It may look move-in ready; it may even be staged to the nines – but it’s still a vacant property until the next resident moves in, and therefore a magnet for thieves and vandals. What are some ways you can protect your unoccupied flip house while it is being marketed and shown to prospective buyers?

Some of the strategies for protecting an unoccupied house will depend on the neighborhood and the incidence of local crime. In some areas you may consider not putting up a sign in the yard advertising “for sale” or “for rent”,instead depending on listings and other advertising to attract lookers.

You may be thinking “it’s empty, there’s nothing to steal”. Not so fast, my friend. You would be amazed at how fast professional thieves can whisk away appliances, fittings such as sinks and toilets, even countertops and cabinets. With or without a “for sale” or “for rent” sign in front, there are things you can do to make the house look occupied, or at least as if someone is coming and going frequently even after hours.

• After hours, keep the blinds and window coverings closed so that opportunists can’t survey the content.
• Particularly during winter months when dark comes early, put the lights on an evening timer, different lights coming on and off at different times, so it is hard to predict when no one is there.
• Keep the lawn mowed, or the snow cleared, and the yard and plantings weed-free and tidy.
• Don’t allow trash to visibly accumulate, and don’t let trash cans sit on the curb for extended periods.
• Pick up junk mail left in the mailbox several times a week.
• Ask a neighbor to park in the driveway after hours – and reward her or him for the service to encourage this to actually happen!
• Ask the neighbors to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Make sure they know you are rewarding them with a gift once the house is sold – perhaps a dinner out or a treat basket.

A little extra effort to keep your flip house safe and secure is well worth the trouble. Theft or vandalism is an awkward bump in the road when you want to show the property to its best advantage. You don’t need the aggravation and delay with the finish line in sight for your flip project! 

Have you asked the local police if the neighborhood around your flip house is known for problems with vacant houses?

Contact Andy Werner, real estate investor with broad & deep experience with flips, rentals, wholesaling, and more, and share his knowledge at http://www.streetwisepropertyinvesting.com/contact/