Showing Instructions: PLEASE LIGHT ALL CANDLES BEFORE SHOWING

Today the showing service gave me the following showing instructions to show a property:

"Be sure to get to the home early to light candles BEFORE showing." Dog is not friendly and is lose in the backyard, remove all shoes, leave a business card, turn off all lights, lock all doors and be SURE to turn on a/c as it set to 85."

First,

NO REALTOR who made it past the 3rd grade will light candles before a showing. Not only is it a liability, but it usually impractical. Most of my buyers follow or ride with me house to house. It's not like I'm going to tell them to wait outside while I run inside to light candles. What if I forget to blow one out? The liability is too great.

Second,

REALTORS are human and we do make silly mistakes like leaving a light on occasionally. But let me tell you this... No amount of reminders to "turn off all lights or lock all doors" is going to ever be effective. This is because 99.9% of all listings have this reminder. It's like me telling you to not indulge in salt or fatty foods because it's not good for you, or me reminding you to say please and thank you.

Another seller requested that my inspector turn on the water to the home by simply "turning on the valve." You see, this home was vacant and the seller/listing agent both forgot to make sure ALL utilities were on PRIOR to the home inspection. It's also in pretyped language in the Texas 1-4 Residential Contract that BOTH parties sign. SELLERS are required to have ALL utilities on for inspections. Foreclosures, HUD Homes and Short Sales might be and usually are the exception.

Imagine if me, my buyer or my home inspector turned on a sellers water from the outside - AS WE ARE TOLD by the seller. Now further imagine what were to happen if when we went inside and found water gushing from behind an appliance. Sometimes the rubber hose behind the washer could be unseated. Perhaps a shower is on, but directed to the bathroom floor - upstairs! Both of these examples have happened.

Who do you think would be liable to fix the damage and why?