Whether you moved out of state or you are selling a recently renovated property, the worst thing you could do is give the appearance that no one is living in the house. Pittsburgh, PA has its fair share of criminal activity and an empty house is a dream come true. One thing you don’t want to do with listing is leave signs that the house is empty. This attracts 
criminals and thieves. As a Pittsburgh Home Inspector I have seen my fair share of vacant homes that have been burglarized and all the copper plumbing and wiring available was ripped out of the house. This is essentially a huge unexpected expense that can be prevented. Here are some simple things that you can do to make your vacant house / listing look occupied and deter unwanted criminals.
Keep some furniture in the house and on the front porch.- Keep lights on a timer throughout the house.
- Keep a TV or radio on a timer and loud enough to hear from outside of the door but not too loud that it will disturb neighbors.
- Leave scrap PEX plumbing pipe outside of the house. This will make criminals think the copper has been removed already.
- Have your mail forwarded. Mail piling in a mail box is a sign that no one is home.
- Leave window blinds/ or curtains. This will give uncertainty to a passerby if the house is occupied or not.
