The State Of My Sensible House (2026)

Welcome to my annual “State of My Sensible House” replace for 2026. Yearly, I look again and assume I didn’t make that many modifications, and yearly, I’m confirmed incorrect. The previous 12 months proved to be a interval of regular but significant enhancements. A lot of the work centered on strengthening my house’s technical basis whereas additionally bringing extra well being and finance know-how into my day by day life. It was a reflective 12 months that jogged my memory how a sensible house just isn’t solely about devices and automations, but additionally about constructing techniques that help a wholesome, safe, and environment friendly life-style.

As all the time, this replace walks by means of the upgrades I made in 2025, the continuing upkeep that saved all the pieces operating easily, a snapshot of my present good house stock, and my plans for 2026.

My good house background

I write about modifications in my good house incessantly. If you would like extra context behind the evolution of my good house, these articles are a fantastic place to start out:

• My Sensible House Evolution Collection — These articles discuss how I acquired into good houses and the way my good house developed into what it’s right now
• 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 good house replace articles — These articles element the modifications I made and my plans for my good house over the previous three years
• Updating My House Lab — This text particulars the premise for my present house lab infrastructure

Yearly, I initially assume that I didn’t make many main upgrades. Then I begin writing this text and notice how a lot really modified. Listed below are the highlights from 2025.

Added a brand new Proxmox host

I launched a brand new Proxmox host to my house lab utilizing the Beelink EQi13 Professional mini PC (right here’s my evaluation of the unit). This compact, environment friendly machine has been a strong addition to my virtualization surroundings, and I’ve plans to make use of it much more sooner or later.

Migrated House Assistant from a Python digital surroundings to House Assistant Working System

After years of sustaining House Assistant Core inside a Python digital surroundings, the time lastly got here to maneuver on to a extra manageable set up methodology. I migrated all the pieces to House Assistant Working System operating inside Proxmox. The method wasn’t with out hiccups, however it was completely price it.

This was the only most impactful good house improve I made this 12 months. Upkeep is now simpler, updates are less complicated, and the general system feels extra secure.

Upgraded to the Pixel 10 Professional Fold

My Pixel 9 Professional Fold died unexpectedly. Google changed it, however with Black Friday pricing and trade-in credit obtainable, I took the chance to improve to the Pixel 10 Professional Fold (right here’s my evaluation of it and a few equipment). To date, so good. I particularly just like the PixelSnap help and improved wi-fi charging.

Adopted extra well being tech

Two gadgets made a significant influence on my well being routines this 12 months.

• The primary was the Withings BPM Imaginative and prescient blood stress monitor, which integrates effectively into my day by day habits. You possibly can examine it in my Withings BPM Imaginative and prescient evaluation, and you’ll see the way it suits in my health journey.
• The second was the Stelo glucose biosensor, which helped me higher perceive how my physique responds to meals and exercise. I wrote about that have in my Stelo glucose biosensor article.

Added extra filtration and air high quality monitoring

SwitchBot despatched me their Sensible Air Air purifier Desk, which pulled double responsibility as each a desk and an air air purifier. Its House Assistant integration and compact design made it a welcome addition. You possibly can study extra in my SwitchBot Air Air purifier Desk evaluation.

Put in a climate station

This 12 months, I put in the Sainlogic SA7 climate station. It supplies dependable, hyperlocal climate information that has already confirmed helpful for out of doors planning and smarter automations. My full ideas are in my Sainlogic SA7 climate station evaluation.

Improved monetary monitoring habits

I took my monetary monitoring up a stage in 2025 by transferring to Monarch Cash. It suits naturally into my workflow and has grow to be one of the precious apps I exploit. You possibly can study why and the way it is likely to be helpful for you in my Monarch Cash evaluation.

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Added Pebblebee trackers

I made a decision to step into monitoring gadgets with Pebblebee’s rechargeable Bluetooth trackers. They combine effectively with Android and assist me preserve tabs on baggage, luggage, and different on a regular basis gadgets. You possibly can learn extra in my Pebblebee trackers evaluation.

Broadened my house tech ecosystem

I picked up a refurbished System76 Pangolin laptop computer that has been a dependable Linux machine for my workflow. I like having a Linux laptop computer, and I’ve all the time been pleased with System76’s gadgets.

