Make your lake house a smart house. Our picks for carefree, effortless and easy home control.
Lake life should be carefree, effortless and easy. That’s why we believe that your lake house should also be a smart house. Now, admittedly, not all areas around our state’s lakes have state-of-the-art connectivity, yet, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t future proof your home from the outset. Smart home technology is evolving so rapidly that it’s quickly becoming a part of every home, but smart technology makes a lot of sense in a lake house.
For many, a lake house is a weekend retreat. A place you go and stay for blocks of time, but don’t remain every day. How great would it be to be able to control many parts of your home from afar? Today, you can control everything from your thermostat to your lights and dishwasher from an app on your phone – and it’s not very hard or expensive to set it all up.
Our favorite resource for smart home technology is Smart Neighbor. An online shop and information source for new home technologies, appliances, electronics and other home needs.
Smart Neighbor “smartly” groups their smart home products by:
- Home Automation
- Smart Lighting & Energy
- Safety & Security
Plus, they have content areas helping to explain the different major smart home platforms – such as Google Assistant, Nest, Amazon Alexa, etc.
For our money, we’d recommend you have, at the very least, a WiFi controlled thermostat and sprinkler system controller. That way, you can adjust the temperature (in case you forget before you leave) and water your garden from afar. This projects your investment and makes you home just a little more comfortable.
Thermostat
The Google Nest is a popular and very easy to use option. If you want one that works seamlessly with Apple Homekit, try the ecobee. We recommend you talk with your builder prior to purchasing because many high-end new HVAC systems come with integrated smart technology.
Sprinkler System Controller
As for a sprinkler system controller. Most major sprinkler system manufacturers are making a WiFi compatible control unit, however, the solution is in the APP and that’s where many of those units fail. Our pick for the best APP is the Rachio. They’re a technology company that just happens to make a sprinkler system controller. Their APP is super simple and tracks local weather, so no more sprinklers going when rain is pouring.
