Reasons to Check for Utilities in Vacant Homes For Sale

Working for decades in selling Sacramento real estate, I learned the hard way early on to check for utilities in vacant homes for sale. I took a new listing in Natomas this week. I sent an agent from our Weintraub & Wallace team to do a security check on the home. I’m scheduling vendors this week, such as a pest inspector, gardener, and the house cleaners. Vendors, of course, need lights working and electricity for the power tools. Power and water in good working order are mission critical on the listing preparation checklist.

Ok, so now it is time to get the red duct tape out of the trunk. Why? Well, to cover the dead bolt inside and the outside so Realtors do not jam the wrong key into the deadbolt and break the key! Yes, that has happened on my listings. The reason we have to tape the inside latch of the deadbolt is if an agent locks the deadbolt and exits out the garage door, we would be locked out of the house, as we do not have a deadbolt key.

Moreover, why do people have different keys on locks on the same front door anyway? Great question! Answer is, I don’t know as I keyed all my doors on my house to use the same key. This multiple-key issue on Sacramento homes for sale often causes complications as Realtors can struggle with keys. As a result, I try to make things as simple as possible for other Realtors, as not all of them are resourceful. Few check for utilities in vacant homes for sale, btw.

Next step, are the lights working? Bingo you guessed it, they don’t work! Our team is always prepared. This is why we check for utilities in vacant homes for sale. We bring new light bulbs to plug in, and make sure the lights are just not burned out.

However, in Natomas, the power was definitely shut off. There was no electricity connected to the property. So, the next step, always check the breakers. They were in the “on position.” Last and final step, many people are not aware of this secret weapon, there is a black button on the glass cover on the SMUD meter. Hit this button, you will hear the affirmative click and the power often resets!

The water is on, thank goodness, but if it wasn’t we would check the water main to make sure it was not turned to the off position. (Owners and or property managers often turn off the water main in a vacant home to ensure toilets don’t accidentally overflow.) The gardener needs the water and power turned on to power wash. Speaking about the gardener, we must also check that the gates are not padlocked. Our gardener has to get into the backyard to clean it up, so she must have access.

Back in my rookie days, this Sacramento Realtor received phone calls from angry vendors as they had no power and or water or access to do the jobs they were hired for. That taught me to not ever assume things work properly on houses. Double-check everything, that’s what successful listing agents do.

My motto always is be prepared for what doesn’t work. Expect the unexpected. Check for utilities in vacant homes for sale. We also each keep a kit in our trunks, containing things like duct tape, light bulbs, paper towels, soap, bottled water, gloves, flashlights and a basic tool kit.

More important, we know we must be resourceful as clients hire us to solve problems for them, and that’s why we always earn our 5 star reviews! We are full service Realtors. If you want listing specialists who are fully prepared to go the extra mile, call the Weintraub & Wallace team today at RE/MAX Gold Real Estate (916)-233-6759

— JaCi Wallace