7 Ways to Prepare Your Smart Home Before You Go on Vacation

You no doubt know the basics of home maintenance when you go out on vacation: set up security, turn on a light that looks like people are at home, take care of pets and plants, and lower the thermostat. But there is an easy way to do it automatically.

Today’s smart home systems are full of features, and many of them can help you prepare for the holidays and take care of some important details as you leave. Here’s what you can do with smart products and why it helps!

Set holiday mode on your thermostat

Wise

Changing your thermostat settings manually is painful, especially if you have to change them when you return. But a lot Today’s smart thermostats make it easy. Nest thermostatFor example, there is a hold temperature mode that freezes where the temperature is, or an “off” mode that will only heat or cool your house when the temperature starts to reach dangerous levels. Ecobi model Play a simple vacation mode that you can activate with start and end dates to simplify the schedule. If you look at your smart thermostat settings, you will definitely find something that can help.

Your light program

Ring smart bulbs are being installed in light fixtures. — Ring

Smart lights are easy to set, scheduled to turn on and off at specific times. This feature is especially useful for those who are still at home You can set the lights to be turned off in the evening and at night or on and off throughout the day Something Smart bulbs and smart plugs come with a vacation mode that will do just that, otherwise, you can quickly set up a new schedule and you can disable it when you get home. Read our guide to smart lights to learn about installation and setup.

Make sure your video doorbell is charged

Blink Video Doorbell is an affordable alternative to home security.

A Video Doorbell is one of our favorite devices for holiday-proof security. These are motion-activated, so you will get automatic alerts whenever someone comes to your door They have two-way audio, so as long as you have a reliable internet connection, you can talk to the person on your porch wherever you are. And, of course, you can see if you get any unexpected packages and arrange pickups if needed.

The point is, many video doorbells are battery-powered, rechargeable batteries that last for months before recharging. It’s a good idea to connect your video doorbell to its charger overnight and set it up so it’s ready to work for a few months if needed. Same if you have a wireless security cam that hasn’t been charged in a while.

Prepare your smart lock pass

Smart door locks ensure that you can lock or unlock your door regardless of your location. If you’re on vacation, you might be more interested in another feature – the ability to create codes or passes that automatically allow others to unlock your door for a certain period of time. Consider creating these guest passes for house sitters, cleaners, pets, plant water, and anyone else who may need regular access to your home.

Set your smart plug to power down

Eve Energy Smart Plug is installed with oscillating fan. — Eve

If you Use smart plugs for devices around your home, depending on their purpose you may want to turn them off all the time or turn them on only briefly. This step is an easy way to save energy when you leave, making sure unnecessary devices are turned off. You should also check your current Smart Plug schedule to make sure, for example, that your coffee maker does not turn on every day at 6am.

Set up a leak sensor

Flooding is a deceptive disaster when you are on vacation. With a little caution, burglar sensors won’t pick it up and neighbors won’t be able to tell if it’s happening, but it can cause extensive damage. Fortunately, there are smart leak sensors that you can set up in the bathroom, near the water tank, under the sink and near the crawlspace. These sensors will activate when the floor below them is pooled with water, sending you a warning so you know there could be a problem. A lot Home security systems offer compatibility with these types of leak sensors and they are usually very affordable, only $ 20 to $ 30 for extra security.

Set mode like Alexa Guard

Complete security arrangements can usually take care of themselves throughout the holidays, as long as they are armed before you leave (although the ability to view live feed on security cams at any time is excellent). Even if you don’t have full house security, you can still take some steps.

An excellent example Alexa Guard, a mode you can enable on any eco device at home. When on guard, Alexa will hear a sound like breaking a glass or a fire alarm siren and send you a mobile alert via the Alexa app. Echo Audio allows you to talk through a mic if you want. If you’ve got one Echo show, You can even enable the camera and look around to see what’s going on, then choose to call the authorities. You could even pay for more Alexa Guard PlusWhich adds more alertness and access to an emergency helpline.