Shore homes have their own needs
A shore house is busy all summer and empty for months at a time. It faces salt air, storms and, in many towns, flood-zone rules. The best upgrades handle all of that: they make summer weekends easy and let you watch the house when you're not there.
1. Remote monitoring for the off-season
- Water leak and freeze sensors with phone alerts
- A thermostat you can check and change from home
- Cameras on entries and the driveway
- Smart locks with scheduled codes for caretakers and contractors
2. Wi-Fi that covers the deck and the beach path
Guests expect Wi-Fi everywhere, and outdoor TVs and speakers depend on it. Wired access points inside plus an outdoor access point for the deck or pool beat a single router in a closet. See fixing dead zones.
3. Outdoor audio and TV built for salt air
Outdoor-rated TVs and speakers with stainless hardware last longer near the ocean. Landscape speakers spread sound evenly across the yard without blasting the neighbors. See outdoor speakers and outdoor TVs.
4. Power protection
Summer storms and nor'easters bring surges and outages. Surge protection and battery backup keep the network and cameras running, and remote reboot fixes a frozen modem without a drive down. See storm season.
5. Flood-zone planning in rebuilds
In elevated and rebuilt homes, keep the equipment rack, modem and battery backup above flood level and plan wiring around piers and stairs. It's much easier during construction. See Monmouth County builders and Ocean County builders.
6. Easy for renters and guests
If the house is rented, keep it simple: labeled keypads, a TV that turns on to the right input, guest Wi-Fi, and door codes that change for each stay. See short-term rentals.
Where to start
For most shore houses: fix the Wi-Fi, add water and freeze sensors, and add a smart lock. Then outdoor audio and a patio TV. If you want everything in one app, Control4 ties it together. See Control4 for second homes.