Vacating your house while you short sell: A TO DO LIST

Vacating your house while you short sell: A TO DO LIST

If you are vacating your home that is listed to short sell or already pending to short sell there are a few things to take care of before you lock up and take off:

1. Keep the electric on. Buyers will be looking at your home. This is difficult without light. Also, if you are blessed with a pending sale - this person will want to inspect your home. Electricity is necessary. The bill is small in a vacant home.

2. Keep the heat on. Buyers will be looking at your home and if you are blessed with a pending sale, this person will want to inspect the heating system. On a further note; I am in Connecticut - but for a lot of the US - a home without heat leads to frozen pipes that burst and flood the home...causing significant property damage. If you absolutely cannot keep the heat on - have the home winterized - inexpensive, and SO worthwhile.

3. Keep insurance on the home. It's still your house. If something happens on it - you will be held liable. Protect yourself.

4. Keep paying the water/sewer bill if these are city provided. There is nothing worse than trying to cure an old city water/sewer bill to get those back on so a buyer can do inspections.

5. Secure your house. These are tough times. Last winter every last one of my vacant properties had the copper pipes stolen. A vacant house - especially a BLATANTLY vacant house ( tall grass, no curtains, no light ever) is a magnet for every teenager, robber and vagrant in the neighborhood. Get a plan together to keep your property secure and looked after.