By Sofia Yaman · Last updated June 2026 · Based on devices I have personally installed in two rental apartments
I bought my first smart home device because I forgot to turn off a lamp three days in a row and my electric bill jumped. I bought my second because I wanted to know if my packages were being stolen or just delayed. I bought my third because I was curious. By the fifth device, I had learned what actually matters for beginners and what is just marketing noise. Here is what I would buy first if I were starting over.
Start With One Smart Plug
A smart plug is the cheapest entry point into home automation. It costs between $10 and $15, requires no installation, and turns any lamp or appliance into a smart device. I use mine to schedule my coffee maker, turn off my space heater remotely, and fade my bedside lamp on at sunset.
The setup takes five minutes: plug it in, connect to your Wi-Fi, name it in the app. That is it. If you hate it, you are out $12 and you have a regular plug again. If you love it, you have a foundation for everything else.
What to check: Make sure the plug supports your Wi-Fi frequency. Some budget models only work on 2.4 GHz networks. If your router uses the same name for both bands, you may need to create a separate 2.4 GHz network during setup.
Add a Video Doorbell or Camera
I installed a video doorbell after my building’s intercom broke. It records motion at my front door, lets me see who is there from my phone, and stores video locally so I do not pay monthly fees. The peace of mind was immediate. I no longer wonder if a package was delivered while I was out. I know.
For renters, look for models that mount with adhesive or existing doorbell wiring, not screws into the wall. My current model attaches to the door frame with strong tape and removes cleanly when I move.
Smart Bulbs Before Smart Switches
I started with smart switches and quickly regretted it. They required turning off the breaker, fiddling with wires, and hoping my landlord would not notice. Then I tried smart bulbs and never looked back. They screw into existing fixtures, connect to the app, and let me adjust brightness and color temperature without touching a wall switch.
I use warm white bulbs in my living room and bedroom for evening relaxation, and a brighter neutral bulb in my desk lamp for daytime focus. The ability to dim without installing a dimmer switch is worth the bulb cost alone.
Skip These for Now
I do not recommend smart thermostats for renters unless your landlord approves the installation. I do not recommend smart locks unless you understand your lease terms and your building’s security policies. I do not recommend voice assistants as a first purchase because they create dependency on a specific ecosystem before you know what you actually need.
I also skip subscription-required devices. If a camera stores video only in the cloud and charges $5 monthly for access, I look for an alternative with local storage or SD card backup. Monthly fees add up fast and lock you into a service that may change terms later.
My Beginner Setup
If I were starting today with $100, I would buy: three smart plugs ($36), two smart bulbs ($24), and one budget video doorbell ($40). That covers lighting automation, appliance scheduling, and entry monitoring. Everything else can wait until you know what problem you are actually trying to solve.
Smart home technology should make your life simpler, not more complicated. Start small. Add one device at a time. And never buy something just because it is smart — buy it because it solves a problem you actually have.
For security-specific advice on smart devices, see my guide to smart home security tips.
About the author: Sofia Yaman is the founder of Yasamsitem Home. She has installed and tested smart home devices in two rental apartments and writes about technology that actually improves daily life.
Have a device question? Email sofia@yasamsitem.com.
Sofia Yaman has been figuring out how to make small spaces work since 2019 — first in a 280 sq ft studio in Brooklyn with a cat and too many books, now in a slightly larger rental where she still tests every storage hack and smart gadget before recommending it. She believes organized should never mean boring.
