Why have a wide patch of shaggy or browning grass when you can enjoy easy-maintenance evergreen shrubs? Smart garden design covers part of the lawn with water-wise plants, so there's less grass to cut, but all the green you could want.

How many times have you fallen over yourself racing for the door because you're dreading a missed package notice? You can see when it's the UPS guy and when it's just a solicitor without getting up, if you have a tiny, HD camera like this to monitor the door.

Wooden shingles wear out, paint peels, and even vinyl siding needs regular power washing to keep it from looking faded. But this gray brick is virtually maintenance-free, and strong as a “brick house”.

It's not quite as tempting to avoid this chore if you have a deep sink for pots, and a touchless faucet makes it easy to rinse anything, fast. With these high-tech features there’s no more banging elbows as you work, or fishing for icky lost ladles trapped beneath stacks of soaking cookware.