New Construction · Retrofit · Nationwide
Ideal Smart Homes delivers curated smart home technology packages for new construction builders and existing homeowners — no complexity, no compromise.
Why Ideal Smart Homes
We sit between the technology brands and the builders — curating the right packages, providing detailed specifications, and supporting homebuyers every step of the way.
We spec everything. Your builder's electrician installs it. No new subcontractors, no new workflows, no delays.
We operate 100% remotely. No site visits needed, which means we can serve builders anywhere in the country.
Every device in every package works with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit. Buyers use whichever ecosystem they prefer — their choice, now and forever. No lock-in.
✓ ALEXA ✓ GOOGLE ✓ APPLE HOMEKIT
Our Packages
From the essential connected home to a full luxury smart home experience — choose the package that fits your buyers and your budget.
Tier 01
WiFi · Thermostat · Locks · Doorbell · Control Hub
From $4,200
Most Popular · Tier 02
Everything + Lighting · Cameras · Garage · Energy · SmartThings
From $9,500
Tier 03
Everything + In-Ceiling Audio · Cameras + NVR · Water Protection · Air Quality · Whole-Home Alexa
From $15,500
Already Built?
Already own your home? Three tiers — Core for the essentials, Complete for the full experience, Pro for smart lighting and energy. All ship to your door. Core and Complete are genuinely self-install.
Wireless-first devices, remote setup, and a guided onboarding process means going smart has never been easier for existing homeowners.
Let's build something exceptional together — for your buyers, your builds, and your bottom line.
New Construction Packages
Designed for new construction. Installed by your electrician. Loved by your buyers.
Contact us today and we'll have a package spec ready for your builder within 48 hours.
Existing Home Packages
Already own your home? Three tiers to fit where you are — Core for the essentials, Complete for the full smart home experience, Pro for smart lighting for main living areas and energy monitoring. All three ship directly to your door. Core and Complete are genuinely self-install.
Retrofit Packages
⚠ Ecobee requires a C-wire at your thermostat. We include a C-wire check guide. Camera solar panel included — no recharging needed.
🤖 Automation: Voice commands, schedules, and multi-device scenes via Alexa routines on the Echo Dot. Say "Alexa, good night" to lock the door, turn off plugs, and set the thermostat in one command. Upgrade to Complete for full home automation hub control.
⬆ Upgrades from Core: 2-node mesh WiFi, Echo Hub touchscreen (vs Echo Dot), home automation hub, second solar camera. Still fully self-install.
🤖 Automation: Full home automation via Aeotec Smart Home Hub (SmartThings) — multi-condition rules, schedules, presence detection, Z-Wave and Zigbee device support, plus Alexa voice control via Echo Hub. Significantly more powerful than Alexa routines alone.
⬆ Upgrades from Complete: smart lighting for main living areas (6 dimmers + switches + hub), two more cameras (4 total), and panel-level energy monitoring.
⚡ Electrician scope: Lutron switches (120V wiring) and Meross EM16P monitor (main panel). Cameras still fully wireless DIY. Typical labor 4-6 hours. Find one via Amazon Home Services or Angi.
Available Add-Ons for Any Tier
Extra smart locks, additional solar-powered wireless cameras, Philips Hue color bulbs, SwitchBot Roller Shades, Sonos Era 100 tabletop speaker, Yale Assure Lock fingerprint upgrade, Amazon Echo Show 15 or 21 for kitchen family command center with calendar and live camera viewing (Amazon displays rotating home screen content when idle — significantly reduced via settings included in your setup guide), and more. Add-ons ship with your package — just mention what you want when you get started.
How It Works
Every device chosen for compatibility, reliability, and long-term value. Pick the tier that fits your home and budget. Everything ships directly to your door with a step-by-step setup guide written for your exact package.
We're upfront about what requires a professional. Core and Complete are genuinely DIY — no electrician needed. Pro requires a licensed electrician for the light switches and energy monitor only — we tell you that before you buy, not after.
Our retrofit packages work in homes of any age. The Pro tier uses Lutron Caséta switches that work without a neutral wire — specifically designed for older homes. If it has WiFi and electrical outlets, we can make it smart.
