I need some advice from the collective. We're likely putting our home on the market, with open houses, realtors having the alarm code, basically having people we don't know come through while we're not home.

I have two small gun safes, next to the bed and in a closet. Long guns in that closet as well. I don't want them in the house for people to notice, but can't think of a secure alternative. I would hate to store them at a friend's house and have them stolen from there. Not a high crime area, but not crime free either.

Has anyone dealt with this? Any suggestions?

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I used to be disgusted..

Camo with something that will blend in. Lots of folks have guns stored in their homes-you are not the only one.

Can you keep them both in one closet, lock the closet and tell the realtors that is not available to show? Some people will guess, but it will be just a guess.

I recommend, too, that you keep the bolts elsewhere. Whenever I have to leave the safe unattended for a longer amount of time, I take the bolts out of everything I can (wheels out of wheel guns) and take them to the safety deposit box/a friend's house). Then at least if they get stolen they aren't functioning.

My daughter purchased a home 8 years ago,,
when she toured the home, there were over 20 long guns just setting in corners of two bedrooms.

Another neighbor had 30 long guns setting around the house,
they were there until a year after he passed away.

I know it is wrong,,, but, some people do not care.

Throw them between the mattresses of a bed,
and toss a few boxes on the bed, so no one lays down,,, and fugetaboutit.

Here's another vote for putting them in a locking closet, if possible. Or perhaps put them in something like a cedar chest, and stack stuff on top of the chest. Do-it-yourself security video cameras are fairly reasonably priced now - if I was selling my house, I'd put cameras in certain rooms. If you put your guns in a closet, point a camera at the closet door so you'll see if anyone messes with them.

Time to buy a safe big enough for all of them. You need one anyway. Make it bigger than you think you'll need.

And you also have to consider that if an open house visitor is on parole, having any unsecured weapons creates a big legal issue for both parties, should anything happen.

All guns and all prescription drugs should be locked up out of sight or removed from the home when being shown for sale, per the realtor I used three years ago.

When my Realtor toured my place, he burst out laughing. There were guns everywhere! He wouldn't allow anyone to tour the house without his being there (not any of his people, just him!) I made arrangements for secure storage. 225 guns later I thought they were all gone' and we allowed tours. When I was packing to move, I took the two windows of drapes down in the reloading room and found 4 more stacks of guns! We finally got the place sold, and good riddance!

Ivan

I'd be worried about theft and resale.

Theft--locking them out of sight is a start. But until you're out, consider yourself targeted for a burglary. Now, good agents practice good security, including having the IDs of potential buyers on-file back at the office. But frankly, I've seen too many agents ignore that practice (at risk of their own safety, and jeopardizing the safety of the sellers). Presume that not only are the "buyers" a bunch of junkie thieves, who will drop the dime on you to their junkie friends, but also the other agents. All your valuables should be locked up 24/7 until you're out.

Resale is important, as well. Anything that can put off a buyer should go, and a lot of that will count towards security as well. Nobody should be able to suspect you've got guns--and that means de-gunning your basement gun area, as well, and boxing up all your gun magazines. Ditto for family photographs (and consider that a security step, as well). You don't want your gun collection chasing off a sale, potentially costing you thousands.

Having an "off-limits" closet is not a good idea. Buyers will presume the worst: horrible water damage, a terrible mold smell, or that you stuffed all your clothes in there to disguise a lack of storage. And they will pass before they ask.

A locked armoire, though? Go for it. Most people will just assume that's where you keep the sex toys and bondage gear. Speaking of, you should pretty much assume that every drawer and cabinet in the house is going to get opened and looked in. A lot of these buyer's agents are real lazy ****-lords and won't properly supervise their clients. They'll be playing on their phones in the dining room while their charges are in your bedroom, pawing through your tightie whities.

