Safeguard Your Home’s Value: Protect Your House During a Showing

It’s easy to get preoccupied with making the house look perfect for showings but safety is a bigger concern. With strangers walking around your house during showings, precautions for your Hudson house for sale will make sellers feel safe. Below are 5 tips to protect your house during a showing.

The buyers are supervised by a real estate agent but there is still a lot of foot traffic through your home. A security system is helpful as a tool for owners but it is a felony to record anyone without their permission. Most buyers have good intentions and showings are usually problem free but it’s best to prepare just in case.

Hide your valuables

Sellers should hide their valuables when selling their Hudson house for sale. Removing jewelry, electronics like phones, tablets or laptops and other valuable items is always a good idea when you have strangers coming to your home. You can put them in a safe or hide them so that they are not in plain sight. Even medications and identifying paperwork should be kept locked away as prescription drug theft or identity theft can also become a problem. Weapons such as guns and large kitchen knives should also be locked up or removed to prevent theft and further protect you.

Replace Artwork

If you have expensive artwork in your home it’s best to replace it with prints or reproductions prior to listing your home on the market. If your house will be empty it’s even more important to take them down prior to your move. When in doubt take it down and pack it away.

Remove Personal Photos

A homey feel is great as it can help buyers imagine their family in your home. However, with lots of new people in your home it is best to protect your family. Putting away personal photos protects the sellers and their family. You want the buyers to be able to look around and envision themselves and their family instead of yours.

Have buyers sign in

During open houses buyers should sign in and leave their name and phone number. Then if there is suspicion of theft, there is a record of who attended during the open house. When other agents show the house they will also leave their information. Signing in helps keep track of everyone who looks at the house.

Secure the house

Make sure the sellers have their house securely locked before showings. When possible the listing agent should use a supra to gain access to the house so that when agents enter the house there is a way to track it.

It’s important to think about safety with so many prospective buyers entering and exiting the sellers’ house. It is important to protect homeowners and their identities. It’s impossible to keep an eye on everyone at all times. Although most buyers are honest, consider the possibility that some aren’t. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.