Light up and secure entryways in vacant homes for sale to deter crime.
You’ve moved out of your home, it’s now vacant, and you have it on the market for sale. As the economy gets tougher, more burglaries and break-ins will occur. You can protect your vacant home from crime now to help prevent needless repairs and lost sales later.
Homeowners’ insurance policies typically don’t cover a home left vacant for over 30 days due to potential damage from vandals, burglars or neglect. Therefore, if something happens to your for-sale home, you as the homeowner would be covering all expenses to repair the property to keep in on the market. This is especially true if your home loan is backed by HUD, who requires that the homeowner maintain the property and pay for any expenses to do so until sold.
Even though you no longer live in your former home, you can still work to keep the home and neighborhood safe to better attract a homebuyer. A faster sale means less upkeep and expense for you. Try these tips to crime-proof your vacant home.
Tips To Crime-Proof Vacant Home
- Stage the home. Use nice but inexpensive furniture, throw rugs and props like dishes, candles, books, magazines, towels, baskets, etc. to give a home that lived-in feel. Don’t leave valuables in the home. View my blog on budget staging tips for more how-tos.
- Keep utilities on. Outside lights left on by back or side doors and any other hidden points of entry will deter vandals.
- Arm your alarm system. A home alarm can be left on if utilities are on. Be sure to give your real estate agent the code and be certain they give it out to buyer’s agents only with proper identification.
- Secure home. Make sure all windows and doors are securely locked.
- Maintain yard. Avoid overgrown bushes and grass. Do lawn care as needed.
- Inform neighbors. Tell all your neighbors before you move that you are selling your home after you move out. Give them the name and contact information of your real estate agent. Ask them to call police if anything suspicious is seen.
- Think about a home sitter. A home sitter will liven up and protect your home, stage it with their furniture and pay you a small fee. Although a home sitter is not considered to be renting the home, their presence will prove to the insurance company and potential criminals that the home is not vacant.
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