After nearly thirty years of living up north, my husband and I got tired of the chilly weather and snow. We arranged our lives to spend multiple months of the year down south. We bought a small home and dedicated some time and currency to fixing it up. While we like avoiding the sub zero temperatures up north in the winter, we were not anticipating the difficulties of keeping up with more than one home at a time. Handling the grass care, household chores and various appliances is a bit of a challenge. No matter where the we are, I always worry about what’s happening at the other house. I finally invested in a smart thermostat for each of our homes. This has greatly reduced our stress, improved comfort, and saved us quite a bit of money. Through our smartphone, I can constantly access the thermostat, make adjustments to temperature, and be sure everything is operating properly. In the event of a power outage, temperature fluctuation or service need, I get an immediate alert. The thermostat even notifies my local HVAC supplier when there’s a problem. I’m able to reduce the workload of the oil furnace up north by maintaining a very low temperature while we’re away. If there is drastic weather, with uneven temperatures dropping below zero, I can absolutely make adjustments to avoid frozen pipes. Whether we’re on our way south or north, I regulate the thermostat so that the we arrive to ideal comfort. Because of the convenience and cost savings given by the smart thermostat, I’m now looking into further home automation technologies. I’d really like to install security cameras, automated door locks, and motion sensors at each property.