Preparing your home sale is more than just deep cleaning, decluttering, and minor repairs. Prepare and plan how to protect your valuables during the sale.
I often write about preparing your home for a sale. Of course, that preparation is to make your home sell quicker and get the best price. However, preparing your home is more than just deep cleaning, decluttering, and minor repairs. Preparing and planning how to protect your valuables will not only keep the prying eyes of nosey home buyers focused on your home’s spaces – it can also thwart would-be criminals.
Homes for sale are prime targets for thieves, and your home is not an exemption. Don’t make it easy for them. It may sound obvious – use common sense. However, you’d be surprised how many home sellers don’t lock up their valuables. In my many years of selling homes, I have seen how home sellers can be careless by leaving credit cards, cash, medications, and financial statements on counters and desks. There was one instance where the owner left their gun cabinet open!
And theft doesn’t only occur during open houses. Your possessions can go missing at any time. Anyone can have “sticky fingers,” even rogue real estate agents (agents have been arrested for stealing from a listed home). A Washington State agent was caught stealing prescription medications last year. Another agent faced criminal charges for stealing jewelry.
Additionally, criminals take the opportunity of an open house (and even virtual tours) to stake out your home; only to strike at a later time. So think about laying out your expensive china just to stage your home.
Yes, thieves are looking for anything of value in your home. Besides jewelry and cash, they will take anything they think they can personally use or sell. Medications are a commodity to thieves; and anything with personal identification can be used in ID theft.
I am often asked, “Should I install surveillance cameras?” A few years ago, a home with surveillance cameras was not typical. Seeing the cameras often turned off home buyers because they felt “creeped out” and didn’t like the idea of being watched. However, in today’s cyber-world, where surveillance cameras are nearly everywhere, surveillance cameras have become increasingly commonplace. Before you go out and install cameras in your home, you need to understand the legal implications by consulting with an attorney or privacy legal expert.
Don’t just put away your jewelry and other items of importance, lock them up! If you’re not one of the millions of home owners who has a safe or strongbox, there are other options such as storing items in other locations (safe deposit boxes; someone else’s home; and even a rented storage unit).
Burglar alarms are a mixed blessing. Besides deterring crime, real estate agents often set them off; which can be a nuisance and possibly result in a fine for you (more info on false alarms and fines can be obtained from the Montgomery County Police False Alarm Reduction Section).
If you haven’t already deployed crime deterrents in and around your home, consider using interior and exterior lighting. Exterior lights can help identify night time visitors, as well as possibly deterring would-be thieves. Consider using timers or motion sensing lights. Motion sensing lights will activate the light when people approach your home.
Would-be thieves casing your home look for easy entry points. Lock up your ladders and secure your shed so as not giving criminals the tools to get inside.
And although you may be told that lockboxes are fool proof, only allowing agents in your home – it’s the user that is the weak link. Careless agents sometimes leave doors unlocked or open, or do not fully close the lockbox, leaving the key free to be used by any passerby.
Your agent can be part of your protection plan. Consider having your agent accompany all showings. Additionally, have more than one person during an open house. This can not only help protect your valuables, but the direct agent contact may be influential in your home sale.
For more information on protecting your valuables, check out Montgomery County Police’s brochure “Home Security, Safety Tips to Keep Your Home and Valuables Safe.”
Original published at https://dankrell.com/blog/2017/02/25/protect-your-valuables-home-sale/
Copyright © Dan Krell
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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.
