There are a lot of factors that people consider when they’re looking to buy their next home. They explore the surrounding neighborhood, look at the number of bedrooms and bathrooms available, the status of the major appliances, the value of the home and so much more. When trying to sell a home, the current owners often try to fix things up to better appeal to a potential home buyer’s interests. For instance, they might upgrade some of the appliances or do some extra landscaping to improve the curb appeal.
However, one often overlooked area is home protection. Below, we’ll offer a few things you can add to your home that will protect it in various ways, making potential buyers feel more comfortable in the process.
Security Systems
The easiest place to start is with some home security systems. There’s a wide range of home surveillance systems you can get, from something as simple as a doorbell camera to complete coverage across your home, including motion sensors and monitors on your windows. How much you want to add will depend on your budget and how much you think it will add to the resale value. However, even something as small as a doorbell camera or a few motion sensors in your backyard can go a long way toward demonstrating to potential home buyers that your home is more secure than others on the market.
Outdoor Lights
Another simple addition you can make is outdoor lights. Outdoor lights are particularly helpful when people arrive home late at night and might feel uneasy walking from their car into the home. By adding some lights around the walkway, or a motion-activated light over the garage, you help to illuminate the area before the person needs to exit their vehicle. You can also add some motion-activated lights to your yard, which would alert anyone inside of movement on their property. Outdoor lights are typically pretty affordable and easy to install, making this a simple upgrade that can pay significant dividends when it’s time to sell.
A Seller’s Home Warranty
Next, when we think of home protection, we don’t always think of protecting the things inside the home from themselves. For example, let’s say you recently placed your home on the market and received some significant interest. Immediately after, one of your major appliances included with the home breaks down, causing the interested parties to drop out.
One way you could avoid this is with a seller’s home warranty. A seller’s home warranty protects things like your furnace or air conditioner, so if they break while you’re trying to sell the home, someone will come out immediately to fix the issue. Home warranties are pretty common with home buyers, but you can also get one as a home seller and include it with your home, significantly improving its value. Take some time to explore the buyers vs. sellers home warranty so that you know the differences and can decide if you want to get one on your current home or on the home you’re looking to buy next.
Upgraded Locks
If your home is still using standard door locks that require a key, consider upgrading them with some modern technology. For instance, you could instead get a door lock that requires a number code, which is significantly more secure than a key. Keys are susceptible to being lost and it’s not that hard to pick a lock after watching a few YouTube videos. It’s also fairly easy to install new smart locks on your door, plus it makes it easier for your realtor to show off your home on short notice when you’re not around.
Traction Pads
The last thing to consider adding for some increased home protection is traction pads. Traction pads help to protect those inside the home from slipping and falling on wet surfaces. For example, if you have hardwood floors near the entrance of your home, it would be easy for someone to drag water in on their shoes and make the hardwood floors slippery, making these a good place for anti-slip pads. You can also install traction pads in your bathroom, where it’s common for water spills to end up on the floor. A few traction pads placed strategically around the home can make new home buyers, particularly those with children or who are later in age, feel more comfortable about buying your place, as they won’t have to add this safety feature themselves.
Start Protecting Your Home Today
As you can see, it doesn’t necessarily take a lot to improve your home’s protection, both inside and out. If you can make some of the changes mentioned above, you’ll hopefully see that you get more potential buyers and an increased price for your home. At the very least, it will protect you and your family while you still live in the home and possibly prevent some headaches while going through the selling process, making them worthwhile additions regardless.
