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It is your choice to be there or not. It isn't right or wrong either way. As buyers we have asked sometimes for the owners to be present to answer questions. Why not?
I have actually never been sorry to have the owner present when my buyers have been at the property. Just happened again yesterday.... not for inspection, yet, but for the first showing.... and the owner definitely helped explain and sell the house.
It may not make sense for a condo in town to have an owner hanging around watching TV (which has happened!), but it definitely makes sense for the country properties and farms we often look at with clients to have the owner there and helping to show buyers around. On complex properties, owners have a wealth of knowledge about the property features, the outbuildings, systems, soils, flood plains, wildlife and neighbors. They can be a great benefit to explain WHY things are the way they are.
I have also had the owner present during inspection, and it was good to have her there and hearing the inspector call out things. She didn't follow him around, but she was there and could hear the summary when the inspector was done, and he took her over and pointed to a few things. She already knew what was coming in the report and why and even agreed verbally to make some of the the simple changes called for. Switch out that outlet? OK... we can do that.
For you as seller, I would caution against making such agreements on the spot unless it's something easy and inexpensive you obviously should take care of, but IMHO it's not bad to be there and listen if they want to show you something.
I'm not one who is afraid to let the buyers and sellers meet. In my experience, it has always resulted in better information and communication between the parties.
if your agent suggests that you be there, I'd first ask your agent if the recommendation is based upon some conversation with the Buyer's agent. Dd that agent think it would be a good thing? Did they suggest "maybe photogal9 can be there and they can hash out personal property", or somesuch?
if your agent suggests that you be there, I'd first ask your agent if the recommendation is based upon some conversation with the Buyer's agent. Dd that agent think it would be a good thing? Did they suggest "maybe photogal9 can be there and they can hash out personal property", or somesuch?
My RE agent said it would be a good idea to be at the inspection. I have some furnishings that if the buyer would like, I would be willing to sell.
The RE said it would be a good idea to be there, to meet the buyer and answer any questions. I have never had a seller there during inspection when I have purchased in the past. I did not have an inspection on the currently under contract property (low rise condo).
I said I would be there for about 1/2 an hour then leave. Should I really be there at all? I do not want to make the buyer uncomfortable. He is buying the property for an investment only and is going to rent it out.
Thoughts?
IMHO, I generally don't have the sellers at the inspection. They get all bent out of shape when the inspector finds something, feelings get butt-hurt, and it often causes resentment that carries over into repair negotiations or any other issues that may come up (financing delays, etc.). If they have any questions, have them call your agent. Leave post-it notes on the furniture for sale with the prices, and maybe a sheet with all the items for sale listed and the prices.
Ask your agent why s/he recommends you staying. Most agents I know (buyers AND sellers) don't like the seller there.
Depends. This isn't the showing so they've already been sold on the house. I've been at the inspections as a buyer and as a seller. In either case, if I can be there, I will. I tend to ask questions as the buyer and as the seller have some answers. I also do not like people in my house who are not friends or family. I've never had a realtor on site for any of the inspections I've done as a buyer or seller.
I'm not going to be there and I have a list of items in a frame that will be on the counter top if the buyer wishes to purchase anything.
Thanks.
P.S. The poll was for showings not inspections.
My seller also directed me around the house for the showing. Another cluster****. I've actually been to two showing this year where the sellers wanted to walk me through the house and it was miserable and wasted my time. I'm looking at the layout, room sizes, etc. to see if your home works for me. I can be in and out in five minutes. Instead your telling me about the dovetail drawers of your kitchen cabinets and drawing that showing out to 45 minutes distracts me from assessing your house properly.
I understand that some sellers feel they have special items in the home they want to point out but I don't care. Telling me about your humidifier brands, age of furnace, etc. all distract me. That stuff should be on a disclosure form or on inspection report if we get that far.
When I sold my house two years ago (to a young married couple expecting their first child), my real estate agent insisted that I should be there for the inspection to answer any questions.
It was awkward because there was no furniture in the house any more! I bought a camp chair just for that inspection, so that I would have someplace to sit. It took an hour or two so I was glad I brought it.
There were only a couple of questions but I answered them. I had left up some battery operated motion detecting nightlights in the (dark) hallway, and the buyer wanted to know what they were and how to change the batteries. The inspector saw that one of the bedroom walls was not perfectly flat and even in one little spot, and wanted to know about that; I told him I didn't know because I had a bookcase in front of it when I lived there and never saw it. I told the buyers that anything that was left they could either keep or put out at the curb because I didn't want it. They asked about the fake fireplace and I told them that a prior owner had put that in, and that (like them) I thought it was pretty stupid and they could probably just remove it if they wanted to. The questions were mostly pretty idiotic and concerned things that I had lived with uneventfully for years.
Basically it was a waste of time from my point of view, but my realtor is very good and he felt it was a good idea. Maybe the buyers were reassured by it.
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The inspector saw that one of the bedroom walls was not perfectly flat and even in one little spot, and wanted to know about that; I told him I didn't know because I had a bookcase in front of it when I lived there and never saw it. I told the buyers that anything that was left they could either keep or put out at the curb because I didn't want it. They asked about the fake fireplace and I told them that a prior owner had put that in, and that (like them) I thought it was pretty stupid and they could probably just remove it if they wanted to. The questions were mostly pretty idiotic and concerned things that I had lived with uneventfully for years.
