No matter how you choose to sell your home, one fact will always be constant – strangers will be interacting with one of your most valuable assets and private spaces. Ensuring that your home is secure during the showing, inspection, survey, and other potential intrusions into your space is key to a smooth residential home selling experience.
With so much of our lives embedded into our homes, it is easy to overlook potential vulnerabilities during your showings. You’ll want to ensure the safety of yourself, your family, your property, and your belongings while making your potential home buyers feel welcome and relaxed. From the obvious (lock up your Rolex watch) to things you may never have considered (controlled access with a technical twist), here is what you should consider when you’re preparing your home for showings during the selling process.
Secure Your Valuable Property
From controlled one-on-one showings with buyer’s agents to busy weekend open houses, people unknown to you are going to find themselves in the private company of you and your belongings. While it may seem obvious, it’s important not to overlook the security of your most valuable belongings. For extremely valuable items, it may be worth considering moving them off site for maximum protection. Consider asking your family for temporary placement in their possession or renting a short-term storage unit.
Secure The Home You’re Selling
Your property is the most valuable asset that will be at risk during the sale of your home. Modern smart home security tech is both friendly and powerful in its ability to protect your home while maintaining an inviting atmosphere. Consider an outdoor camera that monitors the entrances where potential buyers will first enter your property along with interior cameras in high traffic public spaces. A living room and kitchen camera are in high traffic areas that give you the ability to monitor the activities of your buyers to ensure their safety, the safety of your things, and have record of any potential incidents that may occur during the showing process. Do not, however, install cameras where privacy is expected such as bathrooms.
Controlling Access to Your Home
Lockboxes have been the preferred method of storing keys on site to give temporary access to buyer’s agents and their clients. However, modern technology has given us powerful and convenient ways to allow for more flexible and high-tech entrance options that give you greater peace of mind when selling your home. Smart locks with keypads and app-based keys can be easily installed DIY into your door’s deadbolt. The benefit of a digital lock is that you can control access to provide a more secure and tailored way to enter your home. Provide a key or code the day of your showing and revoke access two hours or by the end of the same day to ensure that entry is only granted for the duration of your agreed upon time. Additionally, with products such as August and Eufy, you will be able to maintain a log of entrances and exits into your home.
Have A Plan for What to Do if Something Does Go Wrong
In the rare event that an item is stolen, someone is hurt, or you experience a noteworthy incident during the sale of your home, it is important to plan for how to respond. Before inviting people into your home, it is a good idea to speak with your insurance agent regarding your coverage. Be sure to discuss possible incidents that could be experienced during this process and allow them to guide you toward properly covering yourself in case you are exposed to liability. Finally, identify and understand the legal process for reporting and resolving potential issues that may arise during the sale of your home. We recommend that you have handy your local non-emergency number, double check your fire alarms and extinguishers (put them somewhere easy to find) and have an up to date first aid kit in your home.
When showing your home, there are endless combinations of people who may visit your property. It is best to be aware of the potential liabilities you may experience and do your best to protect yourself against possible exposure with the right tools. If you still have questions or concerns about the security of your family and your home during the journey ahead, we invite you to start a complimentary consultation with our team.