Please Don’t Stand On The Bed

THE HOUSE SHOPPING GOLDEN RULE:

Treat other peoples’ homes the way you would want yours treated.

One time years ago we were renovating our master bathroom, and I came home to find the tile guy rifling through our dresser drawers with a flashlight. Was I mad? YOU BET! His reply in response to my horrified face: “Should I not be doing this?” NO YOU SHOULD NOT BE DOING THAT!!!!!

The same applies to house shopping - don’t go through the sellers’ things! Now, there are certain areas of the home that the seller expects you to look in: kitchen cabinets, closets, attics, etc. You want to know what you are potentially purchasing and those areas are staying with the house. However, if it will be leaving when the homeowners move (dressers, china cabinets, nightstands, etc.) and you want to take a peek, you are just being nosy and invasive. Would you want strangers going through your personal possessions without your knowledge or permission?

Another time I was showing a house to some buyers that already had the house under contract. They wanted to visit the house again to do some measuring and planning. Later that evening I got a call from the listing agent asking if any of us had stood on the bed in the master bedroom. My immediate response was, “Well, of course not.” After doing a little investigating I discovered the bed had been stood on (BJN I hope you are reading this) in order to examine a bad spot on the ceiling. Shoe marks on the bed and FURIOUS sellers. Actually overly furious, but that’s beside the point which is please be considerate! As a buyer, you are a guest in someone else’s home, and you need to treat it the way you would want your house treated. Also, in this day and age you should always assume the homeowner has security cameras and can see and hear everything.

We provide a buyer’s packet to all of our clients before we take them house shopping. This packet includes instructions on home shopping etiquette. And yes, we actually include the rule, “Do not stand on any furniture,” as well as other advice on how to politely look at someone’s home. Our buyer’s packet also includes several important documents that will be helpful as you begin the home shopping/buying process. We absolutely love educating our clients to ensure they have as much knowledge as possible, including the biggest piece of advice DON’T STAND ON THE BED!