Your coffee maker story reminded me of when I first got smart lighting installed. Thought it'd be great to have lights gently wake me up in the morning, but somehow the app decided sunrise was at 3 am—talk about rude awakenings. Took me a week to figure out how to reset it properly.
But yeah, totally with you on the smart locks. I was skeptical at first too, but now they're lifesavers, especially when friends visit and I'm stuck in traffic or something. Just send them a temporary code—so much easier than hiding keys under flower pots (which everyone knows about anyway). It's funny how the best tech is usually the stuff you barely notice after a while... quietly making life simpler without demanding constant attention. That's definitely the sweet spot for home automation.
Your smart lighting mishap made me chuckle...but I'm curious, has anyone else had trouble integrating smart tech into older homes? My house is pretty historic, and while I love the charm, it's like the walls actively resist anything smarter than a toaster. Did you have to do any special wiring or workarounds to get your locks and lights cooperating? I'm tempted by those smart locks, but wondering if my old doors will even play nice with them...
Honestly, have you considered skipping the smart locks altogether? Older doors can be a pain—alignment issues, weird latch placements...maybe just stick with traditional locks and focus your smart upgrades elsewhere, like lighting or thermostats. Less headache overall.
I get your point about older doors being tricky, but honestly, I've found smart locks pretty handy for managing rental properties remotely. Had a tenant lock themselves out at midnight once (fun times...), and letting them back in from my phone was a lifesaver. But yeah, alignment issues can be a headache. Maybe it's worth upgrading the door itself first? Or is that too much hassle just for a smart lock?
I totally get where you're coming from with the smart locks. Had a similar midnight adventure myself a while back—only it was me locked out of my own place after a long day (talk about embarrassing...). Luckily, my neighbor had a spare key, but it got me thinking about smart locks too.
Ended up doing some research and realized my old wooden door wasn't exactly smart-lock-friendly. Alignment was off, hinges were creaky, and honestly, the door itself had seen better days. I debated upgrading the whole thing, but budget-wise, it felt like a bit much just to accommodate a fancy lock.
Instead, I spent a weekend adjusting hinges, sanding down edges, and generally wrestling with the door until it closed smoothly. Took some patience (and maybe a few choice words under my breath), but it worked out pretty well. Installed a basic smart lock afterward, and it's been smooth sailing ever since.
So yeah, upgrading the door might be ideal if you have the budget, but if you're looking to save some cash, a little DIY tweaking can go a long way. Either way, sounds like you're already on the right track—smart locks are definitely handy once you get past the initial hiccups. Good luck with whatever you decide!
