Stop giving your smart home expertise away for free
Learn to design, specify, and charge for smart home systems — whether you're an installer looking to move upmarket, or someone ready to turn a passion into income.
Smart home knowledge is worth real money. This is how you collect it.
The NGSHI program works for a wide range of people — what they all have in common is that they know more about smart homes than most, and they want to do something with that.
Electricians and alarm installers
You already have clients, tools, and a van. Adding smart home services means higher-value jobs without chasing new trades.
IT and network professionals
Your networking knowledge is directly transferable. Smart home clients pay well for someone who actually understands how Wi-Fi and protocols work.
Hobbyists with real knowledge
You've been doing this for years for yourself. Time to start doing it for paying clients — and charging properly for your time.
Side hustlers and career switchers
No van required. No inventory. A smart home consulting practice can run from a laptop — design the system, let the electrician build it.
Architects and interior designers
Clients ask about smart home on almost every project now. Being able to answer confidently — and offer it as a service — is a genuine differentiator.
Property managers and landlords
Smart home compliance and tenant tech is becoming a requirement. Understanding what to specify — and what to avoid — is exactly what this programme covers.
The smart home market is booming. Most installers are leaving money on the table.
Demand for smart home expertise has never been higher. The problem is how most people in the industry are positioned to capture it.
✕ The old way
- Competing on price with electricians and alarm companies
- Charging by the hour for your labour, not your knowledge
- Locked into a single brand's ecosystem and margins
- No recurring income once the job is done
- Clients who don't understand what they're getting
✓ The NGSHI way
- Charge for the system design — before any physical work starts
- Brand-agnostic advice that builds client trust
- Recurring income from remote support and check-ins
- Clear, professional proposals that justify your fees
- Ongoing referrals from clients who actually understand the value
Everything you need to become a certified smart home professional
Not just technical knowledge. The full package — technical depth, business tools, templates, and a certification you can show clients.
Core Technical Modules
Deep-dive video lessons on every major smart home system category — from connectivity and lighting to security, energy, and beyond. Lab workbooks and cheat sheets included.
Business in a Box
A complete 90-day business programme — proposal templates, email scripts, a site audit SOP, client contracts, pricing guides, a client project tracker, a recurring revenue calculator, and the AI-powered Smart Home Project Planner. Over 22 professional documents in PDF and Word format.
NGSHI Certification
A professional certificate on completion, backed by assessed lab work and a final exam. Something tangible to show clients and employers.
Business Mini-Course
A complete four-step framework for launching your smart home installation and consulting practice — Prepare, Plan, Brand and Launch. Included alongside the technical curriculum.
Smart Home Project Planner
AI-powered room-by-room equipment planner and client proposal generator. Fill in one form and get a branded three-page PDF proposal in about 30 seconds.
Lifetime Access and Updates
The smart home industry never stops moving. Your access doesn't expire, and the course is updated as hardware, protocols, and platforms evolve.
12 modules covering the full smart home stack
Each module includes video lessons, a reading article, a practice quiz, Gerard's product recommendations, a hands-on lab workbook, and a problem-solving cheat sheet.
Network Architecture and Connectivity
Mesh Wi-Fi, wired backhaul, network segmentation. The foundation everything else sits on.
Core FoundationSmart Home Ecosystems and Voice Platforms
Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, and how to advise clients on which direction to go.
Smart Alarm Systems
Wireless alarm deployment, ecosystem integration, and troubleshooting on-site.
Lighting Control
Bulbs, switches, hubs, and scenes. Hue, LIFX, Zigbee — how to specify the right solution.
High Revenue PotentialSmart Thermostats and Energy
Thermostat selection, installation, and integration — with energy efficiency as the client pitch.
Video Surveillance Systems
Designing camera coverage, choosing the right devices, indoor vs outdoor, and privacy considerations.
Safety Sensors
Smart smoke, CO, and leak detection — and why every installation should include this category.
Perimeter Security and Access Control
Smart doorbells, video intercom, and access control — including Aliro and Matter-based lock integration.
Entertainment and Multi-room Audio
Streaming media, multi-room audio, and how to sell and specify AV as part of a whole-home system.
Smart Locks and Access
Lock technology, installation considerations, and how to handle the regional differences that catch installers out.
Window Dressings
Automated blinds and curtains — an underrated upsell category with strong client appeal.
Smart Hubs and Advanced Automation
Protocols, hub platforms, and designing automations that actually work reliably for clients.
Advanced AutomationPlus bonus modules on home automation, a full side-hustle launch course, and access to the Smart Home Content Vault.
