Selling … put your valuables away!

An agent will do everything she can to protect your assets, but if you have a new agent and a thief that has been a thief for 20 years - who has more experience? Remove the temptation - put it away. After all, they aren't buying your jewelry - they're supposed to be buying your house. You are moving anyway, pack some of your special things a bit early to play it safe. You'll appreciate them more when you unpack at your new house ... and you'll still have them. Well priced homes are selling quickly these days so your security efforts won't mean that you will be without the pleasure of your valuables for very long.

Marketing your home is a very safe endeavor and experienced agents have learned to be aware to protect your assets. The MLS Lockbox systems are now technical marvels that not only record the entry of the agent showing the house, they give your agents the showing date, time and agent information when they update their Lockbox keys so they can follow up for you. The keys must be updated very often so if one is lost it can't be used improperly.

Theft during a home showing is a rare event, but it is not unusual for us to show a home and see rings, watches, cameras and cash carelessly left in full view. This always causes us to pause and creates great consternation when there are several people in the viewing party, i.e.- a family with kids running around, two couples looking together, etc. It places an unfair burden on your agent to protect those assets when in fact they should be focused on presenting your home and qualifying the potential buyers as to its fulfilling their wants and needs. The distraction to the agent actually works against you.

Don't leave your watch, rings, and wallet on the dresser. You will be having strangers through your house and it is a distraction to their purpose - the purchase of your house - to be tantalized by vulnerable valuables. You don't put your watch on the dash of your car when you are selling it and you don't give home tours to somebody over to buy your camera. Put your small precious things out of sight. While you're at it ... consider what else might be visible that you wouldn't want publicized. We've seen some very private items left in full display - some legal, some not - that the buyers were uncomfortable viewing. This, too, is detrimental to the sale of your home.