A smart home can be built for 40 000 Kč or for 1.5 million. The difference is not just in the price. It lies in how many commitments you take on, how easily it survives a move, and what happens when the manufacturer shuts down their API in five years. Before booking your first consultation, go through these ten questions. The answers will save you far more than just money.
Article contents
- How much do I want to invest now versus gradually?
- New build, renovation, or existing flat?
- How much does cloud dependency bother me?
- What is my technical comfort level?
- Do I need PV system or heat pump integration?
- How many people will be using the system?
- Is a premium look for the controllers important to me?
- What level of service and support should I expect?
- How long do I plan to stay in the house?
- Gradual expansion or all at once?
- Checklist for the initial consultation
1. How much do I want to invest now versus gradually?
The difference between a one-shot installation and a phased approach defines more than just the budget. It determines what kind of system actually makes sense. A platform like Loxone or KNX only makes sense if you pay for the central control unit and power section all at once. In contrast, a retrofit using Shelly and Zigbee allows you to start with five thousand Kč and gradually add more components.
Realistically: for 1.2 million Kč you can install a premium KNX system in a detached house that will operate for twenty years. For 40 000 Kč you can cover a 3+kk apartment with a wireless solution which, while less elegant and requiring more attention, can be commissioned over a weekend.
What does the response imply for system selection?
- One-off payment of 400 000 Kč+Loxone, KNX, Niko Home Control: professional systems with a central distribution board.
- Phased with a 3-5 year horizon. Home Assistant as the core, with Shelly/Aqara modules added gradually.
- Small budget up to 50 000 KčApple Home or Google Home + Matter devices, without a central server.
Beware of the illusion of "start small and expand later." If you begin with the cloud-based Tuya platform and discover after two years that you need local processing and genuine automation, you will have to discard at least half of your hardware. Overlooking this issue is often the most expensive mistake.
2. New build, renovation, or existing flat?
The condition of the building determines whether you have realistic access to the cabling. If you are demolishing walls or building from scratch, installing KNX or Loxone Tree is perfectly logical. You are cutting cables anyway. In an occupied flat without renovation, it makes no sense.
In Prague we typically encounter three scenarios: a newly built developer apartment where it makes sense to agree on electrical project adjustments before handover; renovation of a brick apartment in Karlín or Vinohrady where demolition is already underway; and an occupied flat where you simply want to improve something without creating dust.
What does the response imply for system selection?
- New build. Consider KNX or Loxone Tree: the price difference compared to standard electrical installation is significantly smaller in new builds than in retrofits.
- Complete renovationthe same recommendation, but it is necessary to coordinate the schedule with the electrical designer before through a tender process for the supplier.
- Occupied flat without renovationonly wireless, Shelly, Aqara, Philips Hue, or optionally Home Assistant as the central hub. See our Guide to a smart home for an apartment without renovation.
3. How much does cloud dependency bother me?
When a manufacturer discontinues its cloud service (Revolv, Insteon, Wink, Wyze Europe), your device becomes a plastic brick. Local operation eliminates this issue, but some systems simply cannot do it.
Loxone, KNX and Home Assistant run fully locally. They work even without internet. Tuya, SmartLife, Ring, Arlo or most cheap Chinese cameras require a cloud for every command. In between lies a grey zone: Apple HomeKit with HomePod handles local automation, but push notifications and remote access go via iCloud.
What does the response imply for system selection?
- I don't mind the cloud; I want simplicity.Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Tuya ecosystem.
- Compromise (local automation, cloud only for remote access)Apple Home, Aqara Hub M3, Samsung SmartThings.
- Fully local. Loxone, KNX, Home Assistant on Raspberry Pi or NUC.
Hidden aspect: GDPR and privacy. Cloud solutions typically send data (what you switch on, when you are at home, temperatures) to the manufacturer's servers. If you have a home office or client data, a local solution also makes legal sense.
