Tips to Prepare Your House for an Extended Vacation
By Ring on May 24, 2024
From researching restaurants to booking tours and tickets, there’s always lots to do before a long trip. While your head may already be 1,000 miles away, your home also needs some attention before you jet off. Here are some simple ways to help vacation-proof your home.
Install a Security System
If you don’t already have a security system, now is the perfect time to get one. Whether you’re crossing state lines or the ocean, a Ring Alarm security system can help give you peace of mind that everything’s okay back home.
Once you pick out an Alarm Security Kit that best fits your home, setup is simple — and you won’t even have to get out the toolbox. Just follow the instructions in the Ring App to get everything up and running before you leave.
With a Ring Protect subscription, sold separately, you can unlock real-time notifications on the Ring App and the ability to set Mode Schedules, which will automatically arm and disarm your system while you’re away.1 To ensure your Alarm stays online even if the power goes out, subscribe to Ring Protect Pro, sold separately, for built-in cellular backup.1 Plus, you can enroll in 24/7 Alarm Professional Monitoring, and real-time agents will monitor your Alarm notifications while you sightsee.2
Want to make the most of Ring Alarm’s features while you’re away? Read our step-by-step guide to protecting your home or business.
Set Timers or Schedules for Indoor Lighting
If you want your house to look lived-in during your extended vacation, set your lights to turn on and off when you’re usually home and awake. You can buy plug-in timers for lamps to set manual schedules or switch to smart bulbs for even easier control.
When you replace your traditional light bulbs with Ring A19 LED bulbs and connect them to a Ring Bridge, sold separately, you can easily set lighting schedules.3 4 So, if you typically get home from work around 5:00 PM, you can program your lights to be on from then until bedtime. You can even switch up the schedule from the Ring App or turn on the lights remotely if your house sitter is about to arrive.
Ask a Friend or Neighbor for Help
Before you leave, see if a trusted neighbor or friend is willing to check in on your home periodically. Here are a few tasks they can help with:
To prevent false alarms when your friend stops by, give them your Alarm code or add them as a Shared User on the Ring App.
Address Your Mail and Deliveries
An overflowing mailbox and a pile of packages on your porch are a clear sign that you’re not home. To protect all your deliveries while you’re away, put them on hold or have a neighbor stop by to pick them up.
You can go online or visit your local post office to put your mail on hold for up to 30 days. Be sure to do the same with recurring subscriptions. Amazon allows you to skip your next delivery or adjust the delivery date for when you’re back.
If you already plan to have someone come by to check on your house regularly, you can ask them to grab your mail and packages on the way in, so nothing sits out for more than a few hours.
Unplug or Adjust Appliances to Save Energy
Even if all your appliances are turned off, they can still use energy when plugged in. To conserve power, unplug anything that won’t be in use, like your toaster, game consoles, TV, desktop, and coffee maker.
While you’re unplugging electronics around the house, stop by your water heater and switch it to “vacation mode.” This simple switch will ensure your appliance doesn’t waste energy heating water you won’t use.
Program Your Thermostat
Another easy way to save energy while on vacation is to adjust your thermostat’s settings. If no one will be inside your home, you can choose a temperature much higher or lower than normal, depending on the season. But don’t turn it off entirely — you can risk excess humidity or frozen pipes.
With a Ring-compatible smart thermostat, you can set heating and cooling schedules and even adjust the temperature from the Ring App on your way home, so it’s comfortable when you arrive.
Set Up Exterior Lighting and Cameras
When the sun goes down, you usually turn your lights on — so it’s a good idea to keep up the routine while you’re away. Smart outdoor lighting from Ring enables you to set a schedule before you leave, so you can easily prep your smart home for vacation.5
Motion-activated cameras with built-in lighting help add another layer of visibility while you’re away. If activity is detected, your Ring Spotlight or Floodlight Cam will send you a notification, begin recording, and shine bright LEDs. You can also use your exterior cameras to check in on the weather or say hi to your neighbor when they stop by.
Shut Off the Water
The best way to prevent unexpected leaks on vacation is to shut your water off entirely. But if your sitter will need water to fill your pet’s food bowl or to water plants, that may not be an option.
With a smart shutoff valve like Flo by Moen, you can leave the water on knowing it will automatically shut off if a leak is detected. When you connect your device to the Ring App, you’ll get alerts if issues are detected, and you can shut off the water remotely if needed.
You can also connect Flood & Freeze Sensors to your Ring Alarm and place them in areas that are prone to leaks, like under the sink or washing machine. With a Ring Protect subscription, sold separately, you’ll get a notification on your phone if water or freezing temperatures are detected.1
No matter where you’re headed, Ring can help keep your home safe and sound while you’re gone. Bon voyage and safe travels!
1 Ring Alarm and all Ring Alarm accessories require a subscription for in-app features and digital notifications, including digital arming / disarming and integration with other Ring, Echo, Alexa, and third party products. Subscription sold separately. View ring.com/protect-plans for pricing and details
2 A compatible Ring Protect subscription is required to enroll in the Ring Alarm professional monitoring service. Professional monitoring service is available only within the U.S. (all 50 states, but not U.S. territories) and in Canada (excluding Quebec). Ring does not own its own professional monitoring center. Smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring is not available for a business or commercially zoned address. See Ring alarm licenses at: ring.com/licenses. Additional permit or false alarm fees may apply depending on your local jurisdiction. Additional charges may apply in areas that require permits or guard response service for alarm verification.
3 Ships to the US and Canada (excluding Quebec). Requires Ring Bridge for smart controls. Sold separately. One Ring Bridge supported per household.
4 One Ring Bridge supported per household. Supports approximately 50 Ring Smart Lighting devices, including Motion Sensors (dependent on usage and other factors).
5 Batteries not included. Ships to the US and Canada (excluding Quebec). Requires Ring Bridge for smart controls. Sold separately. One Ring Bridge supported per household.
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