When you decide to place your home on the market for sale, you are also inviting people that you don’t know to visit your home. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you hire a real estate agent to help sell your home. Real estate agents work together to get your property sold, and usually only schedule viewing appointments with qualified buyers prior to the showing. If you do host an open house, I always recommend checking windows and locks to make sure they are still secure after the open house ends. You never know who will be entering your home and it’s best to keep these seller safety tips in mind.
Several items that sound obvious to remove are items used daily like jewelry, laptops, headphones, tablets and other small electronics. Others are less obvious, like bank statements, prescription drugs, and bills with account numbers. Most buyers will want to open kitchen drawers, refrigerators and closets to see how much room there is for storage. Here is a list of some personal items that I recommend you remove prior to the start of any viewings:
Jewelry (Watches, Rings, Necklaces, Earrings, etc.)
Medications/Prescriptions
Firearms and Ammunition
Passports, Social Security Cards and Birth Certificates
Spare Keys
Laptops
Cash
Checks and Bank Statements
Bills with Account Numbers
Headphones
Antiques
Personal Photos
Briefcases or Computer Bags
Collectible Items and Breakables
Designer Handbags or Shoes! I also recommend to my sellers that they have a clothes basket to place items into as they hurry out for any showings. Keeping your medications or personal items in a suitcase is also a great way to make sure they are not left behind. Many of us have expensive designer items such as handbags and shoes, you want to make sure these items are not included in any photos or left in the home during viewings or open houses. Also remember that having spare keys hanging on a “hook” in the kitchen or placed in a “junk” drawer does not mean potential thieves cannot take them. Spare keys should also never be hidden under the doormat, in a planter or in any other hide-a-key place. Perhaps a trusted family member can hold on to the spare keys until the house sells. Do you have a file folder marked “personal documents” that contains your passports, social security cards and birth certificates? Perhaps the file box also has car titles, and other confidential items? The last thing you need is to have your identity stolen. It is best to remove the box entirely to a safe location. Personal photos should also be removed from the home. Buyers will want to visualize their family living in the home and not yours. Remember these precious photos will be online for the public to peek inside your home. Also remember that even if you have a vacant home for sale, it doesn’t mean trouble can happen. Vacant homes are subject to theft, fraud and squatters. Police reports of items stolen from vacant homes include copper pipes, furnaces, and appliances. It’s easy to post a fraudulent “rental ad” on an empty home that is for sale online. These ads can attract renters and the scammer will accept down payments to a home that isn’t even theirs to rent! One suggestion I recommend is to take photos of the home prior to removing all the furniture, this makes the house look like it is occupied. Have a neighbor park a car in the driveway. Add motion lights on the outside and program a lamp on a timer to turn on at dusk inside. Also make sure leaves or snow are removed regularly. Call your insurance company and inquire about vacant home policies that offer 30-day coverage in case of theft or vandalism. I hope these tips keep you (the seller) safe from theft or vandalism. Be prepared. Thank you for reading and please join my weekly email at www.stacypandy.com
Stacy Pandy, Realtor®
Howard Hanna
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