Many of us already use voice assistants on our smartphones. But it doesn't stop there: you can also quite literally tell your house what to do. With Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant, all it takes is a simple command such as "Turn on the lights!" or "Lower the blinds!". Smart Home beginners will need a device that is compatible with the voice assistant of their choice – mostly either Amazon Echo or Google Home. Good to know: both the Amazon and Google voice assistants can be connected to other smart speakers and systems as well.

From waking up in the morning to winding down at night, music goes a long way in setting the mood throughout the day. With a smart audio system, you can be sure to always have the right song playing on any occasion. Our tip: a combination of Alexa, the Gira X1 server, and Sonos speakers.

This smart trio enables you to control your audio entertainment via app or voice command. If you install multiple Sonos speakers, you can use the Gira Smart Home app to customise your system so that music will only be played in certain rooms. Already got a Sonos One with integrated Alexa technology? In that case, you won’t need any additional devices to connect your speaker and the Gira X1.

Lights are an essential fixture in any building – so automating this function will prove helpful at almost every turn. If you don't want to install a complex system right away, Philips Hue offers a simple and flexible solution.

Thanks to a comprehensive range of bulbs and optional accessories, Smart Home beginners can thus control individual lamps remotely or create individual scenes that involve several lamps at once. The Philips Hue system can be controlled via app or voice commands.

If you already know that you’ll want to add more convenient functions in the future, a wireless solution such as the Gira System 3000 system is the perfect starting point. It can be installed in rented homes or retrofitted in older properties. Gira System 3000 covers three essential functions: lighting, blind, and heating control. In addition to manual switching, you can rely on a Bluetooth app or set automated time schedules.

For example, the blinds could go up at sunset and down again at dawn. Or the heating could start early enough to give you a warm welcome when you return from a long day of work. As your needs and demands might change over time, Gira System 3000 makes it easy for Smart Home beginners to upgrade their installation. In fact, it uses the same functional inserts that provide the basis for wireless Gira KNX RF networks. Thus, you’ll always have the option to take your living comfort to the next level – even without extensive renovations.