Secure Your Home When You List It
I see a lot of homes in the course of my real estate activities and I’m often amazed by what I see inside those homes.
It’s common to see personal documents lying around, including bills, bank statements, tax papers, checkbooks, legal papers, correspondence, etc.
Those documents can provide a buyer with clues about a seller’s circumstances and be used against an unwitting seller in negotiations.
What do you suppose a buyer thinks when they see several “Final Notice” or “Payment Overdue” statements lying on a kitchen counter, combined with “Price Reduced” on the sign in the front yard?
Or, divorce papers lying in plain sight?
I also see homes with firearms, jewelry, loose change, wallets, purses, piggy banks, and other valuables left out in plain sight.
Even worse, I routinely see prescription drugs left out on bathroom counters.
All of the above items should be stored out of sight when you list your home for sale.
Buyer’s agents do their best to keep an eye on buyers (or those posing as buyers) when they’re showing your home, but they can’t be everywhere and see everything while they’re showing your home.
It’s better to be prudent than sorry.
October 29th, 2012 Posted in Inside Real Estate
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