We have our house in Indiana for sale. I have the water shut off and a sign on each toilet warning not to use. Some of our stuff is out but some closets still have clothes and the garage has two cars in it. The fun begins as I have a (not very) hidden camera with microphone set up overlooking the kitchen. People have no idea they are being watched and listened to.
Buyers along with their agents try to figure out if people still live in the house or if it’s a model. Once they see the clothes and cars, they are really stumped. Once the teenager opened the frig and gave her report as to what was in there and asked the agent if she could take a water, agent gave permission to take the property of the homeowner however small it was. Someone was disappointed that the water was off because she had to “poop”.
People have camped out in the family room taking a break form house hunting while catching up on their phone calls. All in all it’s quite interesting but I would not recommend a camera unless you have a high tolerance for watching people making themselves at home in your house. Not to mention the kids with no parental supervision.
I’m an agent but because this is a corporate relocation, I could not list the house myself. I’ve always told my clients to save their discussions till we leave the house (ya never know) and would absolutely never allow anyone to remove anything from a house no matter how small. I usually pack a cooler of waters and or schedule a lunch or refreshment break. Some agents have so much to learn.