7 Simple But Powerful Home Safety Tips for Sellers

Home safety may not be at the forefront of your mind when you’re selling your home, but it really should be. In the rush to sell, many homeowners neglect safety and security when their homes are on the market. I’ve viewed a number of homes for sale where in the rush to get their homes listed, sellers compromised their own safety. My own home was broken into while it was on the market several years ago, and we had to then take it off the market while cleanup and repairs were made. It was a horrible situation that could have been avoided.

Here are 7 home simple home safety tips sellers should follow before putting a home on the market:

1. Put away anything personal that can identify you or your family members. This includes photos, mail and professional degrees. Not only can having these items on display compromise your safety, they prevent potential buyers from imagining themselves living in the home. You need to live differently in your home than you normally do when it’s on the market.
2. Clear off the kitchen counters, especially dangerous items such a knife blocks. Take carving knives and scissors out of kitchen drawers too, and put them somewhere less accessible. Your kitchen will look better and be far safer with clear counters.
3. If, by some chance, you still have a landline phone, turn off the ringer and mute the answering machine. Potential buyers should not hear any messages being left for you or your family. It’s a distraction and can compromise your privacy and security.
4. Insist that anyone viewing your home enter by using the lockbox. Then your agent will have a record of the buyer’s agent who showed your home. This was particularly important when our home was burglarized while on the market. We knew who had entered and when.
5. Put all valuables in a secure location, preferably outside your home. Make sure all jewelry, passports, checkbooks and cash cannot be easily accessed by anyone at a showing or open house. Take prescription drugs out of medicine cabinets and remove any identifying information about you, your children and their schools.
6. Remove laptops and tablets during showings. Home offices usually contain quite a bit of personal information about the homeowners. Put all paperwork away and remove items from bulletin boards.
7. Check that all doors and windows are securely locked after showings, including the door to the garage. Make sure latches and locks on outside gates are secure.

Having a home on the market can be really stressful, as your home must be kept extremely clean and tidy to appeal to potential buyers. It must also be kept safe. I can say from personal experience that having our home burglarized while it was for sale was a frightening ordeal that I wouldn’t wish on any home seller. Make your home as safe and secure as possible while it’s on the market. You’ll have peace of mind during the unsettling selling period. And that’s priceless.