Do you have a Pre-Vacation Checklist for Your Home - Smart or Not

Most smart homes are set up for everyday life. You come home, the lights come on. You go to bed, the doors lock. But a week away over the holidays is a different situation, and a few small changes before you leave can save you money, stress and a lot of unnecessary phone alerts.

It's a common reason people get into smart home tech in the first place. Nearly a third of homeowners say protecting their home while they travel is a reason to buy smart devices, according to a recent survey commissioned by Vivint. But buying the devices is only half of it. They have to be set up for the trip.

Here's a quick checklist. It works whether you use Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa or Home Assistant.

Make sure you can reach your home from away. Before you pack, turn off Wi-Fi on your phone and try opening your cameras, locks and thermostat over cellular data. If something only works on your home network, you want to find out now.
Set the thermostat to away, not off. Turning the heat off completely in winter can risk frozen pipes. An away or vacation setting keeps the house at a safe temperature while using less energy. Many thermostats let you schedule it to warm the house back up a few hours before you return.
Put the lights on a schedule that looks lived in. A house that's dark for a week stands out. Set a few lamps to come on in the evening and turn off at bedtime, ideally at slightly different times each day.
Give anyone coming by their own temporary access. If a pet sitter or neighbor is stopping in, create a separate lock code or guest access that expires when you're back. You'll see exactly when they come and go, and you won't have to share your own code.
Pause routines that assume you're home. Arrival routines, wake-up lights or motion-triggered music can behave strangely in an empty house. Turn them off for the week, and make a note to turn them back on.
Check batteries on the things that matter most. Door locks, leak sensors and smoke detectors are the devices you really want working while you're gone. Most apps show battery levels. Replace anything that's low.
Tune your notifications. A week of alerts every time a car drives past gets old fast. Adjust camera alerts so you're notified about people at the door and packages, not every bit of motion on the street.

Ten minutes before you leave means you can actually relax while you're away, and come home to a warm house.

Want help setting up an away mode that runs on its own? That's the kind of thing we put together in a RyzaLab Smart Home Blueprint.