This post was inspired by Mike Cooper's post Seller Tips for Showing Homes, from Amelia, My Granddaughter . Mike shared tips that sellers should consider when preparing their home for showings; these items are also important if you have a small child in the home.
One of Mike's tips was to keep cabinet doors locked to keep dangerous items out of reach, and to only store appropriate items in the cabinets. His post reminded me of something that happened to me years ago.
While showing homes to a buyer-client, we couldn't find the homes' electrical panel. It was an older house and we had looked everywhere for the fuse box. We finally found it tucked inside an upper kitchen cabinet behind coffee cups and stemware.
Later in the day, the seller called the listing agent, who in turn called me, to complain that we had looked inside the cabinets. Apparently something inside the cupboard was moved so we could get to the electrical panel. The owner surely thought we were snooping.
I'm sorry the seller was upset, but the bottom line is that buyers WILL open cabinet doors to inspect the condition of the cabinets and to see the storage space inside. Cabinets are part of what the buyers are buying, so they should be neatly organized and contain only appropriate items.
Looking inside cabinets is one thing; cabinets are part of the REAL ESTATE. It's to be expected, but armoires, chest of drawers, and similar storage pieces are PERSONAL PROPERTY and completely off limits.
If you are selling your home, be sure the contents of your kitchen and bathroom cabinets are neatly organized, and that potentially dangerous items are stored out of reach or are safely locked away.
Do buyers peek inside cabinets? Yes! They certainly do.
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