Looking for some advice before I dive in

If you’d like to take a look at the applications that other people have found useful, there’s a topic on the Get Started quick browse list in the community-created wiki for “Top 10 Things to do with SmartThings” that you might find of interest.

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Quick_Browse_the_Community-Created_SmartApps_Forum_Section#Quick_Browse_Links_for_Project_Reports.2FQuestions

Also, if you are in the UK, there’s a similar thread specific to UK devices: