Whether you’re a smart home expert or just starting out, it’s always a good idea to check out what the essential products are. You may have already heard about some of the best smart plugs or the best smart sensors, but many people also assume that adding smart products to your home can be a pricey task. Yes, they’re not wrong, but there are also a lot of options out there that don’t cost the earth. A lot of well-known companies such as Philips Hue or Amazon have cheaper alternatives, meaning accessing smart home products doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think.

This is going to be the first part of our building a smart home series, and we’re starting off low on a budget of £50.

That’s £50 each, not total. They have a companion piece: How to build a smart home for under £100 also per item.