Safety is important to all of us, especially at home. But what about home security while a house is on the market and you have the foot traffic of strangers? There are few other times when random people have access to your home and belongings (even if it’s temporarily).
If you’re worried about home security during showings, here are a few areas to consider.
Home Security System
For starters, what kind of surveillance system do you have in place? While you shouldn’t be spying on your visitors—especially in situations where they should expect privacy—it’s within your rights to monitor your property and the items in it. Consider buying, repairing or expanding your security system for your home, at least when you’re showing it. A professional locksmith company like A-1 Locksmith Security and Safes is a great place to turn for enhancing the security of your home.
Doorbell Cameras
If you don’t feel the need to invest in an entire security system (or you don’t want the expense right before you sell), a doorbell camera is another valuable option. You can record who is visiting your home, yet visitors get privacy for the rest of their tour. A video or voice intercom system can add another layer of protection and visibility—while primarily a commercial security need, it might be a wise idea at any access point. (Especially if your home is quite large.)
Keys
If your home has already had a security issue in the past—or you encounter a visitor you don’t trust—it might be wise to get new locks and/or keys installed. At the very least, you can create duplicate keys for real estate agents and the people on tour of your home so you don’t lose the only copies you own.
Valuables
Do you have valuable items or belongings out in the open during showings? This is a bad idea for obvious reasons. But we’ll take it a step further and suggest that you don’t keep any valuables in the home at all during this showing period. Or, invest in a home safe where you can securely keep the items most important to you.
Insurance
Even if you consider all of these areas and put security protections in place for your home during showings things can still happen. Criminals can still try to break in, people can steal more than you’d think and children or other visitors can damage the home. In light of this, make sure you have good insurance in place and that it’s up to date, as well as covers these incidents.
Home security during showings might not be your primary consideration as you’re inundated with moving, staging, market volatility etc., but one mistake here can ruin the entire experience for you.
If you’d like more home security tips—during showings or any other time—contact A-1 Locksmith today!
