support of watching over the vacant home. Ask them to report any unusual activity at your home. Ask them to keep a watchful eye on your home. Alerting your neighborhood watch group or association is helpful. Your real estate agent can also make periodic checks of the property. Informing neighbors your house is for sale can even drive unexpected leads under surprising circumstances. • Create an illusion of an occupied status. Though you might be advised to leave the property unoccupied while it is listed for sale, there is no reason to leave it looking empty with an invitation to damage. During a home sale, it is likely photos of the home and address are posted and viewed on the internet. An entirely vacant house can be an invitation to vandalism, copper theft, or other damage. Criminals can view interior photos to determine whether the property has indications of being vacant. Some simple staging can create an impression the home is occupied. This also provides a welcoming ambiance in your home for prospects being shown through. Therefore, adopt some staging strategies like leaving some furniture inside. Use interior and exterior lights on sensors and timers. • Rethink risks of an open house in a va e in a vacant home. While some real estate agents advise frequent open houses, others say open houses do not sell homes and are merely a waste of time and effort. While selling a vacant home, you have the options of whether to hold open houses. However, know there are several drawbacks to open houses to discourage having them. The risks of holding
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