What Not to Leave Out At An Open House

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Open Houses Let Anyone in Through Your Front Door

When selling a home, most owners automatically think having an open house is a great idea. After all, they see their neighbors doing the same.

Many cars are parked in front of these homes, so they must be effective. Right?

One of the biggest myths in real estate sales is that an open house effectively sells a home. This tall tale, of course, is perpetuated by real estate agents themselves. Why? Open houses are great places for agents to land new clients.

Do open houses sell homes? Very rarely! Serious buyers are working with real estate agents and will schedule an appointment for homes they wish to view.

Sellers should understand that open houses increase the odds of theft. Every real estate agent should educate their clients about the pros and cons of an open house, but most rarely do.

It should come as no surprise that there is a ton of theft, as anyone can go to an open house.

You put a lot of trust in your Realtor when you agree to an open house. You decide to open your home, let strangers in and out all day, and go somewhere else while it all happens.

That leaves only your Real Estate agent to watch over the entire home—while also trying to sell the property to prospective buyers.

The fact is, visitors are going to have a lot of alone time in your home, with your stuff, to do what they like. So removing or hiding things visitors are likely interested in is best if you do an open house.

Below you’ll find the things people will most likely try to steal at an open house.

Protecting Your Things – What Not to Leave Out at The Open House

Here is how and what to do to protect your belongings before holding an open house. It would be best never to leave these things out at an open house.

1. Prescriptions and Other Drugs.

Most real estate agents want to brush theft at an open house right under the rug. They hate it when I educate the public about how regularly it occurs nationwide. Their prospect train will come to a screeching halt if you say no.

If you decide to hold an open house, remove any prescription drugs! The medicine cabinet or your nightstand will be the first place a thief will look. Theft of prescription drugs has become commonplace all around the country.

How often do you think the theft discussion occurs between a real estate agent and a homeowner? The answer is not nearly enough.

In San Diego, drug theft became so commonplace a real estate group partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration to help curb the problem. Folks, open house theft is a serious issue!

Many people who don’t belong do a Google search for open houses near me. You can expect these people to show up at your doorstep.

2. Anything Valuable and Readily Accessible.

Anything of value should be put away before an open house.

The following items are some of the more popular things to be stolen when you open your house up to strangers:

Your money
Jewelry
Guns or other firearms
Cell Phones
Laptops
Paintings
Artwork
Vases
Nostalgia
Any heirlooms
Anything else easily obtainable.

One other essential item to put away is your keys! Don’t leave extra keys on a hook or lying around. This is an open invitation for a burglar to return when you’re not around and take what they want.

Here are some additional tips to secure your home before selling.

3. Documents With Your Personal Information.

If identity thieves rifle through your garbage to find personal information like names, addresses, and social security numbers, they will pick them up off your desk or dining room table.

If you think about it, you will see how much more valuable information may be readily stolen from your home, including bank account numbers, credit cards, and other financial information.

At the least, you should lock away all such documents in a secure location in your home. Ideally, you can remove them to another area for the open house.

Putting them there during the open house might make sense if you own a safe. You may also hide them somewhere that visitors are not likely to go, such as a corner of the attic.

Not taking these precautions is a serious open-house mistake.

4. Identifying Information, Like Mail With Your Name On It.

Anonymity is a good thing when it comes to selling a home. You want the buyers focused on the house and what it offers, not your personal life.

In today’s social media-filled world, it only takes a quick search using your name to discover all sorts of things about who you are, what you do, and how you feel about many different subjects.

While there is a possibility that this information could endear you to a potential buyer, there is also a chance that it could turn the buyer off of the home.

Avoiding this by keeping your info out of open-house visitors’ reach is better.

5. Your Garage Door Remotes

Leaving out your remotes could be disastrous. Not only are they easy to steal, but you probably won’t notice immediately. Someone with your garage door openers can return to your house when you’re not around.

You know what happens next, and it isn’t pleasant.

6. Laptops, Tablets, and Cell Phones

These items are an easy target for a thief. They are also worth taking to be resold at the local pawn shop. Ensure these things are out of the way so they are not easily discovered.

Even a cell phone charger is an easy grab for someone to take.

7. Signs of Smoking.

You may be careful to keep cigarettes out of the home, only allow smoking outside, etc. But any sign of cigarettes will be an issue with specific buyers, who will assume that smoking happened in the house anyway.

Any experienced Realtor will tell you that smoking is not something you want to be associated with in your home in any fashion.

So put away your favorite ashtray, even if it’s only decorative, until after the home sells.

Remove any signs that smoking takes place in the house!

8. Portable Heaters.

Are your windows drafty? Do some rooms not stay quite as warm as others? Is your home notoriously cold because you only have the minimum insulation?

When you have many space heaters scattered throughout your home, this is precisely what the buyer will think.

The exact opposite could be the reality. Maybe you are the type of person that is just always cold. However, having the space heaters sends a distinct message to a buyer who always thinks the worst.