4. What is my technical comfort level?
Home Assistant is excellent and free: provided you don't mind YAML, Docker updates and occasional integration tweaking. Loxone Config is unusable for the layman, but the installation company handles it for you. The decision between DIY and professional installation is not just about price.
Honest self-reflection: can you set up a NAS? Do you survive router firmware updates? Do you enjoy tinkering with Raspberry Pi? If yes, Home Assistant offers the most freedom for the least money. If not, a professional Loxone or KNX installation with a single contact to configure and maintain it is worth the extra cost.
What does the response imply for system selection?
- I handle basic IT tasks and enjoy them.Home Assistant + Zigbee2MQTT + Shelly. Full control, zero licensing fees; the investment is your time.
- I want a functional system, not a hobby project.Loxone or KNX with a partner who will commission the system and remain reachable by phone.
- I want complete simplicity. Apple Home with HomePod. You already have an iPhone, zero learning curve.
5. Do I need integration with a PV system or a heat pump?
Photovoltaics and heat pumps deliver the highest ROI across the entire smart home. Managing surplus energy for domestic hot water, vehicle charging, or morning pre-heating based on PV generation literally returns money to your pocket. However, not every smart home system can effectively integrate Solax, GoodWe, Fronius, or Victron inverters.
In practice: if you have or plan to install a PV system of 10 kWp+, batteries and a heat pump, you are dealing with equipment costing between 500 000 and 1 200 000 Kč. Automating their interaction should be a high priority when deciding on a smart home system. It will save you tens of thousands annually.
What does the response imply for system selection?
- Loxone. It has native modules for Fronius, Sonnen, and certain heat pumps via Modbus.
- Home Assistant. Integrations are available for practically all inverters and pumps (Solax, GoodWe, Huawei, NIBE, Daikin, LG). Maximum flexibility.
- KNXIt integrates via a gateway but requires a skilled integrator. It is not plug and play.
- I don't need PV system integration.decision-making is two levels simpler.
6. How many people will use the system and how technically proficient are they?
A smart home controlled by only one person is classified as an IT project like any other. A smart home that must be managed by a partner, children, a babysitter and guests is a user interface problem. The best technical solution that the partner does not understand is worse than a simple Google Home.
Return to the reality of your household. Do you have a tech-savvy family? Then you can manage with a Home Assistant dashboard and buttons. Do you have grandparents who occasionally come to babysit? You need classic physical switches that work without an app, at every light fixture.
What does the response imply for system selection?
- Mostly alone or with a nerd partner. Home Assistant, Node-RED, custom dashboards.
- Family with childrena system with high-quality physical controllers, Loxone Touch, KNX button panels, or Apple Home with classic Shelly smart switches.
- Frequent visits, Airbnb, nannies. All controls must be intuitive even for those without the app. A physical button plus voice control as a backup.
Proven rule: any function that family members cannot operate without an app will stop being used. If after six months you find that 70% of automations have been switched off because others did not understand them, you have paid extra for expensive electrical installation.
7. Is a premium look of the control elements important to me?
Jagr-Frank, Busch-Jaeger, Gira, JUNG, Berker, these are names that cannot be underestimated in a new build costing 15 million Kč. The appearance of the switch remains on the wall for 20 years. Functions are updated; appearance is not.
The price difference between a single switch in a cheap plastic version (300 Kč) and the black metal design frame Gira Esprit (3 500 Kč) is tenfold. In an apartment with 35 control points, this amounts to a difference of over 100 000 Kč. But you see that difference every day.
What does the response imply for system selection?
- Premium design takes priorityKNX with high-quality button frames (Gira, JUNG, Busch-Jaeger): the widest range of designs.
- Modern Minimalism. Loxone Touch Pure: capacitive glass buttons.
- Funkce > form. Shelly behind the existing switch, choose the appearance to match your own design; the smart part remains hidden.
