It’s essential you perform numerous checks on your property. Make sure all doors and windows are secured. In addition to ensuring you have closed all the windows and doors on all the floors, consider adding deadbolt locks and chains to doors and wooden or metal sticks in sliding door tracks. Ask a trusted friend or family member to check on your property between showings to ensure nothing was left unlocked.
Set Up a Security System
While you may have to incur a monthly fee for these installations, this can significantly bring down the probability of break-ins in a vacant home. A wireless security system can be very effective. Some companies connect to your smartphone, so you can keep an eye on your home remotely. Installing a motion detection device can also help secure your home.
Recover Mail and Newspapers Frequently
An overflowing mailbox or a newspaper pile in front of your home will give onlookers an idea that the home is unoccupied. Therefore, have the Post Office forward all mail and inform publishers of newspapers and magazines of your new address.
Leave the Lights On
It’s a good idea to leave the lights on in vacant homes. While it is a waste of power to leave the lights on during the daytime, you may arrange to turn the interior and exterior lights on during the night by installing timers so that the lights turn on and off automatically during the night. This can paint a picture to onlookers that there’s some activity going on in the home. It’s also equally important to keep the exterior well-lit so that any suspicious activity can be seen by the neighbors and passersby.
84
Powered by FlippingBook