what’s Home Assistant?” to a working, private smart home by Sunday night. A friendly plan with checklists, a shopping list in three budget tiers, and 10 copy-and-paste automations, written for Home Assistant 2026.10. Free download — tip what you like.
Recommended gear
Not sure what to buy?
Start with my shopping list: three budget tiers from “try it out” to “room to grow,” plus the gear I actually use at home. It favors local control, so your home keeps working when the internet doesn’t.
About The Local Home
I didn’t start with Home Assistant. I added it to a smart home that already worked. My Hubitat hub still runs my automations, Apple Home and Alexa are still in use, and Home Assistant sits on top as one place to see and control everything, on an iPad on the wall. That “add, don’t rip out” approach is what I write about.