7 Ways to Keep Your Property Safe
Written by Marie LeBlanc at Transitions Liquidation Services
What do you do if you are ready to move but your current home hasn’t sold yet? A property that is unoccupied is at risk for a break-in, graffiti, damaged appliances, stolen copper wiring and broken windows. This all add up to thousands of dollars in repairs and incalculable heartache.
Be sure to advise your real estate agent of your plans so that extra precautions can be taken once your property is vacant. While you are no longer there, you want to keep your home safe and convince passersby that the home is still occupied.
Here’s how to do it:
- Get the word out to a select few.
Make sure that your neighbors on each side of your house and your local police department know that the home will be vacant for a time.
- Maintain the lawn.
An unmaintained lawn and yard is a “neon sign” that the home is unoccupied. Make sure the lawn is mowed regularly and the garden is weeded. Have neighbors put some of their trash in your trash barrel and put it out on your trash day.
- Don’t Let Paper Pile Up
Be sure to forward your mail and stop newspaper deliveries. Again, ask neighbors to be on the lookout for the “throw-aways” or phone books that sometimes end up in your driveway or front porch.
- Make Repairs
Ask your realtor to report any outside repairs that may need to be taken care of after you’ve moved. A cracked window, broken railing, loose shutter, or porch light that needs replacement are things that a live-in owner would fix. Line up a near-by handyman who you can call to complete these repairs in your absence.
- Use Your Driveway
Ask a neighbor to park a car in your driveway. Many families with more than one car will be happy for the extra space, and a car parked in the driveway is a great deterrent.
- Leave the Curtains Behind
Be sure to leave curtains or blinds or some window treatment on the windows and keep them drawn or closed, even at the back of the house, in the event a potential vandal wants to peek in to see what’s inside.
- Keep the Lights On
Make use of light timers and connect them to inexpensive lamps you can leave behind. Place them throughout the house and set the times to go on and off in different rooms at appropriate times of the day and night.
Here’s to a safe move and a quick sale! But … if for some reason you need to move before the sale, these seven safeguards will help ensure a protected home and peace of mind for you. For more information, call Marie LeBlanc at Transitions Liquidation Services at 617-513-0433.
Transitions Liquidation Services owner, Marie LeBlanc earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the General Motors Institute in Flint, MI; an MBA from Nichols College in Dudley, MA; and worked in various management positions for many high-tech manufacturers. But when she experienced the stress of spending nights and weekends sorting, packing, selling, and disposing of personal property following the death of a loved one, Marie knew her mission was to lift the same burden from others facing this difficult task. In fact, that’s the reason she started Transitions Liquidation in 2002.
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