If you're super-sensitive about that, bag your private stuff up and be ready to pitch it in the car. You don't have to be ready to show your house at a moment's notice, whenever you're out. You can insist that your agent affords you time to do such things. Many people do, in fact. Some even have a minimum of 24 hours' notice written into their listing agreements.

This might actually be a solution to your problem. Depending on the size of your collection and local laws, you might be able to bag, box, and rug everything, load it into your car, and take a drive.

Oh, and refuse open houses. Not only are they horrible security risks, they're not effective at selling houses. What they are good at is generating leads for your agent's employer. If someone's going to buy your house, they're going to find it on the internet, or through the Multiple Listing Service. The people that go to open houses are, in order:

(1) Neighbors
(2) People who aren't seriously looking for a house, just "looking" for a house
(3) Thieves

All three are total wastes of time.

*sigh* What would I do...

...okay. Go to your bestest LGS buddy and ask what he would charge you to store your guns. Work out a per-month price ahead of time, and agree to "one in, one out" rule--in other words, you drop them off once, and pick them up once, no withdrawing your guns and bringing them back whenever you go to the range. You get to keep whatever handguns you can fit into your (bolted-down) small safes. Everything else, you won't be using for awhile.

He might whack you for transfers, but really, a few hundred bucks (depending on the size of your collection) is nothing compared to a lot of sale preparations people do. It might save you thousands, or prevent a robbery. Consider it good encouragement to get a larger safe.

The safes themselves are the problem. Unless you can empty them and then leave them open so thieves know there's nothing in them, the mere sight of them is an invitation to come back and steal from them. Otherwise, you have to hide them.

I'm facing the same problem in 2018 when we plan to sell our house of 44 years. I'll have a safe mover put my two safes in the garage (from our basement) and to have them empty. We're moving to North Carolina, near our son and I plan to make a few trips by car to transfer guns, ammo, and guitars. I'm not trusting the stuff to the movers. From the garage, the movers will be able to put the safes on their truck or in a POD, whichever method we use.

If you're serious about selling your home, you need to stage it. That is, remove all clutter and distractions and present your home in as favorable light as possible.

Storage facility?



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Around here, storage facilities have a higher theft rate than homes . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Gun lockers go for under 100 $. A heavy safe, just prior to moving??? A PIA to do once, let alone twice in a short time. As someone mentioned it isn't just guns you need to worry about, (meds/jewelry/etc) strangers could steal just about anything that isn't nailed down. No open house for us. We didn't want anyone rummaging around our closets/drawers etc, & they will if they can get away with it. 1 showing at a time, & viewers are NEVER to be left alone at ANY TIME. Make things clear with the realtor prior to listing with them. People steal stuff, don't make it easy for them.

Possiable family membets home ?

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Spin The Wheel

WE sold our house several years ago. We moved out about 4 months before the house sold. Many times I would go there to check things out while the house was empty. I found doors unlocked, windows open, gates left open, lights on and one time the patio door and screen were wide open. Another time I found the security lock box on the door knob unlocked with the house key still in it. Secure your STUFF don't take anything for granted. Good luck with your sale.

I had thought of this situation too should this time ever come.
What do you do with all the gun stuff when the house goes up for sale and people walk through.

I figure the place will have to be scrubbed of anything that says 'Gun'..like magazines, books, all the accessorys we have lying around, ammo, cleaning stuff, tools, hunting clothes, holsters, shell belts, ect.
It's the exact things we all look for immedietly when we walk into a garage sale to sniff out wether there's 'gun stuff' there or not.
Same for everyone else looking to score on a return visit on your home.

I had thought that since the house would be up for sale,,the sight of some premature packing wouldn't be unusual.
Large commercially purchased HD cardboard moving boxes (usually have a Moving Company logo on them) could be used to store the guns in while this whole open house thing plays out.
They could be placed in a basement, garage or spare room & filled, tie-strapped shut for the open house(s). Would not draw any attention other than being stuff already packed and ready to go for the 'move'.
A few boxes filled with the guns on the bottom and a couple half filled open ones on top with common items like sports equipt or common tools would help pass it off well for those who happen to look it over I'd think.
Kinda hidden in plain sight.

