LOVELAND – When you list your home for sale, there may be a large number of visitors from showings. This can mean added liability for any injuries that may occur while those visitors are on your property. It is important to take some extra safety precautions when listing your home for sale.
Clear walkways
Make your home safe for visitors to walk through by clearing all walkways. Remove any items/furnishings that may block walkways or present a tripping hazard. For stairs, it is best not to leave any items on them, such as decorative baskets. Also, make sure floorboards, carpeting, and other floor coverings are not loose. If you have surfaces that may become slick when wet (i.e. smooth tile flooring), consider adding an area rug.
Provide sufficient lighting
Make sure all areas of your home are well lit. This is particularly important for stairways. Poor lighting may increase the likelihood that someone will trip and fall. Turn on all interior and exterior lights for showings.
Shoe covering precautions
You may have seen reusable shoe coverings when visiting some homes. These can help minimize the amount of dirt from visitors’ dirty shoes. However, be sure to dispose of any that are worn and loose. Loose booties can sometimes cause people to trip and fall as they come loose mid-stride.
Secure furnishings
There will be visitors of all ages entering your home. Go through your home with the eyes of a child and secure any items that may be dangerous for young children. Put away any fragile décor. Secure furniture, such as bookcases, that may tip and fall on children. Place any sharp objects up high and beyond a child’s reach.
Better to be safe than sorry
Although injuries at showings may be rare, they do occur. Injuries may result in lawsuits and claims against your homeowner’s insurance. Such claims will cost you money and may increase the premium that you pay for future homeowners insurance policies. Taking the time to improve the safety of your home will minimize these potential headaches and unnecessary added costs.
Suzanne Plewes is a Broker Associate at RE/MAX Alliance in Loveland. For real estate questions write to 750 W. Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland, CO 80537, call 970.290.0373 or e-mail [email protected].
By Suzanne Plewes, RE/MAX Alliance
