When your house is on the market, you inevitably will have people come through your home to tour the property. This is great because it increases the exposure for your listing and improves your chances of getting top dollar for your home.
But some homeowners are nervous about having strangers come through their homes, particularly when it comes to personal items. While it’s rare for personal items to get damaged or go missing after a showing, it’s not completely unheard of. At Sequoia Real Estate, we want to make sure our sellers are as comfortable as possible with the idea of having people tour their homes. So we have a few tips to help you protect your personal items while your home is on the market.
5 Ways to Protect Your Personal Items When Your Home Is On the Market
1. Safely Store or Remove Valuables
The most effective way to protect your valuables is to make them inaccessible to the people touring your home. High-value items like jewelry and collectibles can be stored in a safe or even a safe deposit box in a secure location like a bank.
2. Insist on Qualified Buyers
Naturally, you want all serious buyers to be able to see your home so they can confidently make an offer. But it’s ok to require that buyers be qualified to purchase your home before they make an appointment to tour it. Serious buyers typically complete a mortgage pre-approval process to confirm that they can qualify for a home loan large enough to cover the purchase of your house. All-cash buyers only need to show proof of funds to their agents to confirm their status as qualified buyers.
This does give buyers a small hurdle to jump before seeing your home, but it also limits your traffic to buyers with the means to purchase your home.
3. Use a Home Security System
If you have a home security system, most local jurisdictions allow you to have your security cameras running during home showings. You should just have a conspicuously-placed sign to let buyers know that the security cameras are rolling.
4. Fake a Home Security System
In most cases, the idea that the home may be under surveillance is enough to make buyers extra careful with your belongings. If you don’t have a home security system, you can still post a security system sign to make visitors think someone may be watching.
5. Move Your Belongings Out and Stage the Home
If you are still nervous about your belongings despite these precautions, you may want to consider moving all of your personal belongings out of the home and having a home stager bring in items to replace your personal things.
With this strategy, you can be completely confident that your belongings are not exposed to the public. You also get the benefit of having a professional stager design a space that will appeal to as many prospective buyers as possible. Home staging often results in faster sales and higher sales prices.
Are You Planning to Sell?
Being professionally represented by a well-qualified listing agent is the key to getting the results you want from your home sale. Whether you’re ready to sell now or you just have general questions about the selling process, contact Sequoia Real Estate today for a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our real estate experts.