Home Showings: Protecting Your Home and Yourself

It is inevitable. At some point during your home sale journey, strangers will step foot inside. Rarely do home buyers buy a property sight unseen. They want to see it. They want to touch it. Ultimately, they want to picture themselves living there. And you want that for them as well. But you worry about safety. And with the number of reported positive COVID cases on the rise in Riverside County recently, that may also include your health. When it comes to home showings, what steps should you take to protect your home and yourself?

Home Showings: Protecting Your Home and Yourself

Avoid Open Houses

First of all, some real estate agents like them. Others do not see any value in them. They may encourage a potential buyer to ask their own agent to set up a private showing. Ultimately, they bring many people into your home. More traffic may increase the possibility of someone stealing from you. After all, your agent cannot be everywhere at once. Talk to your REALTOR® about whether or not they believe an open house is necessary.

Clean Before, Clean After

Even with private home showings only, you still need to be cautious. Sanitize all surfaces, including door knobs, light switches, faucets, and countertops before a showing. Then go through the house and repeat these steps afterward.

Limit Contact

The fewer points of contact, the lower the chance of spreading germs. Open up all the blinds in your home. Make sure views out of your window remain unobstructed from window treatments. Turn on the light in every single room and closet. Leave all interior doors open.

Secure Your Valuables

This includes jewelry and watches as well as financial documents, passports, and other important paperwork. Take all prescriptions and other medicines out of the medicine cabinet in your bathrooms. Even regular mail may be enough for a sly criminal to grab for use later (like for identity theft). If you do not own a locking safe, you might want to put these all in a box and keep them in your car during the showing.

Nanny Cam Reporting for Duty!

Finally, make smart technology your friend. Install “nanny cams” inconspicuously throughout your home. Today’s cameras can easily be hidden on shelves and inside everyday items such as alarm clocks, smoke detectors, lamps, picture frames, and even electrical outlets (depending on how covert you wish to operate). Shop around to see what is available for your budget.

Muna Dionne, your Inland Empire specialist with Coldwell Banker Realty