My husband and I recently purchased a second home down south.
We now divide our time between our house up north and the new residence.
Our goal is to completely avoid the snow and temperatures below fifty degrees. However, taking care of two properties is a challenge and rather stressful. We leave the homes empty during the most severe weather conditions. The property in the north is exposed to temperatures down to twenty below zero and vicious windchill. If there was a power outage or any problem with the furnace, we could end up with frozen and ruptured water pipes. Our vacation home down south is left empty during the heat of the summer, when the humidity is positively brutal. We keep the air conditioner operating just enough to prevent moisture issues, such as wood rot and mold and mildew growth. Our biggest fear was that something would could wrong at one of the residences and we wouldn’t be aware of it in time to prevent major damage. We didn’t want to ask a family member or friend to check on the houses. The solution was to install a smart thermostat into each home. We now have access to information, get alerts and can make adjustments through our smartphones. The thermostat will even notify a local HVAC contractor if there’s a problem with the furnace or air conditioner and most repairs can be dealt with remotely. From anywhere I happen to be, I can always check the indoor temperature of either home. Not only does this provide peace of mind, but we can raise or lower temperature so that we arrive to a comfortable home.