I've been holding open houses almost every weekend for several months, and after encountering several very frustrating situations, I've put together an open house and home showing emergency kit that stays in the trunk of my car at all times. Some of these items are genuine emergency supplies, and some are just nice to have "in case."
- Toilet paper. Have you ever held a vacant home open for three hours after several cups of coffee, only to discover there is no TP in the house?
- Light bulbs. Vacant homes, in particular, tend to have many missing or burned out bulbs. Some rooms are virtually black holes without some light.
- WD 40 or other lightweight lubricant. You need this for everything from stuck locks to squeaky cabinet doors.
- A tape measure...preferably the professional kind that measures at least 6 feet and has a retractor case. Somebody is bound to ask about how wide a doorway is, or question a dimension in the listing.
- A small hammer. Comes in handy for all sorts of things, probably including self-protection :-)
- Screwdrivers, both Philips and standard heads, several sizes.
- Flashlight and extra batteries.
- Rubber wedge to keep door open (handy on windy days or if a door isn't hung properly)
- Spray cleaner like 409, plus glass cleaner. Great for small clean-up jobs.
- Paper towels, plus a rag or two. You never know!
- Bar of soap or small bottle of liquid soap for hand-washing
- Extra pad of paper and pen
- Bottled water, aspirin, Tums
I'm sure you can think of other items...and feel free to add them to the list! I have needed each and every one of these things at one point or another, and now I will never be without them again.
Comments(11)