After living the majority of our lives up north, my husband and I were tired of the cold and snow.
We decided to buy a second house down south.
After touring lots of houses and exploring several different areas, we found the perfect property for sale in Lakeland, Florida. We now divide our time between two homes. We live up north during the summer and down south for the winter. This setup allows us to avoid the excessive heat and humidity of Lakeland as well as the sub zero temperatures and feet of snow up north. We enjoy the best of the weather in each location. However, keeping up with two properties can be difficult and stressful. We worry about the furnace failing up north, our pipes freezing and coming home to a huge, expensive mess. If the air conditioner and dehumidifier were to malfunction in the house in Lakeland, we could easily have damage due to moisture, mold and mildew. While we don’t want to keep an empty home at the ideal temperature, we need the heating and cooling systems to continue to operate. Installing smart thermostats in each home has been very helpful. We now have access to adjustment and information through an app on our smartphones. We receive an alert if there is a sudden temperature fluctuation at one of the properties. We get reminders to schedule maintenance and replace air filters. Plus, we can check up on the houses and make changes to temperature settings. We no longer need to arrive at a freezing cold or overheated home.