Video security for herps

With having our house up for sale and having our first open house this coming weekend I am having over protective thoughts about my animals. Would it be overkill if I setup video recording of all activity in the room? I could easily set it up for motion sensitivity and only record when there was activity. I think our realtor would be pretty good about keeping people's hands out but I still worry :\

I would just don't make them overly obvious as then it would draw attention to the fact the animals are valuable.

I think that if it is at all possible, I would move the snakes to a different location! Wouldn't have to worry about the snakes, and wouldn't have to worry about freaked out potential buyers.

Steve

i wouldnt worry about it, my geuss would be the people wouldnt want to have anything to do with the room the snakes are in. IMO it might be a downside in having an openhouse. But trying to stay on topic gettin video surveilance for a snake room would be a beast idea. ESPECIALLy motion sensored so if one gets out you can check the tape and see which direction they went to:banana:

moving all the snakes for an open house only a few hours long would be way more work than I want to do, but I suppose if it came to that it might be possible. I think I will test it out and see what I come up with.

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Originally Posted by TekWarren

moving all the snakes for an open house only a few hours long would be way more work than I want to do, but I suppose if it came to that it might be possible. I think I will test it out and see what I come up with.

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This is a tough one......but if it's easy for you to hook up video do it!

Good luck selling that house!

Of course I am kidding around with you, if I was the one looking at your house I would be pumped that you had snakes. Unfortunately, many people will not be pumped that you have snakes and my advice is if you really want to sell your house the snakes have got to go.

Maybe a family member or a friend will let your snakes crash at their place for a while.

I have motion sensored, wireless video set up in my snake room. YOu can have it record to an offsite analog recorder or set up an internet connection and have it store video online so you can monitor it from anywhere.
http://www.x10.com/products4/google/homepage_cam.htm
is a good site to start looking. They have cheap systems that are really customizable. I have been using a wireless system from them for years and I haven't had any problems. I would however first think about moving the snakes for the open house. Either people will be freaked out about the snakes and leave, or they will know what they are worth and you are open to the risk of a robbery.

All all for cameras for an open house, simply to see reactions you get to your home, good and bad. Move the snakes out first (sorry you have to if you've got more than one). Watch the video of everyone in and out to see what most like and don't like. Improve your house from the feedback and go for another open house next month.

The snakes are staying for this open house. If the reactions are that poor I will definitely have to figure out someplace to move them. Although being winter if I move them they would likely have to stay at that location until we have found our next home. I am not about risk moving my animals back and fourth during winter. If I can get the camera up I will, if not we'll just have to go by what the realtor says. I'm half expecting no one will even come through being he set it up for a Sunday which I don't understand since the majority of this town will be in church.

I can appreciate the comments, we'll just have to see how it goes.

just stay close to the house so if you see them leave with a bunch of things....you know

Keep in mind that open houses aren't the only time you'll have potential buyers in the house. Real estate agents should be showing the house by appointment also. My used-to-be-mother-in-law was a real estate agent. Pets had to be out of the house for showings. Some people are just turned off by pets in the house, and we already know that the general public is turned off by snakes. My suggestion wasn't to relocate the snakes for the open house, rather for the duration until the house sells and you get relocated. Of course, its your decision, but I think relocation would make the house much, much easier to sell!

Best of luck!!!
Steve

Oh I agree with what everyone is saying. I think due the time of year that is upon us my snakes and their safety/health is more important to me than selling the house. Selling is really only a want at this point and not a need. If it where the middle of the summer I would probably have moved them to a temp location already. Unfortunately we had a really crappy first realtor who we ditched so we didn't get our house listed until this fall which is another thing going against us. I don't know how well houses sell in the winter, and I'm not looking forward to having to move in the middle of winter either...done that! In the couple months we have had the house on the market not one person has come through. We have been notified 3 times that someone was interested but then found out they never showed or "something came up". We have a strict 48hr advanced notice policy with our realtor about individual showings. Its not a good time to sell no matter what right now, although we are told the "info line" for our house has been getting quite a few hits recently.

Like I said if it looks/sounds like the snakes are a huge turn off to the point where someone wouldn't buy the house then we will have to consider moving them no doubt.

I'm going to go with something different than the rest.

I say you stay with the snakes and if there are any kids or people wanting to handle the snakes then I say you got some "brownie" points. lol

Specially kids would be all excited, and be more towards your house.

Seems like a good idea to me. lol

As fun as that might be that won't be happening :P We are not supposed to be around for the showing. This is one of the few times where I hope the animals are not the center of attention.

Our realtor stated that a few people really liked the house, yet a couple of the wives didn't want the house because there might be an escapee left in the house. One stated she wouldn't be able to sleep knowing there had been snakes and frogs in the house.

Good luck with whatever you work out.