Can You Really Build a Home Automation Hub for Next to Nothing?

Home automation can be expensive. Most of us with any interest in home automation can agree on that. Price tags can be such that people are motivated to build their own home automation hubs at home. In fact, I have seen posts suggesting it is possible for as little as $20. But is it, really?

Can you really build a home automation hub for next to nothing? That depends on two things:

1. What you consider a viable home automation hub; and

2. How you define 'next to nothing'.

If you want a simple device capable of controlling nothing more than a few smart light switches, and you know how to resurrect an old laptop or smartphone, then building a home automation hub for $25-$50 is quite doable. If you want a powerful hub, you'll pay more. You will also pay more if you are not handy enough to build and configure the device on your own.

What Makes Up a Hub

Understanding this any further requires understanding what actually makes up a home automation hub. A hub is an electronic device through which home automation devices interact. It is the communication center, the brain, and the control panel for home automation.

A hub consists of a hardware device that includes all the necessary computer components. Think on-bored Wi-Fi, memory, a CPU, and storage. A hub also needs software to run. You could invest in a paid platform or try one of a small number of free, open source projects.

Building a Hub With an Old Laptop

I have seen posts suggesting the possibility of building a hub with a Raspberry Pi device. Also known as pi's, the devices are essentially mini computers. They are recommended based on the premise that they are cheap and easily expandable. Both may be true, but expanding a Raspberry Pi to make it suitable as a full-fledged hub wipes out its attractive price point. You're better off buying an old laptop.

An old laptop is likely to have everything you need (except the software) built in. You don't need to add a Wi-Fi adapter and an external keyboard. You do not even have to hook it to an external monitor.

As for software, we are back to the previously mentioned paid and open-source platforms. There are more than half-a-dozen to choose from. Your biggest concern would be the operating system. On an old laptop, an outdated Windows or iOS installation will not be your best bet. A smaller Linux distribution would be a better choice.

The Device Compatibility Issue

Getting your hardware and home automation platform together might be the easiest part of building your own hub. After that, you need to start adding devices. Your biggest challenge will be finding compatible devices that work with your hub platform. This isn't as easy as it sounds.

Device manufactures tend to support popular commercial hubs. They also tend to support smart speakers from Google and Amazon. But beyond that, it is a crapshoot. The sheer amount of time it could take you to build your own system might ultimately make the endeavor not worth it. And because time is money, spending a long time on the project means your DIY hub isn't really as cheap as you thought it was.

In my opinion, the primary reason for building your own hub is to keep your system local. It is a legitimate reason, by the way. Plenty of people would like to get into home automation but don't like the idea of surrendering even more privacy to Google, Amazon, Apple, and the rest.

The advantage of setting up a local system is closing it off to the rest of the world. But then you limit your own remote access. There are ways to arrange access without turning over your data to a third-party, but doing so takes a fair amount of knowledge and skill.

Future Breakage Is Another Concern

Moving on, another concern when building your own home automation hub is future breakage. Independent home automation platforms are developed on their own schedules.

Developers may not keep up with technology changes. They might also be ahead of the game. In either case, a simple update of your home automation platform could break its ability to interact with your devices. Then you are left with a random collection of electronics that don't do anything for you.

Of course, each of your devices could probably be controlled via a separate mobile app made available by the manufacturer. But the whole point of building your own hub is to eliminate the need to use five or six apps to control your devices.

It Requires an Investment of Time

I am by no means opposed to building a home automation hub at home. It is just that it requires a significant investment in time. At this point in my life, I am more likely to invest in smart home automation from a trusted brand like Vivint Smart Home. It's worth paying extra to eliminate the headaches that come with DIY home automation.

That will change in the future. When I retire and need something to stay busy with, I plan to automate as much of my home as humanly possible. That is the point at which I will buy an old laptop or two and create my own local system with limited remote access.

That's when I will have the time to deal with device compatibility issues. I will have time to experiment with Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Zigbee and other protocols. I will have ample opportunity to create my own home automation scripts and tie them to the GPS features on my phone.

Start With a Smart Speaker

If you are tempted to build your own home automation hub just for the challenge of doing so, go for it. But if you're only looking for home automation on a budget, you'll get more for your money by investing in a good smart speaker and a couple of smart light switches. That is enough to get you started.