Moreover, I examined the SURGOAL heated hardshell jacket, which has been a surprisingly helpful addition throughout winter walks and commutes. My full take is in my heated jacket evaluation.

Upgrading and sustaining a sensible house is a year-round undertaking. I spent loads of time updating firmware throughout gadgets, routers, controllers, and LED techniques. I continued updating House Assistant, Docker containers, Proxmox digital machines, and working techniques.

One standout merchandise was upgrading Proxmox to model 9.1 to remain present. Happily, the improve went easily.

Shifting to House Assistant Working System additionally decreased my long-term upkeep workload and retains me on a supported set up path.

Right here is that this 12 months’s up to date system rely in comparison with final 12 months.

Editor’s Be aware: If you wish to discover the best good house or house networking gadgets on your house and state of affairs, make sure you take a look at our know-how advisor instrument. It takes lower than a minute to provide the proper advice.

The largest jumps got here from automations. I assume I added quite a lot of performance over the 12 months. A few of the issues I added had been NFC tag automations for fast actions and a few automations to place inspirational quotes on my Google Nest Hub each hour. Integrations elevated barely as effectively. The System76 laptop computer, air air purifier, blood stress monitor, and a few different small additions contributed to the expansion of complete gadgets.

Yearly, I sketch out plans, understanding that some will evolve or change as my wants shift. Here’s what I plan to deal with in 2026.

Deploy a brand new Graylog LXC container

My present Graylog Docker container is outdated, and improve makes an attempt have failed. I can be putting in a brand new Graylog occasion as an LXC container on my Beelink Proxmox host. Set up ought to be fast, however configuring all the pieces and establishing alerting will take time.

Improve a number of Ubuntu machines to Resolute Raccoon (26.04)

Ubuntu’s subsequent LTS launch arrives in 2026. As traditional, I’ll improve my desktops, servers, and VMs. These upgrades usually flip into multi-day initiatives, however staying on an LTS launch is essential for stability and safety, and I solely must do it each two years.

Transfer to an NVMe NAS

I plan to modernize my house storage by including a quieter, extra compact, lower-power NVMe NAS as my main system. My present TerraMaster NAS will grow to be a backup vacation spot. If you wish to know extra in regards to the TerraMaster F5 221 that at present serves as my main storage, right here is my evaluation.

Repair the Zigbee ceiling fan that fell off the community

One among my Zigbee ceiling followers determined to completely wander away into the void this 12 months. I have to both re-pair it, change it, or attempt a brand new integration methodology. I’ve two of them, however certainly one of them simply doesn’t need to present up as an energetic Zigbee system. If you wish to study extra in regards to the fan setup I exploit, see this text.

Clear up my House Assistant code

My House Assistant scripts and automations have grown organically over time, which implies I now have technical debt to handle. I can be refactoring code, eradicating outdated entities, and organizing issues right into a cleaner, extra maintainable construction.

Construct new House Assistant dashboards

House Assistant has added quite a lot of highly effective UI options lately. I’ve not redesigned my dashboards in a few years, so this looks like the best time to refresh them.

Search for new methods to include AI in my good house

I plan to discover new Help-based House Assistant automations and experiment with rising AI capabilities. I’ll look into native AI processing, higher pure language controls, new instruments, and different artistic makes use of that improve my good house.

Networking improve concerns

Final 12 months, I briefly thought of transferring a part of my community to 2.5GbE and even 10GbE. The velocity positive factors could be good, however the fee is excessive, and the advantages for my present workload are restricted. As a substitute, I plan to speculate my funds into the brand new NAS and perhaps improve smaller components of my community over time.

2025 turned out to be a 12 months of essential behind-the-scenes enhancements and significant additions to my well being and monetary tech ecosystem. As all the time, a sensible house isn’t actually completed. There’s all the time a undertaking ready to be tackled, an automation able to be improved, or a brand new system price making an attempt. I look ahead to sharing my modifications with you alongside the way in which.

What good house upgrades are you planning for 2026? I’d love to listen to about them within the feedback or on X/Twitter.

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