Tips for Securing a Vacant Home While Moving
What to do when you leave
For many people, moving from one home to another does not include signing a contract at both ends. Often, people find themselves moving out of one home but having one that is vacant and still for sale. How can you make sure your property is safe?
Doing it right takes a bit of planning but can be done pretty easily. Not surprisingly, vacant homes can be magnets for criminal activity.
The reasons: There’s more opportunity with vacant property. For some reason, it just invites more disorder around it.
This is not to say that your standard suburban home is going to become a target for criminal activity, but it does mean that you will need to keep an eye on it until it sells or is leased.
The good news is you don’t need to install an expensive security system to protect a vacant home. While you certainly can do this, there are ways to protect your home. Below are some tips on how to protect a vacant home.
Keep utilities on
Realtors will need to show your home, so it only makes sense to keep the utilities on. Costs are minimal compared to leaving an empty home without lights!
Moving.com notes: “You don’t have to keep the gas and the Wi-Fi on, but you’ll want electricity and, if you’re moving in the winter and live in a colder climate, heat.” The latter will keep your home safe from things like burst pipes. Turn the thermostat only as high as needed. You don’t really need to heat an empty house—just keep it warm enough and safe enough.
“Many programmable thermostats will allow you to control the temperature in your vacant home remotely so that you can turn the heat up a few degrees overnight or on particularly chilly days and keep it low at all other times.”
Double-check your insurance policy!
Most homeowner insurance policies won’t protect your home after more than 60 days of vacancy. Some might not even give you more than 30 days. It’s important to check on the provisions of your homeowner’s insurance and determine what level of coverage you’ll have — if any — during the period that your home is empty.
Remove valuables from the home.
If you are staging your home to sell, don’t use your valuable items like new tvs and expensive rugs and sofas. Take those with you and just leave the basics. Real estate agents will say, “Leave just enough for the people who look at your house to imagine their own furniture in it.”
Use timers to turn on lights.
A timer switch (purchased at hardware stores) on a couple of lights leaves an impression that someone is coming in and out and even living there. Lights on a timer will automatically turn your lights on at a preset time and then off later. Install these in a couple of different rooms, and you should be good to go.
Don’t neglect yardwork.
Speaking of landscaping, don’t neglect the yard at your vacant home. Neighbors like for homes to look “lived in,” and part of that includes a vacant home that looks great. Overgrown grass and weeds speak volumes to people driving by and also to potential criminals. Hire someone to keep the outside looking nice, and you don’t need to spend a lot of money. The basics done well will work!
Keep Your Vacant Home Secure
Install motion lights
Motion lights that truly light up a yard or entryway are great deterrents for criminal activity. These exterior motion-activated lights turn on when someone walks around your property. Set these up over the garage doors, the front door, the windows, and the sides of the house. You can buy double lights online cheaply. And don’t forget about the back of the home, like decks.
Keep your security system running.
You may want to reconsider completely canceling your security system. The more security you have, the better. Many of today’s security systems are designed to move with you, but you can keep them in place and remove them later.
This way, you’ll know right away if something is going on. A security system will also act as a deterrent a lot of the time, sending off would-be criminals who don’t want to take the risk of setting off an alarm.
Install some dummy cameras.
These cameras have a red blinking light that makes them appear like they are being monitored. They are “dummy” cameras because usually you do not have WIFI set up at a vacant home so there’s no way for you to monitor what’s going on. But be aware that experienced criminals can spot fake cameras.
Have a plan for regular in-person surveillance.
One of the best things you can do to protect your vacant home is to have a neighbor or friend drop by and check to see if all is well. No need to hire a private security company unless you have the money to do that. Even a regular landscaper can let you know if something seems wrong or out of place—like a broken window or open door.
Hide the lockbox
If your home is for sale, then you will have a lockbox on the property. Usually, these are attached to the front door and can signal that you have moved. Instead of keeping the lockbox where it can be seen easily, move it to the side of the house or somewhere it is not seen from the street.
Make sure windows and doors are locked.
Before you move, make sure windows and doors are locked. This may sound like an obvious idea, but people move quickly and forget to check these things.
Give a trusted friend an extra key.
If someone nearby has a key, then that person can let workmen or even a police officer inside, if needed.
Keep the home security system sign out front.
Believe it or not, a yard sign for a security company works. Stickers on the back and front door windows work as well. Most burglars won’t attempt a break-in if they think the home is armed with an alarm system.
Park a car in the driveway.
Lots of homeowners who are in the process of selling their homes choose temporarily to park a car in the driveway and even drop by to drive it and then park it again. This can add another layer of protection. Remember, if your home is going to be vacant, it’s important to make it look like you’re still there. Burglars are more likely to break into a home when the residents are away.
Have a handyman that you can call.
Things happen, and usually, they happen on Fridays or over a weekend. Be sure you have the number of a trusted handyman on your phone. This way, if your real estate agent discovers a leaky faucet, kitchen appliance problems, or other simple home repairs, you’ll have someone nearby you can call.
Don’t forget about other types of damage.
Remember there are other types of damage that can happen: Flooding, frozen pipes, and fires. Prevent unexpected things from popping up by setting a plan in place to monitor your vacant property.
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