WOW! My great friend Pat Kennedy wrote the following post and I didn't realize just how MUCH I hate baby gates until she brought it up!
I understand that there are sellers that have baby gates through their homes for their children. But when your home is being shown baby gates can become a HUGE obstacle! There have been many occasions where I have been showing a home that has had a gate at the bottom, or the top, of stairs and we just never see the rest of the home.
You see, you can't assume that everyone knows how to open those things and, besides, each on is different. On top of that - I AM SHORT! It is nearly impossible for me to try and step over one of those things. And at the top of the stairs? No doubt I would go tumbling all the way to the bottom of the stairs if I was on the second floor trying to step over a baby gate onto the stairs. My buyers? Forget it - they would have even venture up the stairs in the first place.
So, when you know your home is going to be previewed and you have baby gates please BE SURE that they are "open" so agents and buyers have FULL access to your ENTIRE home.
It was obvious that little children lived in the house. While it was well staged and showed well, there was a sippy cup in the kitchen sink, a back yard swing set, and a baby gate at the top of the stairs to the second floor.
Um, baby gate?
My client and I went up to check out the upstairs bedrooms and bath, and the gate swung shut behind us. I didn't think about it again until we had finished and were headed down.
It wouldn't open.
I couldn't get it unhooked. My client couldn't figure the stupid thing out. We were trapped!
The gate was too high for me to gracefully step over. It was too high for me to ungracefully step over! And the seller did what a good seller is supposed to do during a showing - she took the young one and went to the grocery store!
Luckily, I had the seller's number on my I-Phone's call list from when I called ahead to arrange the showing, and I punched "Call" I was hoping that it would be her cell phone and not a home number. And it was her cell. I got her in the produce aisle - phew!
It was one of those things that was easy to get open if you knew what you were doing. She talked me through it. We got it open and went downstairs.
Free at last!
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Ah yes, and that is our baby gate :) Unfortunately, what is safe for baby is harder for adults too. These new swing close gates are much safer--but knowing how to slide, pull back and up...well...it takes a time or two to get it down. I feel bad, but these things are necessary, and though the suggestion is good, they are hard to prop open and in many cases are securely fastened to the wall, so temporarily removing them on our way out is out of the question :)
I think if I were to put my home on the market today, I would make a pretty little sign card to hang on the gate that gives the basic instructions and maybe even a picture with arrows (and my cell phone number ;-) )...what do you think? I'm in marketing, so I'd probably have the sign say, "Seeing this part of the house, is definintely worth the effort--but having trouble with our baby gate? Here's how to operate it:"
Leesa - I showed a home a few days ago and for the life of me couldn't figure out the baby gate. I finally got it open after pushing in here, lifting there and counting to ten.
Leesa: Not to mention the liability of having someone become injured or breaking the gate by accident of attempting to get through it! Chrissy makes an excellent point which would certainly be a positive alternative. Why not offer to type up something nice on your computer for the owners to use at, on or near the gate -- exhibits your understanding and willingness to go above-and-beyond (sort of like Toy Story)!
He Leesa, Sometimes people have them up of their pets two. Also from a Feng Shui point of view, it acts like a energetic blockage for potential buyers. You already mentioned how you noticed when people visual see the gate...it is a good idea to just have them away when showing the home all together :)
You know I never thought of that, but there have been occasions where we have skipped seeing a section of a house because of one.
Leesa.....Baby gates can be very difficult to open, but I never thought about having the seller open them when they leave. Great idea!!
So true and when I have a skirt on, I can't climb over them! lol!
Funny to see the commebts. Of course you can have your sellers put up a note giving directions, you can just leave them open or you could remove them altogether. Regardless, I find them to be a real pain in the butt and the walls look horrible after you have sold your home and tried to repair the holes.