When you’re selling a house, you want to make it look as inviting as possible to potential buyers — but not to opportunistic thieves during open homes.
A series of thefts in West Auckland and the North Shore prompted police to issue a warning last week to homeowners, saying there had been an increase in thieves targeting open home events.
“Police are aware of three incidents, including one where a $20,000 ring was taken, and another where a vehicle was stolen after the spare key was stolen from the garage,” Acting Senior Sergeant Alex Waworis said.
“Police are following positive lines of inquiry into the incidents, however the best offence against thieves is prevention.”
Insurance woes
The team also explain what to do when claims go wrong. (Source: Fair Go)
To add insult to injury, victims of theft during an open home are not necessarily covered by their contents insurance, according to the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ).
It said people should check with their insurer before an open home to see what is covered or to take out additional cover.
“A condition of most contents [policies] is taking reasonable steps to safeguard your belongings,” an ICNZ spokesperson said.
“Make sure your policy doesn’t contain any special requirements over the standard of care required. For example, you might be required to have expensive jewellery in a safe if you are not at home.”
If you do suffer a loss or damage during an open home, contact your insurer, they said.
“If you’ve taken reasonable precautions before inviting guests into your home you are likely to be covered for theft. You will not be covered for any acts by your guests that are intentional, reckless or have criminal intent.”
So, how should you protect your property if you’re showcasing your home to potential buyers?
Remove the precious and the private
While open homes allow interested buyers to visit a property and take a closer look, vendors should be aware of the potential risks that come with them, says Real Estate Authority (REA) chief executive Belinda Moffat.
“Precautions that can be taken ahead of the open home include storing off-site any valuable items that could be slipped into a pocket or bag, such as jewellery or small electronics,” she said.
Tidying away any documents containing personal information, like passports, bank statements or credit card receipts is recommended, too.
“Items such as laptops and USB drives with personal or professional information should also be well secured, as should keys and written alarm codes,” Moffat said.
“Some people also prefer to put away family photos for the sake of privacy.”
Police also recommend considering a home security system that can be remotely monitored from your smartphone.
Make a plan for the open home
Sellers should work with their real estate agent to make their open homes as secure as possible, Moffat said.
“We encourage [people] to talk to their real estate agent about what open home security precautions are appropriate for their sale and situation,” she said.
“Vendors should discuss with their agent how open home visitors will be registered, and whether it would be appropriate for the agent to have a colleague to assist with the open home and monitor other parts of the house.”
Moffat said the latter might be particularly useful if the house is large or multi-storied.
And if you’re really worried about personal property or information being stolen during an open home? Switch your house sale to “by appointment only” viewings instead.
“Open homes are popular because they are considered effective for attracting potential buyers, however sellers are entitled to insist that all viewings are ‘by appointment only’ if they prefer,” Moffat said.