Selling Your Home - A FSBO's Guide to Keeping It Safe

by Michelle Annese

Selling your home as a FSBO, you need a guide to keep safety in
mind when prospecting potential buyers. The real estate industry
has seen a problematic climb in assaults towards realtors, and
so is the concern for those who are selling their homes by
themselves.

Here are just seven ways designed specifically to protect you,
your family, and your home, from being victimized:

1. Fully screen callers before allowing them an appointment for
seeing your home. Ask all the questions: name, existing address,
and telephone number. Where are they employed? Why are they
looking to buy? Do they have a family in the area? Any children?
Ask as many questions until you feel comfortable with this
person.

2. Do not let unannounced visitors into your home unless you
have their information first. If you are alone in the house,
have them come back later when there are others home. There is
no reason why someone cannot be professional and make an
appointment with you. Make sure there is more than one person in
your home when showing your property. Remember, safety in
numbers.

3. If you must show your home alone keep a cell phone with you.
If you are in danger of a potential buyer, you can easily call
911 for help. In the event in needing to get away from someone
run out of the house into your vehicle or neighbor’s house.
Remember, your life is more important than any property. Most
criminals interviewed say they do not want to harm anyone when
taking valuables, prescription drugs or money. But if the home
owner puts up a fight, so will they. Let it go. Property and
things in your home can be replaced, your life cannot!

4. Tell your children, even if they are older to not let anyone
in the house unless you are there. Even teenage children should
not let anyone into the house. More assaults are committed on
young people from the ages of 15- 25 years of age than any other
age group.

5. Be very aware of virtual tours. If a virtual tour is an
option for selling your home, make sure there are no expensive
objects in the room(s). Criminals look for opportunities such as
these to target homes to burglarize.

6. Let neighbors know you are selling your home. Check with them
on a regular basis to see if anyone has been around the house
when you are not there. Criminals will use an open house, or a
walk-through to pose as a potential buyer to scope out
properties to burglarize later.

7. Keeping the curb appeal not only adds value when you are
selling a home, but adds to the safety of your home as well.
After searching a home during an open house, criminals
interviewed say they look for high bushes near windows, not
well-lit areas of a home, and concealed entrances to come back
and gain access to a home. Keep bushes trimmed low, repair or
add higher wattage light bulbs to existing lights, and keep
entrances well lit for theft prevention.

Don't hesitate. If you're serious about selling your home
yourself, just make sure your safety plan is just as serious to
protect you and your family's future.

About the author:
Michelle Annese is a 3rd degree black belt with 15+ years
experience teaching industry specific self defense and safety
for women and children. She is author of The Realtor Survival
Guide, Protection for Women, and The SafeGuard System for Kids.
For more information on how to protect yourself and your family
go to http://www.michelleannese.com Check out other articles by
Michelle Annese and get her free safety tips e-newsletter.