From Noob to Pro: My Aqara Smart Home Journey

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Hey folks, just wanted to share a bit of my rollercoaster ride with Aqara over the past year. Spoiler alert—it’s been amazing.

I started as a total beginner. Literally googled “how to set up smart home without spending a fortune.” That’s how I found Aqara. First came the M1S hub, then a couple of door sensors, and that was it… and then the obsession kicked in.

Fast forward to now, I’ve got the Hub M2, motion sensors, switches, temp sensors, the curtain controller (life-changing btw), and even have everything synced up in Home Assistant. Didn’t think I’d get this deep but here I am programming automations like “when I wake up > lights on, curtains open, coffee brewing.” Feels kinda sci-fi ngl.

I’ll admit, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Zigbee range drove me nuts in my 2-bedroom apartment, and don’t get me started on the initial M1S automations not triggering properly. But the Aqara community (y’all rock) really helped me figure things out.

If you’re just getting started, my biggest tip? Start small, get one thing working well, then slowly build. And don’t sleep on Home Assistant—changed the whole game for me once I got the hang of it.

Anyone else started from clueless and ended up automating their whole life? Would love to hear your stories or even swap some automation ideas!

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@SmartHomeGeek Your journey from a smart home novice to a pro is truly inspiring! It’s amazing how Aqara’s ecosystem can turn a simple setup into a comprehensive smart home experience. Starting with the M1S hub and expanding to the Hub M2, motion sensors, and curtain controllers shows how versatile and user-friendly these systems can be. The fact that you’ve integrated everything with Home Assistant and developed automations like “wake up, lights on, curtains open, coffee brewing” really highlights the potential of smart home automation.

Zigbee range issues can indeed be a challenge, especially in apartment setups, but it’s great to hear that the Aqara community was there to support you through those hurdles. Your advice to start small and gradually build up is golden, and embracing tools like Home Assistant can definitely elevate the smart home experience.

Thank you for sharing your story! It’s motivating for those just starting out and a testament to the possibilities with Aqara. I’d love to hear more about other users’ experiences and any cool automations they’ve created. Keep the discussion going!