Smart technology is the ultimate upgrade for your vacation property

Real estate

Homeowners are enthusiastically embracing surveillance devices as a way to ensure the security of their investments. Here’s what they get.

By Christopher Gavin

May 8, 2024 | 11:24 a.m.

Solar cream. Towels. A book for the beach. Skis. Winter jackets. Maybe a snowboard.

Yes, vacation home necessities – whether on the shores of Cape Cod or in the Green Mountains of Vermont – can certainly vary by location.

But not at all.

Smart home technology is perhaps just as important as some of these fun essentials, from energy-efficient thermostats to cutting-edge automated locks and security systems. Vacation property owners in New England are increasingly relying on them to get the most out of their home away from home and for peace of mind.

“It’s certainly not just for the tech-savvy, and it’s becoming almost inevitable,” said Matthew H. Cole, president and CEO of Cape Associates Inc. in Eastham.

In addition to manufacturing custom homes, Cape Associates services a portfolio of approximately 480 private properties on the popular peninsula, particularly during the offseason.

“Whether you want to call it the ‘Internet of Things’ or just ‘WiFi-connected devices,’ ‘smart devices’… they’re becoming more and more common,” Cole said.

These gadgets have become particularly popular recently. A January report from YouGov, an international online research group on data and analytics technologies, indicated that 65% of Americans now own at least one smart home device or device – a significant increase from to 51% in 2020, with security products being among the most used. .

“People are just hungry for information,” Cole said. “They want to know what’s going on at home, whether they’re there or not. They want control.

For some, that might mean having a battery backup to keep everything running during coastal storms or mountain blizzards. This could involve having security cameras throughout the house or even smart lighting.

All of this is true for JC Murphy, president of Savant Systems, a Massachusetts-based pioneer in the home automation industry.

During a recent Zoom call, Murphy quickly pulled up Savant’s unique dashboard, showing real-time monitoring of his Florida vacation home, from the front door cameras to the power drawn by his swimming pool pump.

“The way we look at it is that the smart home experience from 15 years ago to today has changed dramatically simply because of the explosion of connected devices in general,” Murphy said. “And it continues. In fact, it continues at a rapid pace.

Although data on the use of these technologies in second homes is not widely available, industry experts say these markets are certainly part of this steady increase in smart technology adoption.

Vacation rental properties

“Airbnbs have so much smart technology. I mean, we usually have between three and five smart devices in our Airbnbs,” said Maria McNiece, founder of McNiece Management, which helps property owners in Massachusetts and the South make their rentals available on platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO – a service she likened to “a front desk concierge.”

The company’s portfolio includes 150 properties, including 10 in Greater Boston.

“They’re up and running, whether they’re smart thermostats, Ring cameras, decibel monitors, or monitors that track how many devices are in the house – if there’s a party, something like that ” McNiece said. “So there are so many amenities available right now to help vacation rental owners.”

Smart home technology is not optional for McNiece customers.

Those who do business with the company are required to install at least one Wi-Fi-enabled keyless lock — a gadget that makes it easier for maintenance workers and arriving guests, making handing over keys obsolete.

Similarly, Vacasa, a national vacation rental property management service with more than 700 properties in Massachusetts, provides its clients with digital locks, decibel monitors and a “WiFi portal” that allows guests to connect upon arrival, similar to a hotel reception, according to TJ Clark, the company’s sales manager.

“For us, the smart home is fundamental,” Clark said. “So if we brought your home… we would provide the suite of smart home products that we think are really important to enhance your guest experience and home maintenance.”

While there are also plenty of convenience gadgets available on the market, from smart TVs to air conditioning, McNiece said most devices geared toward the rental industry are for “guest security or protection.” .

And the rental owners she works with are often more willing to spend money on these devices than, say, smart thermostats, hoping to protect their assets, she said.

“That’s probably the number one concern for Airbnb owners, because we’re not dealing with multimillionaires,” she said. “These are typically (their) only investment properties, and the damage could be extremely detrimental to their operation if there is a guest present or significant damage.”

But with the ability to capture so much information about a property, smart technologies also raise privacy concerns for potential tenants.

In March, Airbnb announced that its owners could no longer use indoor security cameras. Although cameras have always been banned from sleeping areas and bathrooms, guests were allowed to install cameras in common areas, such as living rooms, kitchens, and hallways, as long as they were clearly visible. visible and disclosed to potential guests before booking, according to the company’s website. (Outdoor cameras are also subject to placement restrictions and disclosure information.)

“Airbnb is right, and in almost every state it is illegal to use a live camera inside a home,” Clark said. “And that’s obviously the last thing a guest wants.” If you’re renting a short-term rental, you want your guests to have a great experience, right? So having a live camera is the worst possible idea.

With decibel monitors, which strictly monitor noise but don’t record audio, there is no “legitimate reason to need an indoor camera,” McNiece said. “You’d be surprised how many people fight me and want to have an indoor camera, which I find not only creepy, but simply a violation.”

Private secondary residences

For private vacation homes, cameras don’t have to be just for security.

“If you have a great view and you’re having a rough day at work, it’s nice to get these cameras out and get a look like you’re on the property,” said Cole, of Cape Associates. “You could capture wild animals with the camera. So we call them security cameras, but it’s less about security and more about just knowing what’s going on.

For those looking to make their vacation home more tech-savvy, Cole recommended starting with a plan for strong, reliable Wi-Fi provision.

In Cape Town, homeowners sometimes choose to install “redundant connections”, such as connecting through a traditional cable internet provider in addition to the satellite provider, Starlink, to keep devices constantly connected in case of loss of one, Cole said.

A smart valve that will shut off the home’s water supply when a leak is detected is another purchase homeowners should consider, particularly because it “pays for itself through insurance discounts,” he said. he declares.

Cape Associates has also recently completed a number of installations of battery backup systems, such as Tesla Powerwall – either in place of, or in addition to, backup generators – which can be vital in preventing battery freeze-up. pipes in case of power outages during winter storms, Cole said.

“The software that works is linked to weather reports, so on days like today when high winds are forecast, the day before the batteries fully charge to prepare for the storm,” he said. “You get alerts for that.”

And of course, there are still many things that technology can’t do. When the power goes out, that’s when Cole’s property management company makes its rounds.

“A little technology and human component, when you need it, can make owning a second home less stressful or less stressful and enjoyable – and we all need to get away from time to time and go to our happy place,” he said. .

Christopher Gavin can be contacted at (email protected). Follow the address on @globehomes.