8. What level of service and support should I expect?
When heating fails on Friday evening because Home Assistant restarted the Tado integration after an update and the pump is waiting for a command, who resolves it? You at midnight with a laptop, or someone you paid for this service?
The service question is consistently the most underestimated. An installation company that is a Loxone partner with 24/7 support charges 12 000 Kč/year for a service contract. The Home Assistant community will answer you on their forum, free of charge, but not guaranteed and certainly not on a Friday evening.
What does the response imply for system selection?
- I want to call and get a guarantee. Loxone/KNX partner with a written service agreement and an SLA in hours.
- I can manage on my own; the community will help me.Home Assistant, open-source Zigbee2MQTT.
- Hybridan independent consultant familiar with both professional and DIY systems, offering services on an hourly rate as needed.
9. How long do you plan to stay in the house/flat?
Investing in KNX makes sense over a 15 to 25-year horizon. A wireless retrofit for 40 000 Kč can be moved with you to a new flat, simply unmount the Shelly modules. Installing Loxone for 400 000 Kč in a flat before selling it is an economic nonsense.
The reality of the Prague market: investment in a smart home does not directly increase the property's selling price as much as renovating a kitchen or bathroom. Buyers often do not understand smart home systems, are unwilling to learn how to use them, and with Loxone, they fear being locked into a single system. Items that buyers can see tend to be more valuable, high-quality switches, a display at the door, thermostats in rooms.
What does the response imply for system selection?
- Up to 5 years (short-term investment)wireless, modular, portable. Shelly, Aqara, Hue.
- 5-10 years. Home Assistant + Zigbee: suitable for rentals, quickly resettable.
- Over 10 years, a permanent home solutionKNX or Loxone: the payback period is long-term; the system will outlast you.
10. Should I expand gradually or install everything at once?
The incremental approach requires you to choose a platform that allows expansion without rebuilding the core. The big-bang approach lets you create a finished, tuned, aesthetically unified system, but it demands that all scenarios are thought through in advance.
Typical phases of a sensible incremental plan: (1) smart lighting in the living room and hallway, (2) thermostats and heating, (3) security and cameras, (4) automation and scenes, (5) integration of PV systems and energy management. The budget is spread over 3-5 years; the system grows with you.
What does the response imply for system selection?
- Gradual expansion. Home Assistant as the brain from the start. You can then add Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, Shelly and BLE devices as needed.
- Everything at once in a new buildKNX or Loxone. Project design, cabling and programming in a single phase, then you're done.
- I am not sure: start with with a free consultation - often a one-hour conversation is enough to reveal which approach suits you best.
Checklist for the initial consultation
Bring answers to these nine points to your consultation. You will save 80% of the time and receive an offer based on reality, not a marketing brochure.
- Property plan - floor plan, even a rough sketch; a photo of the developer's plan is sufficient.
- State of electrical installation - age of the distribution board, whether it has been inspected in the last 10 years, and a photograph of the distribution board.
- Budget - realistic ceiling, not wishes; ideally both lower and upper limits.
- Time horizon - how long you intend to keep it in operation and when you are moving out.
- Seznam „must have" - 3-5 features without which it makes no sense for you.
- Seznam „nice to have" - another 5-10 functions that would be useful.
- Existing equipment - PV system, heat pump, EV charger, security, cameras: brand and model.
- Number of users and their technical comfort - who will control it and how.
- Privacy preferences - cloud yes/no, local data yes/no, data sharing with third parties yes/no.
Note from experience. Out of ten clients who arrive with a specific solution in mind ("I want Loxone because my neighbour has Loxone"), six are found to be better suited to a different system. Openness to alternatives during the initial consultation can save you thousands of hours of life. Advisor independence is the only way to obtain an answer unburdened by commission for a specific brand.
Next steps: if you have answered all ten questions and still have doubts about the budget or scope, review the comparison. Home Assistant vs Loxone vs KNX or cost breakdown in the article How much does a smart home cost in Prague?Alternatively, write to us. We do not charge for the first hour of consultation.