What’s on your home security vacation checklist?

Hi folks,

 

Summer is finally upon us! I don’t know about you, but after the last couple of years, I’m super eager to finally have a proper vacation. But there’s nothing that drives me mad more than forgetting something important, and then worrying about it the whole trip! ESPECIALLY when we’re talking about home security. That’s why it’s important to have a pre-vacation checklist - so I can make sure that my whole house is in order, and I can just relax and enjoy my time off.

 

The top of my list would be things that I check off last, just before I leave: making sure that every door and window is properly locked (it helps that all of my doors have Entry Sensors, so I’ll get a warning from the Base Station when I arm the system, if any are still open). But well before that, I check that all of my sensors are working, by putting my SimpliSafe system in Test Mode. I make sure to do the full test the week before my trip, so that I have time to replace any batteries, or even call Support for troubleshooting.

 

Fire safety is important too! My checklist also includes unplugging all the small appliances, as well as making sure my stove and ovens are definitely off (I even take a picture so I have 100% proof that I did it!). SimpliSafe’s Smoke Detectors have a shelf life of about 10 years, and the CO Detector should last about 5.5 years, so I know I’m good for a while. But I still press the Test buttons so I can make sure they’re connected, just like with the sensors.

 

Finally, there are the advanced precautions. For example, I like to tidy up so that I can come home to a spotless house, but I make sure that it doesn’t look too tidy, so that any strangers looking in will think that someone is still home. It’s the same reason that I have smart lights that turn on and off on their own - mine even has a vacation mode with random patterns. And I know that everyone will have their preference on this, but I make sure that my SimpliSafe Yard Sign is clearly visible from the road; so potential intruders will be discouraged before they even approach.

 

But I’d like to hear from y’all. Was there anything that I missed? What sort of preparations do you do to get your home in shape before a vacation trip?