A holiday road trip has a lot of moving parts. Packing, loading the car, remembering provisions for the kids, rest stops… It’s going to be a hectic day.

If you’re a Kazar Security homeowner using our Alarm.com app, there are a few extra steps worth taking before you leave. They’ll save you plenty of time and worry on the road.

1: Schedule your smart lights

Making your home look occupied can deter unwelcome visitors when you’re away, and smart lighting is an effective way to do it.

Alarm.com lets you schedule and control your lights in several ways. They can come on at a certain time every day, or, for added realism, you can randomize the time by several minutes or simply schedule them for sunset. You can also use a motion sensor to activate your front porch lights whenever movement is detected.

2: Give a trusted neighbor access

If a neighbor is coming to check up on your home, give them their own user code to your front door and security system.

As well as being convenient (no more lost keys) unique user codes also give you peace of mind by generating a smartphone alert when used. You’ll know that your neighbor checked up on your home as planned, how long they stayed, and when they left.

3: Set up Geo-Services for your smart thermostat

You don’t want to waste energy heating your house while you’re away, but you don’t want to come back to an icebox either. Our Geo-Services feature takes care of both, switching your smart thermostat between ‘Home’ mode and ‘Away’ mode based on your location.

Staying home for the holidays? Check out these fun ways to use your Alarm.com app system.

In your Alarm.com app, you create a geo-fence: a ring on a digital map around your home. When you (and your smartphone) cross the geo-fence, Alarm.com switches your thermostat to ‘Away’, turning down your heating to save money. When you cross the fence on your way back, your thermostat will switch to ‘Home’ for a warm and comfortable welcome.

You can create several geo-fences, starting at a radius of one mile from your home. To have your house heated when you return, use a fence that equals roughly 30 minutes of driving time.

4: Don’t forget to lock up!

Ever embarked on a road trip only to wonder if you locked the front door?

Before you leave, make sure that you enable an arming reminder in your Alarm.com app. Should you forget to lock your door or arm your security system, Alarm.com sends you an alert that lets you secure your home in a single touch.

Have a safe trip!

Don’t have a Kazar Security system in your home yet? Make sure you have it for your next trip! To get started, call (918) 551-6196 for a free quote.