Before You Start

The first step in Home Automation should be planning to sell your home. Set guidelines allowing easy transfer of your Home Automation assets to the next owner. Here are some sample guidelines:

Don't use your personal email address, create an email address for your home

I did this the wrong way and just started installing stuff with my personal email address.

Later, I realized my wife and I might want to sell the house. So, I created an email account for my home, and then migrated as much as I could to the home's email address. 

For many products and services, an email is the key to your account, and the only way to change the email is to remove all the devices, and then reinstall them using the new account.

If possible get a credit card for Home Automation accounts.

I tried to never use a product or service that had recurring charges, but some require it.

When you move, you don't want the product or service to break, but you also don't want the new owner to be charging on your account.

A simple solution is to have a credit card linked to the house and to its home automation accounts that an be canceled when you move.

Use a password manager not tied to your browser

Most browsers, like google chrome will generate and store strong passwords. When you move, you will need to view all of these passwords and turn them over to the new owner. It is much easier to use a multi-platform password manager tied to the home's email account and turn this over to the new owner.

Before installing a home automation device, decide it it will stay when you move

Home automation can be costly. Typical real estate rules state, if it is screwed into a wall or attached to the house, then it stays

Here are the things that stayed when we moved from Texas to Colorado:

Also decide what will not stay

I spent a significant amount of time determining an optimal balance of ISP, streaming services, local channels and so on. Of course, these could not be easily transferred to the new owner.

I built some unique switch racks, and I used multiple switches for experimentation that weren't necessary for proper functioning. I took some of these with me, but I also left an adequate number of switches so everything worked.

I had about 10 Amazon Echos. Only one was required. Amazon makes it very difficult to transfer anything to a new owner.

Create a notebook

I bought several three ring binders and sets of colored tabs. I have an industrial strength 3 hole-punch. All the documentation for each project was printed or 3-hole punched and put into the binders.