What were you thinking?
Yes this is a rant. What is the point of having a blog cleverly disguised as a hot dog stand if I can't rant once in a while?
These days I have been spending a fair amount of time with clients who are looking for fixer uppers. We have plenty of them. Most are vacant homes that are bank owned.
Here in Minnesota smart property owners "winterize" vacant homes so that there is no danger of pipes freezing, breaking and flooding the home. Winterizing involves turning off the water and draining the system.
So I go out to show these properties with my clients who are often accompanied by an entourage which consists of fathers, brothers, sisters, minor children of the same, and occasionally someone who knows something abut real estate or about home repairs.
Usually by the time we get to the third house, someone needs a potty break. It is most often an adult, but occasionally a child.
None of the homes have usable facilities. I know the drill, and often have to wait somewhere while the entourage takes a potty break.
When I was a child, back a very long time ago, my parents would advise us to drain ourselves before we got into the car. Great advice. I go one step further and limit the amount of caffeinated beverages that I consume before showing houses. While I may fall asleep behind the wheel, at least I won't have to have everyone wait while I take a potty break.
If I could be paid minumum wage for every hour I have spent waiting for the entourage to take a potty break I could probably retire. I do advise my clients on how to dress for seeing vacant unheated properties in subzero weather. I am going to be adding some verbiage so that they know there won't be any working facilities in the homes that they will be seeing. If that isn't enough I will tell them that they need to go potty before touring homes.
Perhaps you should invest in one of those little porta potties. Would that be wrong to give as a client gift?? http://tinyurl.com/2n7y6g
Posted by: Ginger Wilcox | March 05, 2008 at 08:17 AM
I don't have to advise people how to dress down here in sunny Tucson, but on days I know we're seeing short sales: everyone gets a stern look in the eye before we leave the office, and is told there will be no potty at the houses we are seeing, and that they should go NOW or forever hold their, uh, peace.
Posted by: Kelley Koehler | March 05, 2008 at 12:05 PM
We were at a new construction site and touring a couple homes in the process after looking at the models and the kids started luckly we saw a Mr Bob port o pot and off they went. Your right this can take longer than the process to look at a couple homes.
I think advising them to be prepared is a good idea.
Posted by: Homes For Sale In Blue Ridge | March 05, 2008 at 01:51 PM
As a listing agent...I tape the lids down and remove the TP from empty houses. Had a disgusting person leave a deposit.
Posted by: Bob Carney | March 05, 2008 at 03:37 PM
Speaking of disgusting, Carney--thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Jack Boardman | March 05, 2008 at 06:27 PM
One day after a showing my seller called me and said,"Well, Missy I guess they are buying the house". huh... I haven't heard anything yet, haven't called for feedback yet, they just left.
Oh she said,but they left a deposit in the bathroom.
Posted by: Missy Caulk | March 08, 2008 at 09:22 PM
The deposit get more disgusting when it's fermented a month or so. The whole house . . . well, I'll skip the details!
Posted by: Bonnie Erickson | March 08, 2008 at 11:45 PM
We tape down the lids as well and put big signs on the toilets. Thankfully the "winter" season is almost over.
I like this blog, btw. :)
Posted by: Karen Rice | March 24, 2008 at 09:06 PM