In certain parts of the country, having a few space heaters or fans around the home is normal. Especially in older homes, these appliances allow you to exercise more control over the room’s temperature, save energy, and avoid running the HVAC system non-stop when you don’t have to.

But a fan or a space heater does not send a message of frugality to a buyer. Instead, it leaves them thinking that the house is hot/cold. Maybe the HVAC system is going out. Perhaps the home has poor insulation.

The questions will fly, and none of them will make it easier to sell the home.

9. Your Pets.

It can be hard to imagine someone not liking a pet you love so much, but it happens—a lot. Some people don’t like dogs, some don’t like cats, and some don’t like pets in general. Even a reptile can be a problem.

Again, you want the buyers focused on the home, not on the things they don’t like. It is a good idea for an open house to take your pet somewhere comfortable for the day. That way, there is no chance of an adverse reaction from a buyer that may otherwise make an offer on the home.

Selling a house with pets can be challenging, but your effort is worth it.

While at it, look at these excellent tips for moving with pets. The advice will make your move a little less stressful.

10. Political Signs

Your political position is guaranteed to be off-putting to specific buyers, maybe even a large percentage of buyers, depending on your area. That is why having a political sign in your yard is never advisable when selling.

Today’s political environment has never been more contentious. Politics and real estate do not mix well together. While you might be a left or right thinker, the buyer could be the opposite.

The yard sign might seem an obvious problem, but make sure no other signs are scattered throughout the home where buyers can see them.

Stickers, magnets, fliers in a pile of other documents—any of these can lead to an awkward moment where a potential buyer decides to stand on principle and not buy your home.

It is never a good idea to advertise your political affiliation when you're trying to sell a house.Click To Tweet

11. Food That Can Be Snagged From The Fridge.

Yes, sometimes people going to open houses will open the fridge and steal food. They tend to go for easy-to-grab items, so you should plan accordingly.

One effective strategy is to organize your fridge nicely so that it is more apparent when someone has been rummaging around. Try to put the things people will want to steal in places that are harder to get to.

It is never a bad idea to be a good host and leave out some refreshments for your guests. A cold bottle of water is always a nice gesture, especially when selling in the hot summer.

12. Anything You Don’t Want to be Stolen.

OK, visitors at your open house will not haul off your couch, television, or anything obvious or difficult. But your jewelry, the cute pair of shoes you finally let yourself get, your favorite video games—anything that can be slipped into a pocket, put on, or thrown in a large purse can and may be taken.

Everyone has smaller items that are important to them. Make sure you put such things where visitors cannot get to them. Otherwise, you may come back home and find them gone.

When hosting a real estate open house make sure you take precautions against theft!Click To Tweet

Other Real Estate Open House Mistakes

Besides not taking open house theft seriously, there are other mistakes to avoid when having an open house. These mistakes could cost you interest in the home from anyone viewing it.

You should avoid these problems to increase the odds of a successful home sale:

A cluttered or messy home – needless to say, your home should be spotless for showings.
Playing music – there should be minimal distractions when selling a home.
Overbearing smells – your home should not have any odors, including distinct pet odors, smoking, and even air fresheners, which can be even worse than what you’re trying to hide.
An uncomfortable home temperature – if you’re selling a home in the winter, ensure the house is warm enough. Likewise, a hot home in the summer will also be a turn-off.
A Dirty exterior – curb appeal is vital in selling a home. This means no cobwebs on the front door, mold on the siding, or leaves hanging out the gutters.
Overgrown landscaping – not many things show neglect other than shrubbery growing out of control against a house.

Not taking the time to prepare your home for sale is one of the most significant selling mistakes.

Should I Even Be Doing an Open House?

After reading all the tips on avoiding theft at an open house, you might ask yourself if it is worth doing. The answer to that question is something only you can determine.

I will tell you this – an open house is unnecessary to sell a home. In the digital age, ready, willing, and able buyers will call a real estate agent for a showing.

Many people visiting your home won’t be financially qualified to purchase it. This, however, is not the case with scheduled real estate showings.

If a real estate agent tells you that an open house is necessary to sell your property or makes it the focus of their marketing efforts, I will find another agent.

Most real estate agents will gladly risk your home for personal gain. To be clear, I don’t mean selling the house, as that would also benefit you.

A real estate agent will spend the time sitting in your home for the chance to meet a buyer who doesn’t have a real estate agent yet.

Be sure if this happens; you do not accept dual agency where YOUR agent becomes a neutral party in the transaction.

Secondarily, a neighbor thinking of selling might visit, and the agent could connect with them. Prospecting has always been the most significant reason agents hold open houses.

You rarely see your city or town’s top agents wasting time with this marketing activity. Why? They don’t need to spend their time prospecting at a Sunday open house.

You need to decide if doing an open house is even worth the risk. Whatever you choose to do, you know what not to leave out at an open home.

What You Should Never Leave Out at An Open House