Most smart home returns come down to a handful of things nobody checked: a switch box with no neutral wire, a thermostat with no power wire, a porch the Wi-Fi doesn't reach. This free one-page checklist covers the 20 checks that catch them, in six groups: platform, network, wiring, doors and outdoors, safety, and money. It takes about ten minutes with a screwdriver, a tape measure and your phone. What's on the page Platform: will everyone at home be able to use it, and do you already own the hub? Network: Wi-Fi where the device will live, and the 2.4 GHz setting most devices need. Wiring: the neutral wire, three-way switches, the thermostat C-wire and the doorbell transformer. Doors and outdoors: the three lock measurements, and outdoor outlets. Safety and money: smoke alarm dates, the water shutoff, subscriptions and return windows. Print it, stick it on the fridge, and tick it off before your next smart home purchase. Want the whole plan? This checklist comes from The Smart Home Blueprint: a 55-page guide drawn on a real floor plan, a printable planner, a budget spreadsheet and 40 automation recipe cards for Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings and Home Assistant.