By Noel Peebles
Co-Author For Sale By Owner Home Selling Secrets ebook.
When selling a home FSBO (for sale by owner), sellers
usually run their own
open houses. This can be an excellent way of showing
a property to potential
buyers. However, there are safety concerns that need
careful thought before
allowing strangers access your home. You don't know
who they are or what
their true intentions might be.
Here's a report of one such open house incident. In
Dallas a gunman entered
a property, talked on his cell phone and then terrorized
the agent with a
gun while committing a robbery. The gunman then stole
the Realtor's car.
In another case, a man unlocked a window at an open
house and returned later
to burglarize the property. So, with that in mind here
are 7 important open
house safety tips:
Safety Tip 1.
Know the fastest "escape" routes from your
home. Make sure all deadbolt
locks are unlocked to facilitate a faster exit. Make
sure if you were to
escape by the back door, that you could quickly escape
from the backyard.
Safety Tip 2.
When prospects begin to arrive, jot down their car description,
license
number and physical description.
Safety Tip 3.
Have EVERYONE who comes to inspect your open house fill
out his or her name,
address and phone number on a sign-in sheet FIRST! Keep
your open house
sign-in sheet near the entrance and make sure it is
completed BEFORE showing
anyone through the house.
Safety Tip 4.
DO NOT, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, allow a stranger to
tour your open house BY
THEMSELVES! Stay alongside them at all times. Direct
them, don't lead them.
Say, for example, "the kitchen is on your left,"
and gesture for them to go
ahead of you. Keep a watchful eye on how they act and
what they touch. You
don’t want any of your possessions walking out
the door.
Safety Tip 5.
Never show people through your open house on your own.
However, if that is
unavoidable then consider these options:
- Make appointments and open your house by appointment
only.
- Let your spouse, friend or neighbor know when you
have open house
appointments.
- Arrange to ring your spouse, friend or neighbor as
soon as the open house
appointment is finished.
- Have a prearranged time for your spouse, friend or
neighbor to phone you
if you haven’t already phoned them back.
- Have a prearranged PASSWORD you can use on the phone
if you are in any way
uncomfortable with the situation. The password code
might be something as
simple as “don’t forget the birthday cake.”
Safety Tip 6.
Never tell a stranger that you can’t show them
the house because you won’t
be home. That is an open invitation to any criminal.
Simply say something
like “I’ll be busy then… how about
10.30 instead?”
Safety Tip 7.
Always tell the open house viewer that you are expecting
a visitor to arrive
shortly. This could deter anyone who might be considering
something
criminal.
This all might sound a bit extreme, but protect yourself
because “it is
better to be safe than sorry.” Incidents CAN and
DO happen!
A final word; remember, when selling your home FSBO,
the personal safety of
you and your family is more important than property
or possessions.
© Noel Peebles, Market Leaders ebooks.
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Noel Peebles is author of the best selling ebook
"173 Powerful Ideas, Tips, Tactics And Proven-To-Work
Strategies To Sell Your Own Home."
For details http://www.forsalebyownerguide.com
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