She did herself and the next owners a favor by ripping out the smarthome crap.
It's like shag carpet: faddy, kitsch, and high maintenance. Smarthome stuff in particular is just so overkill. I don't want to overengineer my home. I don't want apps and QR codes and documentation just to water my garden or operate the lights. I'm not a nerd who enjoys tinkering with this stuff. I have shit to do. I want my hose to work like a hose, my washing machine like a washing machine, etc. And that's the case for most people.
Playing with smarthome gadgets is a fun niche hobby, but it's not a hobby most people want.
I agree that smart home stuff can be excessive however I really like the Hue white ambiance bulbs. I live in Vancouver and so in the winter it gets dark early - and the days are often gloomy too. I can have cool. Lighting from morning to evening and then have it get warmer as it gets towards the evening. That alone is worth it for me.
It's like shag carpet: faddy, kitsch, and high maintenance. Smarthome stuff in particular is just so overkill. I don't want to overengineer my home. I don't want apps and QR codes and documentation just to water my garden or operate the lights. I'm not a nerd who enjoys tinkering with this stuff. I have shit to do. I want my hose to work like a hose, my washing machine like a washing machine, etc. And that's the case for most people.
Playing with smarthome gadgets is a fun niche hobby, but it's not a hobby most people want.