They're selling our house!

Bandita

Bandita

Hi all,

Just had a call/visit from the RE agent today, the owner is going to be selling the house we're currently renting.

No problems with that, our lease is good through July, and we'll do our best to make it look decent and clean - but I'm wondering a bit about open for inspections - security wise.

I don't know if it's more of an urban myth - but do people really come to opens just to learn the layout of your house and security for potential robberies? I imagine there will be a few "open for inspections" (rather than by appointment), where people will be wandering around our home. We don't have much exciting to steal, but there are, for instance, of few construction projects going on across the street and the people working there always know when we leave for work in the morning. Now there's the potential they'll know what's inside.

I'm sure I've just been hearing too many stories with no truth behind them (?) - I hope :eek:

How do you deal with opens?

Thanks!

Cheers,
Jen
 
I think location would have a bit to do with it...is it a high crime area?
I too have heard of things going missing during an open house, and ofcourse the REA cannot be in every room watching every visitor. So it would be wise to take your jewelry with you and not leave cash lying around. You could ofcourse, have a trusted friend "just looking around" and keeping an eye on things for you.

I would err on the cautious side, and just be safe.

I also think this is one of the reasons REA's like people to sign a book when they come in.
 
Hi Jen,

What sailor said! Just don't leave anything valuable lying around and keep everything locked up and out of sight. If you had nice plasma, laptop, dvd player, etc on display then I would be concerned.

Does the lease agreement say anything about open homes if the owner wants to sell? Maybe you can negotiate some compensation (i.e. reduced rent) for your troubles in presenting the house nicely and for all the disruptions.

Also, maybe guard the toilet:

http://www.somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29383

:D

Regards,
Ozi
 
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Vendors agent for block of 6 units (I was renting one) assured tenants that inspections would be supervised. Didn't happen...people left free to roam from room to room whilst a couple proceeded to take sungalsses and prescription spectacles. Very annoying for the tenants who had to arrange for new prescription spectacles and sunglasses then be reimbursed by agents insurance.

Ajax
 
I reckon a good PO should pay the agent enough so that a good salesperson takes enough pics to promote the place and thereby sort out the buyers from the tyrekickers and jointcasers while still in the office or on the net.
But if they insisted, then 1/2 hr open house would be enough for me to put up with, maybe even one family group or couple through at a time.
After all, there aren't too many impulse buyers around at today's real estate prices.

cheers
crest133
 
I know at some opens now the agents are asking to view ID on arrival. Perhaps you could ask that they do this for you also, if only to give you an extra bit of peace of mind?
 
Agents should always get details of whomever is going through the open house.

I remember one time years ago, a house we were selling was broken in to and the gun safe and contents were taken. Now we didn't even KNOW there was a gun safe there (it was hidden very well), but the police came and asked for a list of who had been through the open house and inspected the house. We were able to give them a full and comprehensive list of people, and their contact numbers. The police were very impressed. We were also able to tell the police that no-one had looked into that particular cupboard (once the police had told us where it was!), as we never allowed people to just roam around the house during opens. They were always accompanied, even at a distance.

Turns out it was one of the guys from the vendor's gun club... But we were fine because we had all the details!

Ask the agent what measures they will employ to ensure they keep your house safe and what measures they will employ to ensure they keep all the details of everyone that comes through.

It may not be your house, but it's your home, and you are entitled to protect it.

If you are uneasy, schedule an appointment with the property manager AND the listing agent at the same time, and go through your concerns with them both.

asy :D
 
Make sure your contents insurance is in order and covers the inspection scenario. Photograph items likely to be theft targets so you have records for the insurance company.
Consider storing valuables elsewhere for a while.
Realise that there are probably thousands of inspections that happen every weekend without a problem i.e. be alert, but not alarmed.
 
We offered out tenants significant discounts during the sale campaign. Definitely ask for it - and hint the other option could be very unsuccesful opens.... (where you tell prospective buyers all the bad points of the propoerty :D )

Cheers,

The Y-man
 
My house was burgled 10 days after it was sold at auction. Our house has a complex layout (ie office goes off another room) and they knew exactly what they were looking for, eg computer hard drive, DVD player, the kids Playstation etc. These are things you may not normally be able to hide. They avoided the burglar alarm until the last minute.

Insist that names and ID is taken. Good Luck!
 
Inspected a 2br flat in South Yarra a couple of months. I would say the agent is not well known in the suburb (this being the only property they had for sale in sth yarra).

Walking in, the elderly agent asked for Name and Phone number - which I thought was normal - then he asked for my address - I asked what for thinking it was to send me junk mail or something - and the old chap replied "to give to the police" . . . . in case something was stolen etc, etc.
 
Thanks so much for the advice!

I will give the agent a call tomorrow to talk about my security issues. We actually don't have contents insurance yet (dumb I know - but I never worried about a break in until now, and the costs didn't seem worth it) but we will definitly purchase it now.

I was wondering - for those of you who gave your tenants a decreased rent during the sale campaign - did the tenants ask for it, or did you offer it? The RE agent (same company as PM) certainly didn't offer it to us - and the owner definitly hasn't been willing to spend an extra cent on the property to repair it since we've been here - so I don't want to be cheeky about asking for a decrease rent, but it would certainly be nice. As I said before, we're happy to make the place look as nice as possible to help with the sale, we even offered to spread mulch over the pathetic garden (we've been wanting to do this since we've moved in, but got no response) to make it look nice - and a cheaper rent would encourage us even more!

