In the summer of 2022, I moved across the United States from Connecticut to California. I landed in a small, two-bedroom rental house. The house itself was built by the owner as a pandemic-era project. Since it is brand new construction and I am his first tenant, he is (understandably) pretty protective of the house when it comes to modifications, care, and cleanliness.

While this isn’t really a problem for me, it does damper my smart home ambitions a bit. Because of how the house is designed — combined with the landlord’s watchful eye — I can’t modify much about it. Even hanging up art requires a specific set of tools and nails to minimize wall damage. Granted, most smart home stuff doesn’t require extensive household modifications, but some products do. Additionally, investing in products specific to this house is a waste of money because I likely wouldn’t need them wherever I end up next.