Home Security 101: What To Do Before Leaving Town

This article is sponsored by Ring.

It's never too early to start thinking about travel plans for your next vacation. And whether you're hoping to book a weekend getaway somewhere close by or you're planning to travel somewhere far away, there are a few things you need to do before you leave town. In addition to packing your bags and getting your family ready for your trip, you'll want to make sure your home is secure while you're away.

Fortunately, using the security tips below can help keep your home safe so you can enjoy your vacation stress-free.

Physically Secure Your Home

While locking all your doors and windows before you leave town is a no-brainer, there are a few other precautions you can take for extra home security. First off, you should never hide spare keys outside your home. If someone you trust is house-sitting, be sure to give them a spare key before you leave.

It's also important to avoid having your mail pile up while you're away. Have your trusted house-sitter or neighbor pick it up each day. They can either give it to you when you return or you can have them leave it inside your house if you've provided them with a spare key.

In addition to double-checking your locks, you can also secure sliding doors with a long piece of wood or metal placed between the door and the wall, as well as unplug your garage door opener.

Make It Look Like You're At Home

No one needs to know that you're out of town and that your house is empty. And, fortunately, there are some great ways to make it appear as though you're home, even when you're away.

Before you leave, make sure you have a plan to maintain the outside of your home. This could include arranging to have your lawn mowed, having your mail stopped and asking a neighbor to take out and bring in your trash on collection days. It's also important to leave your house looking as it normally does from the outside when you're at home, whether that's keeping the curtains open or the front lights on.

You can also automate your home with smart home devices to make it seem as if someone is there. Use motion-activated outdoor lights that turn on every time someone steps on your property. If you have an Alexa-enabled device, like an Amazon Echo, you can use Alexa Routines to schedule your smart lights or lights that use wifi-enabled smart plugs to turn on or off at a specific time. This can help give the illusion that someone is at home even when it's empty.

Get Smart Home Security

Installing smart security, such as a Ring Alarm Home Security Kit, can help keep you connected to your home and bring you peace of mind — even when you're halfway around the world. The second-generation Ring Alarm offers whole-home security and is available in several different bundles:

• Ring Alarm 5-Piece Kit: Ideal for an apartment or condo, this bundle offers everything you need to protect one window or door, and add motion detection to one room.
• Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit: If you're looking for a little extra coverage for a small space, you can also opt for this bundle, which covers up to four windows or doors.
• Ring Alarm 10-Piece Kit: If you live in a home with one to two bedrooms, you may want to consider this bundle, which helps protect up to five windows or doors and adds motion detection to two rooms.
• Ring Alarm 14-Piece Kit: For a larger home with three or more bedrooms, this bundle may be the right choice. It can help you protect up to eight windows or doors, and adds motion detection to two rooms.

Each kit includes a Base Station, at least one Keypad, at least one Motion Detector, a Range Extender and Contact Sensor/s. Setup is simple, and you can add more sensors and security devices at any time based on your security needs. There are also additional accessories that you can add on to your Ring Alarm Security, such as:

• Smoke & CO Listener: Can be placed near your existing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to give you real-time alerts on your phone if they sound their siren.
• Flood & Freeze Sensor: Helps detect water and low temperatures so you can stay ahead of costly water damage.
• Panic Button: Can be placed anywhere in your home for an extra touch of security. Press and hold the Alarm Panic Button for three seconds to sound the siren on your Ring Alarm and request emergency services, (available when you subscribe to a compatible Ring Protect Plan and opt in to professional monitoring).

The Ring App allows you to sync all of your Ring devices and manage them all from one simple dashboard, whether you're home or away. You'll also receive real time notifications from your devices and have the option to personalize your notification preferences so you only receive the alerts you care about.

When it comes to arming your Alarm, you have three Mode options: Disarmed, Home and Away. So as you're heading out of town, you can arm all sensors by setting the alarm to Away Mode. You can also arm or disarm the alarm no matter where you are from the Ring App.

Get the most out of your Ring Alarm when you subscribe to a compatible Ring Protect plan and enroll in 24/7 professional monitoring, a service that gives you around-the-clock protection when an emergency arises in your home. In addition to receiving notifications when any of your security sensors are triggered, your alarm will also alert the Ring Monitoring Center who will call you to see if you need emergency assistance and request help if necessary.

Looking to add some extra protection to your home while you're away on vacation? Ring is here to help. Just answer a few simple questions to build the Ring Alarm Security Kit that will put your mind at ease and allow you to enjoy your well-deserved time off, worry-free. You can also call 1-833-939-1101 to speak to a Ring Security Expert for free and learn what products are the best fit for your home.

Shop the Ring Alarm Home Security Kit now and start building a ring of security around your home.