What can I do with home automation?

Once reserved primarily for the wealthy due to its complexity and whole-home-or-nothing model, today home automation is more accessible, no matter what your budget. Instead of buying into a $50,000 whole-home system, you can build a smart home yourself piece-by-piece.

In this article, we will run through the major areas of home automation and explore what different devices and systems can do, helping you decide what works best for your needs. (Click here for Part 1 of this series.)

The opportunity to keep your home safe and secure with accessible gadgets and no high monthly fees has been a driving factor in the rapid growth of the smart home. Smart home security systems are simple and inexpensive, making this a great entry point into the smart home ecosystem. Here are some of the key elements:

Smart Locks:A smart lock uses Bluetooth-enabled smartphones to sense when a recognized user is approaching and unlock itself. For a household with members who don't have smartphones, compatible key fobs also work. Special digital keys can be given to people who need to gain entry at certain times or for certain periods, and these can be revoked at any time, eliminating the need to change locks.

Smart locks can also be controlled remotely via apps on a smartphone, meaning you can get in bed at night and lock all your doors with just the touch of a button. This Gizmodo article offers excellent insight into the five major brands of smart locks currently available. This is a fast emerging market however, and we can expect to see many variations of this concept hit stores in the coming year.

If putting the security of your home in the hands of a relatively new technology scares you somewhat (and you are not alone), it doesn't mean you have to stick with the inconvenience of regular keys. Touchpad locks offer an added layer of convenience without the connected concerns of smart technology. You can also opt for a touchpad with some smarts built in, like the Schlage Connect Century Touchscreen Deadbolt, giving you remote management capabilities and integration with home security systems, but via a more standard method of entry.

Smart Surveillance: Whether you want to keep an eye on the inside or outside of your home, wireless cameras make the process simple. Plug it into a power outlet, turn it on and view a live feed via a smartphone, tablet or web browser. Some services will store recorded footage for a monthly fee, usually around $9.99 (significantly less than traditional home surveillance companies). Smart cameras also incorporate geo-fencing and scheduling, so they can turn on when you leave and off when you come home, or at pre-set times.

Another feature to look for in home video monitoring is "activity zones." These are areas you can set so that when something moves in them, you receive an alert and can begin watching in real time on your smartphone or computer. Instead of zones, some brands include facial recognition, which helps cut down on alerts if you want to know when your children get home but not that your dog is back in the living room.

Dropcam is the leader in the smart home camera field, largely due to its simplicity, but it's not the only option, as this roundup illustrates.

Another good option if you have a lot of different scenarios for home video surveillance is D-link. D-link is one system that offers a large ecosystem of camera models with specific capabilities and convenient interoperability. This buying guide provides a complete overview of all D-link's options.

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What can I do with home automation?