# When I'm not at home: simulate normal living in the home

**URL:** https://community.homey.app/t/when-im-not-at-home-simulate-normal-living-in-the-home/72759
**Category:** Flows
**Created:** [November 28, 2022, 7:32am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/when-im-not-at-home-simulate-normal-living-in-the-home/72759 "2022-11-28T07:32:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![anon61197305](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@anon61197305](https://community.homey.app/u/anon61197305)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2022, 7:32am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/when-im-not-at-home-simulate-normal-living-in-the-home/72759/1 "2022-11-28T07:32:57Z")

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I’d like to have a (virtual) mode I can turn on the simulate normal behaviour in our home.

For the living room, it’s easy: just turn the lights on at a certain time. But I also want to turn on the lights in hallways at random times. And also (less random, but longer) simulate the study. And maybe another room.

I am not quite sure how to simulate that. What would be the trigger? A random count down? And how to determine the room I am going to switch on? And how do I choose a lifelike routine (so that the study is turned on just once a night for several hours; and not every hour 5 minutes)?!

Do you have any tips?

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### Author: ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2022, 7:39am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/when-im-not-at-home-simulate-normal-living-in-the-home/72759/2 "2022-11-28T07:39:47Z")

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Does it really have to be that elaborate? Do you think burglars are scoping out your house, noting down your normal routines for weeks on end, so that any change it that routine would indicate you’re not at home?

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### Author: ![anon61197305](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@anon61197305](https://community.homey.app/u/anon61197305)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2022, 7:52am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/when-im-not-at-home-simulate-normal-living-in-the-home/72759/3 "2022-11-28T07:52:13Z")

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Maybe, maybe not. But it’s also nice to create a thing like this. See what is possible and what is not.

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### Author: ![DidierVU](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/didiervu/32/12458_2.png) [@DidierVU](https://community.homey.app/u/DidierVU)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2022, 9:17am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/when-im-not-at-home-simulate-normal-living-in-the-home/72759/4 "2022-11-28T09:17:52Z")

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You could for example use sunset/sundown as a variable and offset them with +“1-100” minutes. If you enter these values Homey will randomly pick a number between 1-100.

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### Author: ![DirkG](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dirkg/32/118897_2.png) [@DirkG](https://community.homey.app/u/DirkG)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2022, 10:05am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/when-im-not-at-home-simulate-normal-living-in-the-home/72759/5 "2022-11-28T10:05:34Z")

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Have a look at this [thread](https://community.homey.app/t/an-advanced-flow-for-simulation-away-lights/70746).

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### Author: ![anon61197305](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@anon61197305](https://community.homey.app/u/anon61197305)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2022, 3:47pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/when-im-not-at-home-simulate-normal-living-in-the-home/72759/6 "2022-11-28T15:47:43Z")

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I did not know that wait cards worked that way. That’s awesome.

@DirkG thanks, that seems complicated! I’ll have a look into it.

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### Author: ![FKey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/fkey/32/14793_2.png) [@FKey](https://community.homey.app/u/FKey)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2022, 6:31pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/when-im-not-at-home-simulate-normal-living-in-the-home/72759/7 "2022-11-28T18:31:56Z")

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I agree with Robert.  
If burglars take the time to monitor your house to see if you are actually moving around: they have targetted your house.

Most burglary is occasional.

Just do the livingroom fixed timeslots an maybe a “fake TV” unit in the bedroom will do the job in 99% of the cases
