There are many claim cases reported almost every day about vandalism and theft on vacant properties undergoing renovation. It can be disappointing to arrive at your property to show a potential buyer only to find missing important parts like ovens, stove furnace, water heater and many other things.

It is important to keep an eye on your vacant and renovation property to protect them from vandalism and theft. Some of the usual suspects for break-ins are neighbors’ children, contractors or sub-contractors coming back and professional thieves looking for valuables.

Here Are 8 Great Ways to Protect Your Vacant and Renovation Property

1. Locks and Door Reinforcement

Ensure you secure your property well. Lock doors and windows with sturdy hardware. For example, if you are buying a property or taking possession back from a tenant, the best thing would be to change locks or have them re-keyed.

You don’t know how many people have copies of the keys. You can add door jamb shields as well as hinge shields to offer more reinforcement. It will also be critical to secure the basement window since it often serves as an easy access point to the house.

2. Install Motion Lights

If you don’t have motion detector lights outsides, it would be a good idea to install them once it has been vacated. This is because they are unlikely to break into your home when there’s a spotlight on them.

The outside motion-activated lights will automatically turn on in case someone walks around your home. You should have a series of lights over the garage doors, windows, front door and behind the house.

3. Yard Maintenance

Are you trying to sell your home or planning to rent it out? Don’t allow your yard to run down. No one will be attracted to buying a home with dying plants, dead grass, or fallen trees in the front of a yard. Have your yard properly kept during renovation or after a tenant has moved out. It would be a good idea to have automatic sprinklers that will keep grass and plants watered. You can also ask a neighbor or friend to check on the yard at least once a week.

4. Conduct Inspections

You should make an effort to visit your property once in a while after it has been vacated or after purchasing it. This can give you an opportunity to interact with neighbors and check for any suspicious activities. Check at the doors and windows to see if there have been any break-in attempts. By talking to your neighbors, you can also get a clue of what has been happening while you were away.

5. Maintain Cleanliness

It is easy for a vacant property to be ignored in terms of cleanliness. This can attract unwanted guests such as rodents, termites, and other wild animals. It is important to keep the property as clean as possible to keep all manner of pests and wild animals at bay.

You can hire an emergency cleaning service company to conduct a thorough cleaning of the property. This will not only protect your property from infestation but also appear attractive to potential buyers.

6. Keep Your Alarm System Up and Running

Because you won’t be around your property most of the time, it would be good to keep existing alarm systems connected. Ensure the alarm system is linked to the police department. This will make it is for the police to check what’s happening in case the alarm goes off rather than waiting for you to call 911.

7. Have a Handyman on Speed Dial

It is important to have someone you can call anytime around your property. This will make it easy for you to contact them in case of any emergency such as a fire, a leaking faucet or issues with a kitchen appliance.

8. Consider Buying Vacant Home Insurance

It is possible to buy insurance to protect your vacant and renovation property. Most insurance companies do cover acts of vandalism and other disasters like lightning, fire, hail wind and more. Call your existing home insurance company to find out their available vacant home coverage options.

Your property is vulnerable while vacant or during renovation. As such, you should put in place measures that will protect it against thefts and other forms of damage.

8 Great Ways to Protect Vacant & Renovation Properties by Maggie Bloom