The Wemo switch would affect only the space heater and if all else works well it won’t be needed. Frankly, having the space heater down there worries me. I seal up the crawl space and there are propane pipes in there. A propane pressure test last fall failed and the gas techs then found a pipe down there that was corroded and leaking.
No need BOOM!
I started experimenting last year with a few Homekit plugs and then some lights. I like that the plugs can be used for so many things. But I’ve come to appreciate dimmable lights. Started with the Sylvania Smart+. Then tried the VOCOlinc L1 which is also multicolor. I’ve got 3 of those now and they work great and none of them require a hub.
Last winter I realized that I was not as efficient as I could be in heating my well house. It’s 150 feet from my cabin and has a dumb electric/oil radiator heater to keep the pipes from freezing. The thermostat is just high/medium/low with no temperature control. I would monitor the temps and then go out to turn it on/off as needed.
My first step was to just add a smart plug which allowed for easy on off from my cabin but I was still guessing on the temps inside the well house based on outside temps. I added an iHome iSS40 Smartmonitor and that has been fantastic. I used the iHome app to set-up automations based on maximum/minimum temperatures and now I don’t have to think about it at all. I can monitor the temp to ensure all is well but it kicks the heater on at 32 then off again at 38. I was inadvertently running it about twice as much as needed because I was guessing at the inside temperature and guessing wrong!
My guess is that with the savings in running that heater I’ll easily shave off 20% of my heating bill during the cold months.
I have a motion sensor and a closed door sensor. If I detect motion while the door is closed, then there is a kitty to be rescued 
I use the Smart Rules app for that. All done with Smarthings hub + sensors.
I started home automation by replacing two aging thermostats with new Trane digital units with Wifi. They use the Nexia system and act as hubs, so I’m on Nexia. It works great, and there are a ton of devices that you can use it with.
Besides the HVAC, I’ve added two garage door openers, several light switches and plugs, a door sensor, and a door lock. Everything works reliably and seamlessly. It’s great being able to control many functions of your home remotely. For instance, I can let someone into the house remotely, or adjust the temp remotely.
One thing I didn’t do (and glad I didn’t) was to start using Hue bulbs. I think Sparks complained about this as well, but you have to keep the switch in the right position in order for the light bulb to work. Very rinky-dink. My advice is to not be a lazy cheapskate and get proper wifi switches. It makes things work so much better.
Proper wifi switches such as? Do you have brand specific suggestions?
My HomeKit devices:
Hue is indeed very nice! Great way to start if you are new to this.
Some automations I enjoy:
Sometimes I feel like being the main character of Her when I “wish Siri good night” to turn off the lights and other devices at night… 
Well, I’m using the Leviton switches because they work with the Nexia system. However, they have a line that uses HomeKit as well.
Thank you! I’ll be getting these!
I have 30+ hue bulbs. We control with Alexa and Google Home. We haven’t found the need to get switches at all. Even my 85 y o mother can work the Hues when she visits.
Aren’t the Hue motion sensors great? I have one in the kitchen and one in the garage.
Hue smart bulbs
Lyric T5 thermostat
Lyric Leak detector
Schlage Sense Deadbolts
KooGeek Outlet
Apple TV as hub for remote access
My favourite automation is Hue light in bedroom which gradually increases brightness to wake me up more gently
You mentioned that you have problems with your wemo as well as your Chamberlin garage door opener losing connection. I use to have these issues as well, but once I switched over to a mesh WiFi network in my house they resolved.
I can’t help but think your problem may not be so much related to the devices, but having less than optimal WiFi connection to those devices. I previously used a single Airport Express in my living room and had “fine” coverage around my house. I never noticed problems using my iPhone or iPad in any area of the house. But I would have dropouts with my IOT devices from time to time. Once I put in mesh and had multiple access points, that problem went away completely and my IOT devices, especially those in my garage and along the edge of my home, became much more reliable.
Things like Hue bulbs and are nice for those of us who are renters. My landlord would not be happy if I started replacing wall switches.
I’m using LIFX bulbs. I like them because they don’t require a hub.
I also use Elgato Eve Energy plugs. I use them for things like the humidifier and for some spot lights that have a binary on/off setting only.
I’m currently in the process of installing Lightwave RF dimmers.
I also use Sensibo for remote A/C activation. I live in really hot climate and it’s useful to turn on the AC when leaving the office to arrive to a cool home.
I will agree that smart lighting is probably the most appealing use case under smart homes.
How do you like the eve products? I am about to order a couple of energy plugs.
We now have:
I returned the Chaimberlain myQ hub and bridge as it was about to give me a stroke setting it up. I would get the hub to work but them would freak out when trying to connect it to the bridge for HomeKit access.
So wish there was a solution for the garage and gate.
Hi Katie, we have an Orbi mesh system spread across the house. We are getting solid signal strength across 1/3 of an acre. The wemo switch is line of sight to the router. I’ll do some more testing though. With the Chamberlain, I chalked it up to a gen 1 product… But 
Yes, they are.
That’s why I did not mention the WeMo and Eve Motion sensors that I also bought. As soon as I got a Hue motion sensor I had to replace those two by Hue sensors. They are so much faster; the difference between delight and annoyance…
The Eve Room and Weather are/were great, though I check their measurements way less than I thought I would.
The Eve Energy works great as a programmable switch. I have not (seriously) used it for measuring energy consumption yet.
The Eve Motion sensor I cannot recommend. It responds way too slow. The Philips Hue motion sensors work much faster.
Because the Eve products use Bluetooth instead of WiFi you will need a HomeKit hub (Apple TV or iPad connected to outlet) to use them remotely.
I am just getting on the bandwagon but so far we have:
Future plans:
a) anyone know a way to trigger the Nest to exit “away” mode when my phone gets within “X distance” from our house. I have looked at IFTTT and Workflow and have come up empty so far. It would be nice to come home to a cool/warm house depending on the season without manually having to override on my drive home.
b) hook up a simple outdoor security camera just in case
c) automatic shutoff lightswitch for our kids’ bathroom - they leave the light on all the time