Looking at this gaping, rather messy closet feels like an invasion of privacy, doesn’t it?
It would be, unless the closet is in a house that is on the market.
I’ve had more than one buyer client ask if it’s alright to do things like look in closets, try out water pressure, check out how clean the built-in oven is. These are all things that only either the crassest people or our closest friends would do under normal circumstances.
Selling or buying a house is far from normal circumstances. It is a time when total strangers roam through your home. Someone else is trying to visualize their furniture in your living room.
And they want to know if the closets are large enough to hold the by-product of her shoe sickness, his fascination with remote control airplanes and the equipment from the seven sports their two children play at any given time.
So, buyers – go ahead and look. It isn’t naughty.
Sellers – tidy up for goodness sake. While knowing the water pressure might be important, there are some things NOBODY wants to know about you.
The thing to keep in mind for both buyer and seller is that a home on the market is a product for sale. If you want to sell it, put things in order. If you want to buy it, kick the tires, so to speak. Flush the toilet, see if the oven has been cleaned recently – or ever – and look in the closets.
Really. It’s ok.