The Process
Core for the essentials — thermostat, lock, doorbell, camera, garage. Complete for the full experience with mesh WiFi, wall panel, and two cameras. Pro for smart lighting and energy monitoring with a licensed electrician. When you order, you’ll sign a simple one-page agreement confirming what’s included and how our ship-and-configure model works — no surprises.
Every device in your package ships together in one order within 3-5 business days. No sourcing. No compatibility research. Everything pre-verified to work together out of the box.
Follow the step-by-step guide written for your exact package. Core and Complete are fully self-install. For Pro, a licensed electrician handles the switches and energy monitor — everything else is still DIY.
Why Not Just Do It Yourself?
Most people who try to build a smart home from scratch spend hours researching, buy devices that don't talk to each other, and return at least two things. We've already done that work so you don't have to.
🔨 Building It Yourself
Ecosystem fragmentation
Nest works with Google. Ring works with Alexa. SmartThings uses Z-Wave. Philips Hue uses Zigbee. Figure out which hub, which protocol, and which combinations actually communicate before you buy anything — or spend hours troubleshooting after.
The compatibility trap
A product says "works with Alexa" — but only for basic on/off. Full automations, schedules, and multi-device scenes require a hub. Which hub? Depends on which devices you already bought. Which you haven't bought yet because you're still researching.
The return cycle
You buy a smart switch. It requires a neutral wire your home doesn't have. Return. You buy a smart camera. It records to a subscription cloud service you didn't realize wasn't optional. Return. You buy a thermostat. It's incompatible with your HVAC system. Return.
Time — the hidden cost
Research. Order. Wait. Unbox. Realize it doesn't work. Research more. Return. Reorder. The average first-time smart home buyer spends 15-25 hours spread across weeks before they have a working setup — if they finish at all.
No single setup guide
Every device has a different app and a different setup flow. There's no guide that ties it all together because nobody sold you a system — you assembled one from parts. You're on your own the first time something stops working.
✦ Ideal Smart Homes Package
One ecosystem. Everything talks.
Every device in every package is chosen specifically because it works with every other device in the package. Ecobee, Schlage, Lutron, and Reolink all live in the same app ecosystem and respond to the same Alexa voice commands. No research required.
Pre-verified compatibility — every device tested
We've already tested which switches work without neutral wires (Lutron Caséta DVRF-6L — the one spec most buyers get wrong). Which cameras record locally without subscriptions. Which hubs actually support Matter. You get the right version of every device, ordered correctly.
Ships once. Arrives complete.
Every device in your package ships together in one order. No waiting for three separate Amazon deliveries on three different days. No realizing you forgot the hub after everything else arrived. One box. Everything you need.
Setup guide written for your exact package
The guide that ships with your package is written for your specific devices in your specific order. Not a generic manufacturer manual. A step-by-step walkthrough that tells you what to set up first, in what order, and how to make it all work together.
12-month device guarantee. We handle support.
If any device fails through normal use in the first 12 months, one email to us and we handle it — we coordinate the manufacturer replacement and reconfigure the new unit at no charge. No navigating warranty processes yourself. Covers device defects; excludes physical damage, misuse, and third-party app or service changes. Included in every package.
The honest math.
If you bought every device in our Core package individually on Amazon, you'd spend roughly the same amount — and still need to figure out compatibility, order them separately, write your own setup sequence, and troubleshoot when something doesn't connect. Our package is the same price with all of that already done.
Not sure which tier is right for your home? Pick one in the order form — you can always change it.
Annual Service Plans
Technology evolves. Your smart home should too. Our annual service plans keep everything running at peak performance — remotely, automatically, and without the hassle.
Included in Every Plan
All support is handled remotely — no technician visits, no scheduling headaches.
We stay current on every app update and walk you through any changes that affect your setup.
We'll always let you know when a meaningful upgrade is available and whether it's worth your investment.
We review your network and device security settings annually to make sure your home stays protected.
For Builder Partners
Submit a home, get custom installer and buyer documents instantly — no back and forth, no site visits, no delays. Everything automated so you can focus on building.
What the Portal Does
Fill in your home details, select a package, and the portal instantly generates a custom installer rough-in checklist and a buyer setup guide — both tailored to that specific home.