Just my thoughts..

Everyone gets advice.......ONLY the wise profit from it. Buy one.

I put my nightstand gun safe and extra weapons in my wife's car trunk, locked the car, and left it parked in our garage. A small PITA but I felt okay with that strategy.

When my son was looking to buy a house I went with him. 40 years of construction experience, so I looked around a lot, you would be surprised of some of the things I found.

This is a composite of looking at about 25 houses!

Found plenty of long guns, one loaded. Saw a couple gun safes, one was empty and the door open. Also found some sex toys and BD gear. Went into one older house and there was a large pile of blown fuses around the power panel. Found a bunch of termite & carpenter ant products. Plenty of Decon dishes.

Whats the matter with people and their so called "profession" real estate agents!, you do not have to be a Sherlock Holmes to figure out serious problems with stuff like that lying around.

Needles to say my kid when he bought got a decent house for himself.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Every gun owner (that can afford it & has the place to put it) "should have" a nice big, fire retardant safe. Being practical to do it prior to a move, not so much.

I am in the middle of a pairing down process of my long guns. I have an AR and a bolt 223 that just have to live outside my small safe. I hide them minus the bolt and BCG, which are wrapped up and in the safe. The AR upper and lower remain unattached. Not fool proof by any means but makes them less lethal and less desirable. Once I get bored with a few more long guns there will be room in lock up. You might want to try something like that then stash them between mattress and box spring in a spare bed that no one sleeps on.

Hope that helps.

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Isaiah 41:10

Maybe a local gun shop could keep them for you for a nominal fee. Do NOT leave them in the house! Worst case, rent a storage garage (some are indoor climate controlled) and lock them in there. Leaving them in the house is just an invitation to get stolen.

They need to be locked up out of sight.
Even a padlocked tool box in the garage is better than strangers seeing your guns.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Most Realtors will want to place an electronic lock box, outside or on your front door with the key to your home inside.
These electronic devices are supposed to be opened by other Realtors, Appraisers and Home inspectors, allowing access to the home.
Most are now accessed using a code from a smart phone.
I think they are secure, but I also think anything electronic or smartphone based could be hacked into.
Personally I would make sure my trusted agent is present at every inspection or showing, and the firearms and other high end valuables are safely secured off site.

Get a nice fire resistant/proof one, bigger than you need for guns and family photo albums, discs, important documents have a 'safe' place too.

If not possible other ideas: in box in attic, in unmarked boxes near other boxes (you are moving), locked in trunk of second car in garage.

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Certified Curmudgeon

Everything I have would be in the safe, really don’t care if they see it or not? They could be ending up with it less contents if I can’t get it out and moved!
If you have a rifle or two that needs to be stashed I use to put them between my mattress and box spring, out of sight and I don’t think they will be checking for bed bugs!

The last house we sold,the final open house,we had a trip and fall on the sidewalk and were sued.Our homeowners ins company settled with her.A week later,a buyers agent had set up a showing ,my daughter got sick and my wife had to be out so she called the real estate company to cancel the showing.They came anyway and as they unlocked the door the dog changed their mind.That agent called my wife in a huff.Be prepared for maroons lol

I had a secure room in my basement. Unavailable to be seen by anyone unless there was a security deposit and offer made, then I would personally open the room. The dimensions of the room (not that big, 6x8) , were listed with the realtor and on the door to the room and marked as "Hobby Room". Luckily our home sold to the first buyer to look at it, and we knew them.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I had been in the house I bought last year for a few weeks when I found a 20 ga "Snake Charmer" type shotgun tucked way back on a high closet shelf. Guess the lady selling forgot about it.