Business in a Box — The 90-Day Business Programme
This used to be a folder of templates. It is now a structured 90-day business programme — the most practical thing in the course if you are serious about consulting income. When you finish the technical modules, Business in a Box walks you through the first three months of running a smart home consultancy, phase by phase.
Set Up Your Business
- 90-Day Business Roadmap
- Smart Home Consulting Agreement
- Customer Job Completion Form
- Three-Tier Pricing Guide
- AI-Assisted Business Setup Guide
Land Your First Clients
- Client Getter Email Scripts
- Smart Home Site Audit SOP
- Wireless Network Assessment Tool
- Client Consultation Exercise
- AI Prompt Pack for Consultants
Deliver Professionally
- Proposal Template
- NGSHI Best Practices Guide
- Voice Control Handover Template
- Pre and Post Service Call Emails
- Remote Support Workflow
- Client Onboarding and Project Tracker New
Build Your Business
- Recurring Revenue Streams Guide
- Recurring Revenue Calculator New
- Target Profit Margins Guide
- Installer Website SEO Keywords
- Recommended Install Categories
- Source of Equipment Supplies
Smart Home Project Planner — AI-Powered Proposal Generator
Fill in one form about a client project and get a branded, three-page PDF proposal in about 30 seconds. The planner covers device schedule with costs, room-by-room plan, labour estimate, recommended automations, and installer notes — all generated by AI and ready to hand to a client. It runs in the browser, no software to install, and is available to all NGSHI students as a course tool at no additional cost.
The technical modules teach you the systems. This course teaches you how to charge for them.
For electricians, installers and IT professionals adding smart home as a service line, this is where the money is.
Get Ready to Launch
Identify your goals, define the services you can offer from day one, and build a list of smart home devices worth installing.
Build Your Service Packages
Identify your target market, create three installation packages to sell, and price them properly.
Establish Your Presence
Name your business, get a basic website up, and create two social media accounts. You need to be findable by the clients who are already looking.
Get Your First Client
Pre-launch planning, your full launch checklist, and the steps to make your first sale.
Valued at $299 — included free with your $497 enrolment.
The technical knowledge gets you in the door. The business framework is what gets you paid. Both are included.
Over 1,500 students. Real results.
People at different stages — installers, side hustlers, enthusiasts — all finding their own path through the program.
Gerard's talent for smart homes is surpassed only by his ability to teach it to others. His style is laid-back, engaging, and genuinely informative. I've been in electrical work for years and thought I knew it all — but this opened my eyes to details I was missing.
The content is super high quality. Gerard is easy to listen to and learn from. It's like having your coach sitting right next to you as you build your business. I went through it myself and came away with a clear plan I could actually implement.
I was an IT guy who always got roped in to sort out friends' smart home issues for free. After NGSHI I had the confidence to position myself properly and start charging. The business toolkit was worth the price of admission on its own.
Over 1,500 smart home professionals have completed the NGSHI programme since 2014 — electricians, IT professionals, installers and side hustlers from all over the world.
Have a result to share?
Send Gerard your storyHi, I'm Gerard
I've been in the smart home space since 1999 — back when we were still calling it home networking. I wrote a book on the subject, built a training programme that became one of the longest-running in the industry, and ran my own smart home installation company before moving full-time into education.
Over 1,500 people have come through NGSHI. Some were electricians adding a new service line. Some were IT professionals who figured out their networking skills were worth money in people's homes. Some were hobbyists who finally decided to start charging for what they already knew.
I'm based in Ireland, married to Olive, and between us we have five kids — so our house is a working smart home lab whether I like it or not. I teach this the way I'd explain it to a colleague over a coffee. No fluff, no padding, no wasted time.
One Programme. Everything You Need.
Lifetime access to all course materials, the full Business in a Box toolkit, and the NGSHI certification. One payment, no recurring fees.
- 12 core technical modules — connectivity, lighting, security, energy, cameras, locks, AV and hubs
- Business in a Box — 90-day programme, 22+ documents in PDF and Word format
- AI-powered Smart Home Project Planner and Client Report Generator
- Client Onboarding and Project Tracker — Excel tool for managing your pipeline
- Recurring Revenue Calculator — model and track your monthly support income
- Consulting agreement, email scripts and site audit SOP
- Prewire cable schedules, design cheat sheets and lab workbooks
- AI Prompt Pack for smart home consultants
- Start Your Smart Home Business mini-course
- Smart Home Content Vault — full legacy library
- NGSHI certification on completion
- Lifetime access and all future updates
- Downloadable audio version of the full course
Payment plans available. Team and multi-user licences for installation companies — contact gerard@smarthomesschool.com
Looking for a live cohort with group calls and a personal proposal review? Get in touch — cohort places open periodically to newsletter subscribers.
