 Besides
the "For Sale" sign in the front yard,
your real estate professional will want to put a
lockbox on your doorknob when you place your home on
the market. What's the purpose of a lockbox and what
precautions should you take to protect your
belongings?
A
lockbox is a rectangular metal device affixed to a
home for sale and contains an entry key. It's
usually placed on the front or rear doorknob or
fastened to a sidewall. Only a second key, card, or
a combination known only to real estate
professionals can access the key inside the lockbox.
It enables cooperating sales professionals to show
your home to interested buyers at times convenient
to the buyer. It also makes your property available
for viewing even when you aren't home.
Without
lockboxes, sales professionals would spend far too
much time driving back and forth to realty offices
to obtain keys to homes they want to show. In
addition, if a real estate professional is unable to
attend all open houses and other property showings,
a lockbox is a must.
Some
real estate organizations have replaced combination
or key locks with computerized key cards that can
determine which real estate professional is seeing
the property and at what time.
Still,
even with a lockbox, homeowners should take
precautions when strangers are walking through their
home:
First,
do not leave extra sets of keys on hooks in the
kitchen or any other room where they may be easily
seen.
Hook
up interior lights to a timer so visitors canvassing
the community will not get the mistaken impression
that the house is unoccupied.
Never
leave money within plain sight.
Such
personal items as jewelry, firearms, billfolds or
purses should be locked away for safekeeping.
Don't
leave a personal calendar open on a desk anywhere in
the house that might reveal future days away on a
business trip or vacation.
Although
thefts from listed properties are not commonplace,
eliminating sources of temptation is a wise move.
Ask your real estate professionals about other
recommended steps to make sure your home is as safe
as possible during the listing period.
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