Yard sales are a very popular way of earning some extra cash by selling items you no longer need or want. There are people who spend their weekends traveling from yard sale to yard sale looking for deals on items they just have to have. If you are considering holding a yard sale to sell some of your extra belongings, you can certainly make quite a bit of money in a short amount of time. However, you should be aware that holding a yard sale can actually be dangerous.
There are specific security risks that come with having a yard sale. For example, you will probably have a lot of cash on hand. Robbers know this. They also know that there will be very little security on hand during the sale. They will wait for a time when they are the only customers and force you to give the money over to them.
Potential burglars will also use yard sales as opportunities to case your house for a later crime. They will wait for a time when you are distracted with multiple customers and slip into your house. They will either take what they can right there or they will check out the things they want to come back for. They might even open a window to make it easier for them to get in at another time.
You can help prevent becoming a victim by using your home security system to its fullest extent. Always arm it, even if you are going in and out of the house during the sale. This way, if someone does try to get in the house while you are distracted, the alarm will go off. This will most likely be enough to scare the burglar away, but if it’s not, you can be assured that help will be on the way immediately.
In addition, you should always have the panic button to your home security system nearby during the sale. If, at any time, you feel like you’re in danger, you can activate your alarm by pressing the button. Again, the sound of the siren should be enough to make the criminal run away. In any case, it will draw attention to your home and again, you can get help right away.
If you want to make extra case, a yard sale is a good way to do it. However, you still need to keep your personal security in mind as you deal with strangers all day.
John is a shrewd consumer who writes about personal finance, home technology and home security topics like: home alarm monitoring and security system reviews