Looking through the new listings on the MLS today I saw something that is not uncommon, but is absolutely crazy. There was a photo of a little girl’s room with her name on the wall. Would any parent knowingly publish their home address with the names of their children under normal circumstances? To compound the danger, with the photos one can probably figure out from the outside of the house just what room is little “Katy’s”.
When selling your home, your agent should also be giving you recommendations on how to keep your family and belongings safe throughout the process. In addition to taking your child’s name off the wall, some other safety tips include:
- Don’t let anyone that knocks on your door into your home. Have them call their agent, or they can call yours to make an appointment. Any serious home buyer will respect your request.
- Lock away any valuables, cameras, laptops, jewelry, money, prescription medications, firearms, keys, garage door openers, etc.
- With identity theft on the rise, file away all personal documents, credit cards, bills, memory sticks, and take the extra time to turn the computer off.
- Take down the family calendar. Why advertise when you will be out of the house or what is happening in your personal lives?
Your agent should be covering these and other safety precautions with you before you put your home on the market. If they aren’t, give me a call.