Source: Realtor.com —
Open house etiquette is all about common sense.
Here are a few no-brainers that every potential buyer should know: Don’t park on the lawn, take off your shoes when you go inside (or put on booties, if they’re offered), and never peek inside the medicine cabinet.
Easy rules to follow, right? Not for some would-be homebuyers.
You won’t believe some of the cringe behavior real estate agents have witnessed at open houses in today’s high-stress market. Here’s the stuff that made their eyes roll—and the critical reason why you should be on your best behavior.
Smokin’ hot cover-up
Larry Chatt, broker and owner of Island Real Estate in Anna Maria Island, FL, recalls an incident that happened to a colleague.
Unbeknownst to the agent showing a home, a guest used a small bathroom, lit a candle (presumably to mask the, um, lingering odor), and placed it high up on a wooden cabinet in the corner.
The hidden location of the open flame made it easy to miss when the agent did her walk-through before locking up.
“When the homeowners returned later in the evening, the smoke alarms were blaring and the owner was immediately hit with a wall of smoke due to a fire that broke out,” says Chatt.
Although the home needed minor repairs for smoke damage, the good news is no one was hurt.
No one will know
As the previous tale highlights, using the bathroom is generally considered off-limits at an open house. But if you need to go, ask rather than sneaking in and trying to cover your tracks.
“I’ve had people use the toilet and not flush, or I hear them washing their hands,” says Rachel J. LeFlore, a real estate agent with the Bob & Ronna Group in Ellicott City, MD.
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