Risk-free 7-day money-back guarantee
Try it for a week, risk-free. If within 7 days of enrolling you don't feel the program is right for you, send your completed coursework to gerard@smarthomesschool.com and I'll issue a full refund. No awkward conversations. The 7-day window is a firm deadline, but within it the risk is entirely mine.
Frequently asked questions
How is the course delivered — and when does content become available?
The course runs on an 8-week drip schedule on Teachable. A new set of modules unlocks each week — this is deliberate. It gives you time to work through the material, complete the lab exercises, and absorb what you are learning before moving on.
Here is the full week-by-week schedule:
- Week 1 (Day 0): Getting Started and Module 1 — Network Architecture and Connectivity
- Week 2 (Day 7): Modules 2 and 3 — Smart Home Ecosystems and Smart Alarm Systems
- Week 3 (Day 14): Modules 4 and 5 — Lighting Control and Smart Thermostats
- Week 4 (Day 21): Modules 6 and 7 — Video Surveillance and Safety Sensors
- Week 5 (Day 28): Modules 8 and 9 — Doorbells and Entertainment
- Week 6 (Day 35): Modules 10, 11 and 12 — Smart Locks, Window Dressings, and Smart Hubs
- Week 7 (Day 42): Business Mini-Course — the full Start Your Smart Home Business programme
- Week 8 (Day 49): Certification Week — the NGSHI certification exam
The Business in a Box documents, the Smart Home Project Planner tool, all lab workbooks, the Smart Home Content Vault, and the PropTech bonus module are all available immediately from day one — you do not need to wait eight weeks for any of those.
How does the course content work — is it all available at once?
The core 12 modules release weekly over 8 weeks, with one or two modules unlocking each week. This is intentional — the drip structure keeps you moving at a pace that is manageable alongside a day job, and the weekly assignments build on each other.
Your Business in a Box toolkit, the Smart Home Project Planner Tool, the Content Vault, and all supporting resources are available from day one. The certification exam unlocks in Week 8 after all modules are complete.
Do I need an electrician's licence to do this?
No. As a smart home consultant you are paid for the design, specification, and system plan — not the physical installation. You create the brief and the homeowner's electrician or contractor carries out the work. You are the architect, not the builder.
That said, if you are already a licensed electrician, the NGSHI credential adds a consulting layer on top of what you already offer.
I'm already working in smart home installs. Will I learn much?
Most working installers who come through NGSHI tell us the value is in two areas — the business and positioning side (how to charge for design, how to write a proposal that justifies your fees) and the structured depth on systems they may not install regularly.
If you're already doing high-end installs across all system types, the Mentorship tier is probably the better fit for you.
How current is the content? I've seen older course content referenced.
This is a fair question and worth being straight about. The core technical modules cover the fundamentals of smart home installation and consulting — Wi-Fi, lighting, security, cameras, thermostats, locks, hubs and the business model. All 12 modules have been updated in 2026 with current product recommendations, and the Business in a Box module has been completely rebuilt.
Some device-specific setup walkthroughs reflect the hardware generation they were recorded on, and the smart home industry moves fast. The course also includes a Smart Home Content Vault with legacy material, clearly labelled as historical — it's there for reference, not current guidance. The framework, the business model, and the toolkit are all current and actively used.
How long does it take to complete?
Most students work through it at 2-4 hours per week and complete the 12 modules in 8-12 weeks. There's no deadline — lifetime access means you can go at whatever pace suits you. Some people blitz it in a few weekends. Others work through one module a week while applying what they learn to real client work.
Can my team enrol? We're an installation company.
Yes. Multi-user licences are available for installation and electrical contracting companies who want to use NGSHI as an onboarding or upskilling tool for their technicians. Email gerard@smarthomesschool.com to discuss pricing for your team size.
What's the realistic income potential here?
That depends entirely on you. A working electrician who adds smart home as a service line can realistically add several hundred to a few thousand per month in higher-margin work. Someone building a consulting-only practice from scratch needs to allow time to build up clients.
The course teaches you both the technical and business fundamentals — what you do with them is up to you. We don't promise specific income figures, because they vary too much to be honest about.
Can my employer reimburse this?
Many students have had NGSHI reimbursed as professional development. If you need a formal invoice or a template letter to request reimbursement from your employer, get in touch and Gerard will sort you out.
Ready to make your smart home knowledge work for you?
Join 1,500+ students who have already been through the program. Lifetime access, 7-day guarantee, and a certification you can actually use.
Enrol Now — $497Questions? Email Gerard directly — gerard@smarthomesschool.com