Selling your home requires opening your doors to the masses. Potential buyers need to see the house in person and visualize themselves living there. And they won’t be passively walking through; they will be looking in your closets, opening cabinets and probing storage areas, and understandably so. Anyone seriously interested in purchasing your home will want to look in these places to see if they suit their needs.
Unfortunately, not everyone coming through may be interested in buying. The sad fact is that, though rare, there are individuals who will visit a listed property with the intention to steal valuables, personal information and even prescription medication. Of course realtors will typically accompany their client through a home if for no other reason than to point out features and try to make the sale. But sometimes (especially in open houses) agents will let potential buyers browse on their own. Even if you have a diligent agent , these criminals will work in groups of two or more and wonder in separate directions to make it difficult for her to keep an eye on everyone.
The easiest way to avoid being a victim is to put everything away. And that doesn’t mean stick your mail in the kitchen “junk drawer”. I spoke with a colleague a few weeks ago and she told me that while showing a home, her client opened a kitchen drawer and the homeowners credit card bill was laying face up in the drawer—account numbers and all right there for the world to see. This is obviously something that you will want to avoid.
Purchase a lockbox or two and put all your important papers in them. Empty your medicine cabinet of prescription drugs, which contain not only the drugs but substantial personal information as well! Don’t leave spare house or car keys sitting out or on key holders. It may seem like a lot of work, but your peace of mind is worth it.
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