Safety First! Know who is in your Home

Selling your home?   Think Safety  First!

Listing your home with a reputable Realtor is one of the safest things you can do! 

For Sale By Owners are subject to drive-bys, tire kickers, and lookie loos.  If you are a FSBO, you have no way of knowing whether the prospective buyer is a qualified buyer or just a bored person who has nothing better to do than tour homes and open houses.  I know that lots of agents hold Open Houses, but the statistics don't show that many homes sell because of one.

That being said, here are some common sense ideas for you to consider:

• List your home with a reputable Realtor®.  Selling your home by yourself can not only be a huge inconvenience, it may take longer to sell, and can put your safety at risk.
• Never let anyone in to your home without a Realtor® with them and without an appointment. • Some buyers will knock on your door and ask for a peek.  Kindly, ask them to call their Realtor®, or give them the name and number of your Realtor® to show the property.
• If you occupy your property, only allow an electronic lock box for your key storage.  If you ever need to know who has been in your home, your Realtor® can read the box.  Use a combination box only for vacant homes.
• Be sure that all doors are locked when you are home and when you leave.
• Remove jewelry.  It is a good idea to get a Safe Deposit Box for valuable items and papers.
• Put medications in non-visible place.
• Store breakable collectibles away.
• Protect electronics and remote controls.
• Remove any guns or weapons from the property or store them in a safe.
• If it is important to you, remove it.