Top Security Tips When You’re Selling Your Home

With the real estate market heating up – especially in a number of markets that were hit particularly hard during the recession – more homeowners are making the move to sell their homes. The stats have improved dramatically on homes “under water” (where the mortgage is more than the market price of the home), and foreclosures are way down. All this is good news for the US housing market.

Since summer is traditionally a busy time for real estate transactions, and there are lots of homes for sale, here’s some great advice on how to protect your home when you’re in selling mode. After all, burglars are the most active during the summer months, and house with a “For Sale” sign may look particularly vulnerable – unless it also has an alarm company sign in the yard!

Top Home Security Tips When Your House is for Sale

Selling a home can be a stressful time, even without the added worry of the additional security threats a homeowner faces from having a home on the market. In fact, many homeowners may leave their home open to these threats, without realizing that having a home for sale makes it a vulnerable target to thieves and criminals.

1.    If a home is not already equipped with a security system, it may be a good time to find an inexpensive do-it-yourself alarm system that can be added quickly and without spending a lot of money – and that will make a home more secure during the selling process. Many wireless home alarm systems offer components that can be added to a home for additional security, without making the big investment of installing an entire home security system.

2.    Never leave valuables out in the open. There may be valuables lying around a home that the homeowner doesn't even think about, but to a burglar posing as a potential buyer, these are tempting targets. Even if a homeowner is not expecting a showing, it may be that the realtor shows up unexpectedly, so keep valuables put away at all times when a home is on the market.

3.    If possible, have a real estate agent schedule showings and appointments only during times that a member of the household will be able to be home. This may require tricky scheduling (and some realtors may not like it), but doing so will allow the homeowner to monitor the situation at all times.

4.    Check doors and windows after a home showing. Would-be burglars may use a home showing as an opportunity to leave windows and doors unlocked for their return, so be sure to carefully check that all potential entry points are properly latched and locked after each appointment.

5.    Don’t give a real estate agent the primary security system code. Many alarm systems allow for the creation of secondary codes for service people. A temporary code can be disabled after it is no longer needed.

6.    Rather than offering open houses, many home sellers now opt to do appointment-only showings. This allows to realtor and homeowner to have more control over the situation and reduce security risks.

We like these suggestions – particularly since we are all about protecting your home and family, whether you’re just moving in… or about to move out. You might also appreciate our Top 10 Home Security Tips – great advice on how to make your home less susceptible to burglary. For one thing, it’s been shown that a home with a monitored alarm system is only one third as likely to suffer a break-in as the unprotected home next door. And with a burglary happening in the US roughly every 14 seconds (according to the FBI), it amazes me that only about one in five homes has such a system – especially one with safer cellular monitoring, such as FrontPoint sells.

Most intrusions are random acts, often committed to feed a drug habit. We know a lot about burglar behavior – such as where burglars break in, and what burglars steal once they’re in your home.  All this is very helpful information, and we want to be a valued source of education when it comes to protecting your home and family.

FrontPoint is always on the case with systems that are safer, smarter, simpler, and more affordable. As the leader in wireless home security and the #1 rated alarm company in the US, FrontPoint can help with your peace of mind – no matter where your next dream home is located. And remember, with FrontPoint, your alarm system moves with you!