Is Theft a Problem on Your Investment Flip? Use These Simple Yet Effective Tips To Stop Thieves!

I bought a house on the South Side of Louisville within a hop, skip, and a jump from Louisville's famed Churchill Downs. It seemed like a decent neighborhood and I thought by keeping everything locked up and out of sight everything would be ok. Boy was I ever WRONG! Two days after closing the back door was destroyed and thieves made their way inside. The good thing was I hadn't gotten started yet but it definitely opened my eyes.

 Lock up EVERYTHING

Sounds simple and it is. Install deadbolts and make sure all windows are locked at all times. If you're worried about someone prying the windows up you can always cut a piece of 2 X 4 to fit in the window frame as I do. If you have a garage and/or shed make sure the overhead door is locked with the bar and install a padlock on any shed.

Install Steel Security Doors

I bought two security doors from Lowes for $208 each and installed them myself in a day. If you want to get the doors installed Lowes will do that as well for $69 each. These doors are awesome and it would take an ox to bust them down with the proper deadbolts installed.

Make sure nothing is visible

If thieves see it they WILL break in to get it no matter what precautions you take. A thief will find a way if they want something bad enough. Have I mentioned how bad I HATE thieves? Well I will mention it often in my blogs.

Never leave your tools on the jobsite

It's almost like thieves can smell tools and materials. I know it's a pain to keep hauling everything back and forth but it's even more of a pain to replace all your tools. There is another flipper in the same neighborhood I talk to all the time and he has been hit twice losing EVERYTHING. Not me, I haul all my tools back every single time.

Install motion sensor lighting

I bought two of these lights for $17.99 each and installed them on opposite corners of the house. They have a 25 foot sensor and will flood the yard with lots of light. Before I installed them my back yard was pitch black, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The back yard of my property backed up to an alley and gave easy access to thieves. I sat my old, busted lawn mower out there just so I could get rid of it because I KNEW someone would steal it! It was gone the first night.

Install a security system

I own a security system I bought from +SimpliSafe Home Security and I LOVE it! I paid $259.95 with NO CONTRACT! I had this thing installed and up and running in about 20 minutes. It is totally wireless so no thieves can cut your phone lines! You will receive a text and email in case of  entry, fire, or even CO or gas leaks. Most security systems I found wanted over $40 a month to monitor and they also wanted you to sign a contract. simpli Safe doesn't, they charge $14.99 and will never have you sign a contract. They also offer a 60 day no questions asked guarantee. The thing that sold me on it was the fact that I can pack the system up and take it to my next property so easily. I can also cancel the monitoring at any time while I'm looking for my next house flip.

Conclusion

The sad fact is if a thief wants in bad enough, they WILL get in there. Hopefully these simple tips will keep your property YOURS and not some crack head junky. Stay safe out there, share this with your friends, and HAPPY FLIPPING!  Greg  Eagle Thirteen Properties LLC