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Release the Kraken

Rent a small climate-controlled storage facility and place them there until you move

When I bought my camp in 86 (now my year around house) the person I bought it from was a saver. We had a very good selfing/buying experience and in fact before the property was mine I would come up and we both would go out in back and shoot pistol. He was a retired NYC Police LT. He told me after the sale that he was leaving somethings I might find handy. FWIW most summer camps up here sell with most furniture and appliances.

The garage was loaded with everything you could think of and some I sold for good money and some I took to the dump which was a couple miles away. In just about the last box I looked in were a bunch of .38 ammo. Over a thousand in the 50 military packs (130 ball ammo) They all shot well.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

My guns aren’t so great. But my wife is a wiz in the kitchen. If the house gets shown her apple pie will be under lock and key.

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

There you have it " The phase of the day. "

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Certified Curmudgeon

Hock your guns.
A good friend of mine owns a pawnshop. There are several collections in there most of the time, from folks who "rent" storage while they are away by pawning their collections for a reasonable sum, and paying the rent as interest until they are back in town and redeem the guns.They're insured, securely stored, and out of the house.

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de minimus non curat lex

IMO, An open house is a license to steal and I would not want one in my contract. The best reason to have one is so the listing agent can get more referrals for their other listings.
I had a locked room in my house when we sold. My agent was fine with that with the caveat it would be open on a second visit for any qualified buyer and she could also state "no interior mold or structural damage, paint and interior walls are in good condition" etc. The buyer was OK with that we well, but this is Montana and he also had a lot of guns.

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Front sight and squeeze

We did the locked basement "storage room" when we sold our house. A description of the room with picture was shown in the listing, and once the house was under contract the room was shown under supervision to the buyers and home inspector.

Some really good ideas in this thread, thank you all!

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I used to be disgusted..

Always a good idea to have all the guns locked in a safe when you aren't in possession of them. Nothing is guaranteed but it sure doesn't hurt to make stealing as difficult as possible.

when we first put our home for sale when we were moving back from SC to WI, i only had a couple handguns so was easy to keep them in their small safe hidden in a closet. Ammo hidden as well.
But once we got an offer and knew we'd be moving, any guns/ammo were in the first trip we made up to WI to haul up goods (and the spare car). Ended up staying with our daughter here until we found a place to buy so was able to keep guns in her home (in their safe) and not worry about leaving them in a rented storage unit.

Obviously its much easier to hide a couple handguns vs a large collection (esp with long guns).

My son recently sold his house and I'll have to ask him what precautions he took. I know that when they had a showing, everyone (including the dog) left the house.

Then again, he lived in Alabama, so it would likely be notable if there were NO guns in the house.

As for myself, in the run up to a potential sale, I'll probably sell off accessories that I no longer use. My ammunition, parts, and most gun tools are in large locked cabinet. I have more than one gun safe, but most of them can be covered and some are in places buyers aren't likely to look.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

True, but some times life is a hassle. I simply strapped mine to a sturdy hand cart. Laid it over so the top was on the first step of the porch and used a small chainfall to pull it to the top. Wife watched on in amazement. In any case. You don't have to put it anywhere super difficult if your going to be moving anyway. Could place it in you garage if you have one. You REALLY need it anyway. etc etc. If no access to a chainfall (rental?) everyone can afford and at some point use an inexpensive cable comealong.

Unless you find a place to move them to their isn't any other real good alternatives. Very few storage units I would want my guns sitting in. A gun shop (or pawnshop) is supposed to log in any gun they have over 24 hrs and do paperwork on each upon releasing, even if to original owner. Pawn shops and gun shops get burgled too and if there is no FFL paper work good luck.

PS. one of the things first things anybody coming to my house and shop is going to see is security cameras. Not that expensive or hard to connect and I can review the video from another computer or my phone. Yes, they could be disabled, a safe can be peeled or hauled off, the recording computer found and stolen (its in its own secured metal box), etc etc. If a real pro targets you they are going to get you. With video cameras, anyone scoping you out for a burglary using house shopping as a front is going to be concerned that he is already on video from the visit. I have good insurance too.