Start with a relay behind an existing switch, not by replacing your fittings. A Shelly relay is small enough to sit inside the wall box behind the switch you already have. The wall plate stays, the switch still works normally for anyone who does not care about apps, and the circuit becomes controllable from your phone.
Why retrofit beats replacement
The instinct is to buy smart switches and replace every wall plate. That is expensive, it changes how the house looks, and it fails badly in one specific way: if the wall switch is off, a smart bulb or replaced switch is unreachable.
A relay behind the existing switch avoids all of this. The physical switch still operates the light. Guests, children and anyone who has not installed your app carry on as before. Nothing about the room changes visually.
A sensible first three purchases
- A smart plug. No wiring, no electrician, nothing permanent. Plug it into a heavy appliance and watch what it actually consumes. This alone often changes how you use the appliance.
- One relay on a lighting circuit. Pick a room where switching from your phone or on a schedule is genuinely useful — an outdoor light or a hallway.
- A water leak sensor with a valve. This is the automation that pays for itself in a single incident.
What to automate first, by value
- Water leak detection with automatic shut-off. A leak detected at 3am that closes the valve itself prevents damage to your flat and the one below.
- Gas detection. LPG is common in Egyptian kitchens, and a detector that alerts your phone costs very little.
- Outdoor and security lighting on schedule. Simple, useful daily.
- Air conditioning scheduling. Pre-cooling before you arrive costs less than running continuously.
What to skip at the start
Colour-changing bulbs are the most-bought and least-used smart device. They are fun for a week. Voice assistants are convenient but not foundational. Smart curtains are excellent and expensive — leave them until the basics work.
The one thing to check before ordering
Most in-wall relays need a neutral wire at the switch box. Many older Egyptian installations run only live and switched-live to the switch, with neutral going directly to the light fitting.
Before buying, have an electrician open one switch and look. If there is no neutral, you are not stuck — no-neutral devices and battery-powered wireless switches exist — but it changes what you should buy.
Build in an order that keeps working
Add devices one room at a time and confirm each works before extending. A smart home assembled gradually is easy to diagnose; twenty devices installed in a weekend are not.
See Smart Home Devices and Plug & Play Smart Devices.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an electrician?
For plugs and battery devices, no. For anything installed inside a wall box or distribution board, yes.
Will it keep working if the internet drops?
Shelly devices run scenes locally and expose a local interface, so scheduled automations continue without internet. Remote access from outside the house does not.
Can I take it with me if I move?
Plugs and battery devices, easily. In-wall relays can be removed, but that is electrician's work.