So you’ve made the decision to sell your home. One of the most common questions I get asked by home sellers is when do I have to leave my house?
Good question!
When in doubt, leave. I’m serious. If you’re honestly not sure of when to stay or when to leave, just LEAVE. Go get some errands finished, or visit a friend. But as a run down of exactly when, here you go:
- When the photographer comes. Your selling agent wants the best photos, and so do you. So get our of their way! Ask your Realtor for how long you need to be away, but I’d average 2 hours.
- Showings!! I can’t stress this enough. Please leave for any and all showings. Let the selling agent who’s showing your beautiful home do their job.
- Appraisals/Inspections. For home inspections, a lot of the times, the buyers will be there too. This is their time to talk with the inspector face to face. Don’t make it awkward by following the home inspector around undermining their findings. Home inspections generally take about 2 hours. As for appraisals, they take less time, and it is usually just the appraiser, but it is still best to leave your house. If you’ve done lots of upgrades and whatnot, leave a friendly list for them instead.
- Open houses. If you and your listing agent decide upon having an open house, leave! You hired the Realtor you thought would do the best job for you, so let them do their magic!