Tailored to each home's layout, floors, garage location, and panel position. Phases labeled by construction stage.
Package-specific, step-by-step guide for the homeowner — friendly, non-technical, and ready to share at closing.
Track every submission and see when buyers complete their setup — all in one place, always current.
Get notified automatically when a buyer finishes their smart home setup — no manual follow-up needed.
Ready to Partner?
Reach out to get access to the Builder Portal and we'll have you set up and processing homes within 24 hours.
Our Story
Ideal Smart Homes was founded by Anthony Drew, a licensed electrician from Hartland, Wisconsin. Not a tech company. Not a startup. Just someone who spent years on job sites, saw something remarkable, and decided to bring it home.
How It Started
Anthony was working a commercial job — roughing in lighting control systems for a building. Scene-based, programmable, responsive. One command and the whole room changes. He'd set them up, test them, and every single time think the same thing: why don't people get to have this in their homes?
It wasn't just the technology that got him. It was how it worked together. Everything coordinated, everything purposeful. The lighting knew the time of day. The system responded to how the space was used. It felt like the future — except it was already there, just sitting behind commercial doors that most homeowners never walked through.
That's the gap Ideal Smart Homes was built to close. Take what's already standard in a well-designed commercial building and bring it into people's homes — without the complexity, without needing a new subcontractor on every job, and without a price tag that puts it out of reach.
Anthony still works as an electrician. He still pulls wire, reads blueprints, and coordinates with trades on job sites. That doesn't change. What Ideal Smart Homes adds is a way to take everything he already knows and use it for something that matters — homes where families actually live.
"Every commercial job I worked had lighting and technology that homeowners never got to experience. I just couldn't stop thinking about why that was."
— Anthony Drew, Ideal Smart Homes
Anthony has spent years on commercial job sites roughing in lighting and automation systems most people never see. That hands-on experience is the foundation everything here is built on — not a pitch deck, not a business plan. Real work, real job sites.
Anthony is a father before anything else. There are kids at home, a small farm in the works, and a life that shapes everything about how this business runs — lean, honest, and built around what actually matters.
Hartland, Wisconsin. Hardworking, practical, and no-nonsense. We don't oversell, we don't overcomplicate, and we don't promise what we can't deliver. That's not a brand value — it's just how things get done here.
Technology moves fast. We stay current so our builders and buyers don't have to. Every package we offer is designed to be future-proof, Matter-compatible, and ready for whatever comes next.
Resources & Insights
Guides, market insights, and practical advice for builders and homeowners navigating the world of smart home technology.
For Builders
Data from the National Association of Home Builders shows homes with integrated smart technology consistently command higher prices and sell faster. Here's what the numbers say.
Technology
The Matter protocol finally delivers on cross-brand compatibility. Here's what it means for your smart home and why every device we specify supports it.
For Homeowners
You don't need to be building new to go smart. These five devices make the biggest difference in an existing home — and none of them require an electrician.
Security
Grade 1 security, Apple Home Key support, and remote access — here's how modern smart locks compare to traditional deadbolts and why buyers are asking for them.
Energy
The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced can cut HVAC costs significantly — ecobee reports up to 23% on heating and cooling for typical households. Here's the math — and why it's one of the best value propositions in any package.
Get in Touch
Whether you're a builder looking to add smart home packages to your next development, or a homeowner ready to upgrade — we'd love to hear from you.
Fill out the form and we'll get back to you within 24 hours. For builders, we can typically have a package recommendation ready within 48 hours of your first conversation.
LocationHartland, Wisconsin
Serving Builders Nationwide
Phone(262) 912-9920
Response TimeWithin 24 hours — usually sooner
Select the tier that fits your home. All three ship directly to your door with a step-by-step setup guide. You can change your selection before submitting.
All add-ons ship and configure with your package in the same order — they’re available as part of a package, not as standalone purchases. Nothing to source separately.
We'll review your order and send you a payment link within 24 hours. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
By submitting this order request you are not being charged. Anthony will review your order and email you a secure Stripe payment link within 24 hours. Nothing ships until you confirm and pay.
Thanks — Anthony will review your order and send a secure payment link to your email within 24 hours. Nothing ships until you confirm.