8 tips for a successful open house

You're letting total strangers walk through your home. You're allowed to set a few ground rules before the big day. A few to consider:

• Everyone signs in and shows a driver's license, says Patricia Szot, president of the MetroTex Association of Realtors and owner of Keller Williams Realty/Lake Cities at Firewheel. Skip the ID and you run the risk of a fake name and identification number.
• No one uses the bathrooms. It's an open house, not a gas station, says Szot. With an open house, you never want a closed door between you and a stranger in your home, she says.
• There's nothing in the medicine cabinets worth taking. One hot crime for some open houses: pharmaceutical theft, Combs says. Dispose of anything you're not using and either take the rest with you or lock it up.
• Valuables are secured. Lock up anything that might tempt sticky fingers: cash, jewelry, credit cards, bills, liquor, valuable tchotchkes and personal electronics.
• Guests always have a chaperone. Have whoever is manning the tour work in pairs or as a team to be certain that guests will have an escort as they view the house, Szot says.