. Allie Rusesa/Globe Staff; Adobe Stock
Sunscreen. Towels. Beach books. Skis. Winter jackets. Maybe even a snowboard.
Yes, everything you need for a vacation home changes depending on the location, whether it's the shores of Cape Cod or the Green Mountains of Vermont.
Not all.
Perhaps just as important as these fun essentials is smart home technology, from energy-efficient thermostats to tech-enabled automated locks and security systems, which New England vacation homeowners are increasingly turning to to get the most out of their homes away from home and for peace of mind.
“This is by no means just for the tech-savvy, but it's becoming almost inevitable,” said Matthew H. Cole, president and CEO of Cape Associates Inc. in Eastham.
In addition to building custom homes, Cape Associates also manages a portfolio of about 480 privately owned properties on the peninsula, which is especially popular in the off-season.
“Whether you call it the 'Internet of Things,' or simply 'WiFi-connected devices' or 'smart devices,' they are becoming more and more commonplace,” Cole said.
These gadgets have become especially popular recently: According to a January report from YouGov, an international online survey data and analytics technology group, 65% of Americans now own at least one smart home appliance or device, up significantly from 51% in 2020. Among the most used products are security products.
“People are just hungry for information,” Cole said. “They want to know what's going on in their homes, whether they're at home or not. They want to be in control.”
For some, that might mean stocking up on extra batteries to keep all your equipment running during coastal storms or mountain blizzards, or installing security cameras and smart lighting throughout your home.
All of this is true for JC Murphy, president of Savant Systems, a Massachusetts-based pioneer in the home automation industry.
On a recent Zoom call, Murphy quickly pulled up Savant's proprietary dashboard, showing real-time monitoring of his Florida vacation home, from the front door camera to the power draw of the pool pump.
“We think that from 15 years ago to now, the smart home experience has changed dramatically because of the explosion of connected devices in general,” Murphy said. “And that's just continuing to happen. In fact, it's happening very quickly.”
While data on the use of such technology in second homes isn't widely available, industry experts say the market is certainly part of a steadily increasing adoption of smart technology.
Vacation Rental Properties
“Airbnb has so much smart technology built into it. I mean, our Airbnbs typically have three to five smart devices on them,” said Maria McNeice, founder of McNeice Management, which helps property owners in Massachusetts and the South list their rentals on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. She likened the service to a “front-desk concierge.”
The company's portfolio includes 150 properties, including 10 in Greater Boston.
“There's a whole host of different devices running, including smart thermostats, Ring cameras, decibel monitors, monitors that track how many devices are in the house when there's a party or whatever,” McNeice says, “So there's a whole host of devices out there now that are helping vacation rental owners.”
For McNeese's customers, smart home technology is a must.
At a minimum, hotels that do business with the company are required to install Wi-Fi-enabled keyless locks, a convenient device for maintenance workers and arriving guests that eliminates the need for key exchanges.
Similarly, Vacasa, a national vacation rental property management service with more than 700 properties in Massachusetts, offers its clients digital locks, decibel monitors and a “WiFi portal” that guests can log into upon arrival, similar to a hotel front desk, said TJ Clark, the company's chief commercial officer.
“Smart home is very fundamental to us,” Clark says, “so if we're bringing it into your home, we're bringing you a suite of smart home products that we think are really important to enhance the guest experience and the management of your home.”
While there are plenty of creature comforts on the market, from smart TVs to air conditioning, most of the equipment made for the rental industry is geared towards “security and protecting the host,” McNeice said.
And the rental property owners she works with are often willing to spend more on such devices to protect their properties than, say, a smart thermostat, she said.
“That's probably the biggest concern for Airbnb owners because we're not dealing with billionaires,” she says. “Typically, it's their only investment property, and one guest party or significant damage can be extremely damaging to their operations.”
But smart technology can collect vast amounts of information about a property, which also raises privacy concerns for potential renters.
In March, Airbnb announced that it would ban property owners from installing security cameras indoors. According to the company's website, cameras in bedrooms and bathrooms were previously prohibited, but cameras in common areas such as living rooms, kitchens, and hallways were permitted as long as they were clearly visible and announced to potential guests before booking. (Outdoor cameras are also subject to location restrictions and announcements.)
“Airbnb is right: in most states, it's illegal to have live cameras in your home,” Clark says, “and that's the last thing you want for your guests. If you're in the short-term rental business, you want your guests to have a great experience, right? So having live cameras is a terrible idea.”
Because decibel monitors strictly monitor noise but don't record audio, McNeice said there's no “legitimate reason to need a dash camera. You'd be amazed at how many people I've had conflicted with want a dash camera. I think it's not only creepy, it's just plain illegal.”
Privately owned villa
For private vacation homes, cameras don't necessarily have to be just for security purposes.
“If you have a nice view and you've had a tough day at work, it's nice to have the camera out and look out as if you were on the property,” says Cape Associates' Cole. “You might catch some wildlife on the camera. We call it a security camera, but it's more for awareness of what's going on than for safety.”
For those looking to make their holiday home more high-tech, Cole recommended starting with planning for a strong, reliable Wi-Fi supply.
In Cape Town, homeowners may choose to install “redundant connections,” such as connecting through a traditional cable internet provider in addition to satellite-based provider Starlink, to ensure that devices stay connected at all times if one device is lost, Cole said.
Smart valves, which shut off the water to a home if they detect a leak, are also one purchase homeowners should consider, especially since “they can pay for themselves through insurance discounts,” he said.
Cape Associates has recently completed a number of installations of battery backup systems such as Tesla Powerwalls as an alternative to, or in addition to, emergency generators, which can play a key role in preventing pipes from freezing when a winter storm knocks out the power, Cole said.
“The software that runs it is tied to weather forecasts, so on days like today when high winds are predicted, the batteries are fully charged the day before and prepared for the storm,” he said. “You get a warning for that.”
And of course, there's still a lot technology can't solve. When the power goes out, Kohl's property management company comes to the rescue.
“Adding a little bit of technology and the human element when needed can make owning a second home less stressful, more stress-free and more enjoyable. We all need to get away and go somewhere fun every now and then,” he said.
Contact Christopher Gavin at cgavinjournalism@gmail.com or follow him at X. @GlobeHomes.
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