An armchair house hunting revolution is underway. Gone are the days when the search for a new home meant an energy-consuming trudge through various real estate agents, only to discover during the viewing that the property did not meet expectations.
And the trend continues: most potential buyers now start the search for their perfect home on the Internet.
It is also beneficial for the seller. Access to potential buyers is much wider. So if you’re marketing your property online, you’ll want to offer as much visual detail and information as possible.
But while multi-angle photos of your newly decorated conservatory can get things moving, there is unfortunately a dark side to uncovering such forensic details of your home.
Detailed: Smart criminals can use simple online tools and easily accessible information to plan a burglary
Primarily because it gives smart criminals simple online tools and easily accessible information to help plan a burglary.
‘This type of information gives the burglar time to plan his crime, giving him the crucial minutes to get in, rob your home and get away safely,’ says Mark Hall of waste removal company divert.co.uk.
“And combined with Google Street View, they probably already have a good idea of access points and blind spots from CCTV.”
For example, a floor plan can provide detailed directions on how a crook should proceed once he has broken into the house. A walk-through video can inadvertently provide an indication of whether the burglar is visible from the street.
Burglaries are on the rise, with new data from Statista showing that more than 279,000 burglaries took place in England and Wales alone last year.
Furthermore, a recent analysis found that 48.2 percent of neighborhoods in England and Wales had no burglaries solved in the three years to March 2023.
And with the majority of searches now being conducted online – via individual agencies or dedicated websites such as Zoopla – the prospect of a rich haul for the resourceful robber is enormous.
Of course, a burglary is a terrible and traumatic experience, because it means a violation of the only place where you should feel safe. But a burglary can also have catastrophic consequences for the sale of the property.
Potential buyers may turn away because it gives the impression that they will be living in a crime hotspot.
Or the sellers may not be able to proceed with their next purchase if expensive repairs are needed after the break-in.
So how can you effectively market your home without offering its contents to an opportunistic thief?
Remember, says Mark Hall, that you have complete control over what the public sees when you sell your house online, regardless of what pushy real estate agents tell you.
So make sure, he says, that any photos showing a room’s layout are generic renderings.
“If you have a problem with the images they produce, reject them,” Mr Hall says. “It’s your home, your privacy, your safety and entirely your decision.”
Property fraud expert Colum Smith from law firm Taylor Rose MW points out that vacant properties are particularly susceptible to burglary.
He says: ‘I would avoid posting photos online of a property where you can clearly see it is not being lived in. Criminals scour the internet for details about vacant properties for sale and then try to use that data to commit fraud.
‘If you sign up for the Land Registry’s free property alert service, you will receive an email if someone tries to deal with your property title.’
I would avoid posting photos online of a property where you can clearly see that it is not being lived in. Criminals scour the internet for details of vacant properties for sale and then try to use that data to commit fraud.
Colum Smith – Taylor Rose MW
He adds that 3D tours should also be carefully considered.
‘These can be a great tool for criminals. This allows them to download and replay frames from the tour. They may also be able to zoom in on specific parts of your home that are vulnerable or interesting to them.”
However, if you want to take a virtual tour, Javvad Malik, lead attorney for security awareness at KnowBe4, suggests researching each video carefully before posting it online.
‘See what personal information is available and move or hide it before posting it online.
‘There are often visible letters with the homeowner’s details on them. Family photos, location of house keys and car registration details can all provide information that can be used by criminals looking to profile the home or its occupants.”
This even means making sure no keys are photographed. “With high-resolution images, it is even possible to duplicate keys from just a photo,” he adds.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with generic images that give a broad idea of the dimensions of your home. But Sumier Foster-Shah, product support manager for locksmiths ERA, says it’s crucial to keep anything worth stealing out of sight.
‘Valuables such as electronic goods, wallets, jewelery and other expensive items should all be kept in closed cupboards or drawers, rather than out in the open where they can be easily seen.
‘When it comes to particularly expensive items and other important personal belongings, a small safe is recommended for the highest level of security.’
The Internet remains an effective means of selling your house. Make sure the invitation to view isn’t more inviting than you’d like.