Installing Smart Switches In Your Evil Lair With Villain McBeardface and DIYZ

I’ve been dabbling with home automation for roughly four years now, but, sloooowwwwly. I first started with Piper’s home gateway, then moved on to the Wink Hub, but I’ve yet to actually dig in and mess with any serious electrical wiring until now. I’m not the handiest person, so when it comes to DIY household projects, I’ve always deferred to YouTube videos. But I found an app that has made it all the easier to find what I need in one place. And, since I was looking to do this project anyway, it couldn’t have come at a better time so when they approached me to partner up with them and give it a try, it was a big thumbs up from me! That app, DIYZ. Which you can get for iOS here and for Android, here.

I’d been thinking about picking up some Lutron Caseta wireless smart dimmer switches for my home and installing them, so when I was approached by the folks at DIYZ to partner with them and put their app through its paces, it was kismet. Perfect timing. They want you to know how awesome the app is, and I wanted to know how to mess with the electrical wiring in my home without killing myself. So, I installed the app, invoked my alter-ego, and made the simple video below to show you how it all works. Check it out!

Now the app is so straight forward that it really makes completing tasks a cinch! When I was looking to work with them I didn’t know if they’d have any of the projects I was interested in working on and I have way too much going on in my life to take on some project just because. Even if it means pay- that pay would have to be very significant. Lo and behold, not only did they have the projects I was interested in working on already, but I found scores of other projects that I would be interested in actually diving into in my home. Yes, they actually have a pretty deep library of tutorials and, yes, DIYZ. They even have the ability to contact a handy-person directly via video chat to get some advice and problem solve. Imagine that! It takes twenty layers of contact and phone prompts to get that to happen with our cable companies. They could learn a thing or two! If you want to avail yourself of this option, just know that DIYZ Pro Advisors are there for you for free for a limited time from 6:00 PM to 1:00 AM ET Monday through Friday. On weekends, DIYZ advisors will be available to help tackle projects from 8:00 AM to 1:00 AM ET.

For those of us who are visual learners, the best part of the app comes in the form of video tutorials which take users through each step of a project.Click To Tweet So, you get pictorial instructions, video tutorials and on-call assistance if its needed. I’ve often told my sons that the best way to accomplish a task is to have the right tool for the right job and with DIYZ, you are definitely equipped with that. Well, that and they have a list of equipment necessary to complete each task in the tasks Overview at the beginning. Yeah, right tools. And you can even order tools off of Amazon without ever having to leave the comfort of the app! Well done DIYZ!

I review products and apps all the time, and one of the biggest signs which tells me whether or not an app will succeed or not is ease of use. You can have a great idea, but if the video jutters, or the app lags, or it just isn’t easy to navigate intuitively, you’re sunk. The DIYZ app was simple, straight forward, and provided video and picture tutorials which appeal to users of all types. There’s also a pretty deep library of projects to choose from, so it’s sure to have what most users need to get them through. I’d definitely recommend giving it a shot and having DIYZ guide you through your next project!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by DIYZ, but the opinions are my own. If something doesn’t actually work for me, and in turn for my readers, I don’t work with a brand. Besides, I knew ya’ll would like this because I’m still alive and the project worked without a hitch. Not all of us were born with a hammer in our hands. Unless it’s Mjolnir. Then, yeah. Born with it.