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Reasons To Leave Your Kids At Home When You Attend An Open House

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When you're browsing real estate listings in an effort to find a home that you may wish to buy, finding a home that meets your search criteria has an upcoming open house can certainly be exciting. While you might be eager to gather up your kids and make plans to attend the event, it's usually a good idea to leave the children at home. Whether you have to arrange a babysitter or the kids are old enough to remain home alone, you typically won't regret their absence during the open house. Here are some reasons that it's best to avoid taking children to an open house.

They Won't Distract You

Perhaps the biggest reason to attend an open house without your child is that they won't become a distraction. An open house is an important time — you have a finite window in which to evaluate a home, decide if it might be suitable for your needs, and ask questions of the listing agent. When you try to accomplish these tasks with children in tow, it can be a challenge. You'll often find yourself having to answer questions from your kids, remind them to avoid touching items, and may need to take a child to the bathroom. All of these issues can combine to prevent you from maximizing the open house experience.

They Might Find It Boring

While some kids may enjoy the idea of attending an open house, many will find the experience to be boring. This is problematic because it's not very respectful of your children; most adults have unpleasant memories of being dragged to grown-up events when they were kids, so it's not ideal to put your children through a similar situation. Children who are bored can act up, too, and pretty soon you might find that you're forced to leave the open house prematurely because your children are behaving inappropriately.

They Could Take Something

Some children have proverbial sticky fingers, even if they're not bad kids. While you're temporarily distracted, one of your children could easily pick up a toy from a child's room in the open house and pocket it. On the way home or once you arrive home, you may then discover the toy, and you'll face the uncomfortable and time-consuming process of returning to the open house to give the toy back — and explain the situation to the listing agent or, even worse, the homeowner if the open house is now over.

For more help finding a new home, contact a real estate agency like Reece Nichols Real Estate.


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