Buying GuidesMade for Australian homes240V wiring, AS/NZS rules, local retailers and warranty law
NXT Smart Home — Australian smart home reviews, setup guides and buying advice
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Buying Guides
How to Build a Home Assistant Energy Dashboard That Tracks Solar Export and Time-of-Use Tariffs
Where to Put a Robot Vacuum Dock in a Rental or Apartment Without New Wiring
Setting Up Your Reverse-Cycle Split System for Voice and App Control Without Replacing the Unit
What a Robot Vacuum Actually Costs to Keep Running in Australia After the Purchase Price
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Buying Guides7 min read
Smart Home Hubs Australia: Complete Buying Guide 2025
Confused about smart home hubs? This Australian guide explains what they do, whether you need one, and how to pick the right one for your home.
Buying Guides4 min read
Do Overseas Smart Home Devices Work in Australia?
Imported smart home gear can be a bargain or a brick. Four things decide which one you get — and only one of them is fixed by an adaptor.
Buying Guides5 min read
Buying Smart Home Devices That Will Still Work in Five Years
Most smart devices fail because a company switches something off, not because the hardware breaks. How to buy gear in Australia that outlasts the seller.
Smart Home Devices Renters Can Install Without Drilling
Buying Second-Hand Smart Home Devices in Australia
Smart Home Devices for Older Australians
Smart Home Gear for a Holiday House or Short-Stay Rental
Where to Buy Smart Home Gear in Australia: Bunnings vs JB Hi-Fi
Smart Home for Renters: What You Can Install Without Losing Your Bond
Setup Guides
How to Set Up a Zigbee Mesh That Reaches the Garage and Granny Flat in a Double Brick Home
Double brick, foil sarking and a Colorbond garage will stop a Zigbee mesh dead. Here's how to place your coordinator, chain mains-powered repeaters through the right windows and doorways, pick a channel that dodges your Wi-Fi, and decide when the granny flat needs its own hub instead.
8 min readExplainer
Robot Vacuums
Running a Robot Vacuum Locally in Home Assistant (No Cloud)
Some robot vacuums will talk to Home Assistant entirely over your own LAN, others refuse to move without a server overseas. Here's how local control actually works in 2024-25, which brands are realistic, what rooting involves, and how to automate cleaning even when the vacuum itself stays cloud-tethered.
7 min readExplainer
Climate & Comfort
Smart Thermostat Options for Gas Ducted and Hydronic Heating in Older Australian Homes
Most Australian gas ducted heaters and hydronic boilers won't accept an off-the-shelf smart thermostat. Here are the upgrade paths that actually work in older homes - manufacturer Wi-Fi modules, relay retrofits, OpenTherm room stats and smart TRVs - plus where a licensed trade is legally required.
7 min readExplainer
Climate & Comfort
Humidity Sensors and Exhaust Fan Automation for Australian Bathrooms
Winter mould in Australian bathrooms is a moisture problem, not a cleaning problem. Here's how to use a humidity sensor and a smart exhaust fan automation to pull damp air out before it condenses on your grout, ceiling and window reveals.
7 min readExplainer
Climate & Comfort
Running Your Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner Off Rooftop Solar Instead of the Grid
Your split system is probably the biggest single load in the house, and your solar is probably being exported for a few cents. Here's how to line the two up using pre-cooling, smart aircon controllers and real-time energy monitoring - plus where an electrician is legally required.
7 min readExplainer
Climate & Comfort
What Smart Zoning Actually Costs on Ducted Air Conditioning in Australia
Zoning a ducted reverse-cycle system is the single biggest add-on cost most Australian homeowners face at quote time. Here is how the price bands break down for new installs and retrofits, where the cheap workarounds actually work, and what to check before you spend.
7 min readExplainer
Hubs & PlatformsThread vs Matter: What Is the Difference, Simply Explained
Thread and Matter get mentioned together constantly, which makes people assume they compete. They do not. One is a radio, the other is a language.
Outdoor TVs, Projectors and Speakers That Survive an Australian Summer
Movie Night Lighting Scenes You Can Build Without Touching the Switchboard
Choosing a Streaming Box in Australia When You Still Watch Free-to-Air and Catch-Up TV
Getting Smart Lighting Into a Rental Without Touching the Wiring or Losing Your Bond
How to Keep Security Cameras Running Through a Blackout or NBN Outage
Smart Downlights in Australian Ceilings: Insulation Clearance Rules, Explained
Local Recording vs Cloud Subscriptions for Home Security Cameras in Australia
How to Keep Security Cameras Running Through a Blackout or NBN Outage