Cheers,
Jen
 
JenD said:
I was wondering - for those of you who gave your tenants a decreased rent during the sale campaign - did the tenants ask for it, or did you offer it?
Cheers,
Jen
Click to expand...

Tenants asked, PM suggested a figure, we agreed. (And from all accounts they kept the place spotless)

Cheers,

The Y-man
 
Hi Jen,
We recently had a house advertised for sale and we reduced rent from $250 to $220 providing that the house was always well presented. We advised her that she did not have to permit open house as I wouldn't if I were in her shoes and as our tenant was a shift worker we also paid to have the lawns done for her to free up some time as she would hopefully be busy cleaning :)

Best money spent as the house was always well presented she allowed the open house inspections every weekend and was always willing to help the agent with additional appointments.

Ask and you should receive something for your troubles. But in saying this I never am worried about the presentation of homes that we look at to buy - The last one had lovely pictures of some ladies covering just about every inch of wall in the lounge room and the harley engine was the coffee table being worked on....hmmm very well presented.
Good luck,
 
I'm curious about the legalities of open houses when a tennant is in place. Could be different to Vic, but here in WA I believe that tennants need to be notified in writing prior to a veiwing and that the amount of vewings must be reasonable. eg 2-3 veiwings a week would be pushing the envelope. As for home opens with any number of strangers wandering through your home, this strikes me as absolutely unreasonable and would be in breach of the generally standard lease terms of "right to privacy" and "right to quiet enjoyment". This was the advice I received when we once had a house we were renting go on the market. Solution - we bought the house ourselves! I would absolutely check with your coverage with your contents insurer if things are missing or broken during the home open. I would also request strict supervision of all attendees at all times even if this means 2-3 REA in attendance. And I would definitely seek a significant reduction in the rent based on the general inconvenience, extra burden on you to have the house ready for inspections, inconvenience of possibly being asked to make yourself scarce during home opens and private inspections and breach of lease conditions as stated above.

Flatout
 
The place we're in is still on the market but at least the open houses have calmed down.

I try to hide away small valuables as things tend to get nicked and nothing can really be done about it. (Worse still, since people coming through are technically 'guests' a lot of insurance policies won't cover theft or damage.)

The place needs to look cleaner than clean, like a museum. This will help the buyed but also help you if the new owner ends up being the new landlord.

And as for a discount, in 2 of the 3 properties sold from under me the rent went UP not down.

I tend to be present for all inspections but dress up to the nines. The visitors generally mistake me for one of the agents or another buyer.

If they sus me out I'm generally polite to all questions but if they get too nasty (questions like "so when I buy this place when can you get your crap out of here") I just refer them to the agent.

The realtors won't care too much for your privacy, after all the meager ammount they get from your rent is far dwarfed by the commission they'll be getting.

Try to work out some sort of arrangement. They can ask for access 24 hours before hand but they might ask for less. The deal I've always had if really pushed is at least two hours notice. Any less than that and they won't bother you, they'll just let themselves in.

Worst experience I had was one place where all the units in a block were for sale in one line. Inspections were twice a week and all day Saturday. Since there were about ten units we were supposed to share out the appointments.

Of course what would happen is that the poor agent would knock on someone's door, be told to 'rack' off and multiply and then we'd get the knock and a sad agent at our door saying "really sorry to be doing this to you again but..."

Our reward for our accomodating ways was an eviction notice posted two hours after settlement (to everyone in the building) evicting us at Christmas.
 
Consider audio and/or video surveillance

This is what I did during several OFI when a flat I was living in was up for sale:

1. Before the inspection set up a sensitive FM wireless microphone transmitter ('bug') - costs about $10 to build and I already had one ;)

2. Carry an FM radio (with headphones) into the next street. Or drive there and use the car radio

3. Tune into the bug on the radio and listen to what happens

What did I learn? Some advertised inspections did not happen (the microphone is sensitive enough to hear the agent open up and this wasn't heard). Only one did happen.

That was 2003 and with today's technology video surveillance would be easier and better for the tech savvy.

Eg set up a webcam with record function (for evidence later on). Or view it at a nearby friend's place or internet cafe. Or even better (if it can be done) view it on an internet-enabled mobile phone. If you saw them picking your things up off the shelf etc, maybe you could talk back to them through the computer to really freak them out!

I see no legal issues with bugging or monitoring a place you legally inhabit for security purposes. But anyone else's for other purposes and you'd be in deep water!

Another possibility is getting a friend to go along (posing as a would be tenant) to keep an eye on things.

Peter
 
Spiderman said:
I see no legal issues with bugging or monitoring a place you legally inhabit for security purposes.
Click to expand...
I have security cameras in my Subway store. But I was told by the security firm, that although it was OK to record pictures, if I recorded sound, I would be breaking the law.

I can't find anything on Google though, with a quick search- I'd be interested to know the legal basis.
 
If I was the tenant, I'd stay home and make sure nothing was taken.

Many inspections of properties we were looking at had the tenants at home.
Gave me a chance to ask them questions, and mant times they offered info on what problems there were.

Honestly, how messy their place was, was of no importance to me.
However, it may make me request that it be vacant possession.
 
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