Isn't that frustrating! We didn't have anything broken, but we did have realtors who showed our house who went off and left security doors unlocked, back gate and garage door standing wide open.

I think I would hang a sign suspended from a bit of ribbon or yarn across where someone might sit, with a simple "Fragile Vintage Piece - Please Do Not Sit Here." That's not unwelcoming. That's just asking someone not to sit on something that you don't want to have damaged. :-)

Good luck with your sale!

In show houses, they typically use ribbons to cover seats, around toilet seats, etc to mark that these thing should not be used.

I would put a sign right inside the door, please do not sit on the furniture or use the facilities. Thank You, the home owner.

Thank you, TRose. With our last sale I had one of my favorite pottery bowls chipped - I found the chip on the floor so I'm sure it happened with a showing. I guess they picked it up to look at it and hit the table. Also had someone bring in a ladder from our garage to climb up a trap door in our master closet to the attic. They knocked things off a top shelf and also left marks on the carpet and ceiling and insulation on the floor. That was a first visit -- not sure what they were looking for.

Signage would be appropriate. Tie a rope across.

Love that Mama Goose!

It is amazing what people do when looking at homes.

What's wrong with a sign that says, "Please don't sit on this."?

I'm always baffled when I see prospective buyers throw themselves on the beds or climb in the tub on these HGTV House Hunters shows.

Really?

Nosoccermom - I know what you mean about people on the beds - they aren't buying the beds. I wouldn't mind someone trying the tub on for size but would hope they would remove their shoes. :-/

I wouldn't mind someone using the bathroom either. I mean, when you've gotta go, you've gotta go - and I'd rather have a potential buyer remain in my house than feel a sudden need to rush off and take care of business, all because I had refused to let them use my toilet. ;-)

Turn it towards the wall. It may look odd but would keep those who take a politely phrased note as an invitation--as well as keep their unsupervised children from sitting on it. I would also put away any decorative object I feared being damaged. People like to touch things. They just do. Protect your valuables.

I would probably use the ribbon, or remove the hall stand altogether.

And I can't believe what some will do when viewing a house too, a real eye opener. We had moved, but not far, when I listed our house. I went every evening to check on things and found blinds open, closed, cabinet doors open, room doors closed, exterior doors unlocked, lights/lamps off, toilet lids up - and one time, a mans heavy dark shoe prints in the porcelain soaking tub. (rgrs, are you reading this ;)) I'd proudly had that house just gleaming, ready to move into without touching a thing. It hadn't even occurred to me I'd be spiffing up floors, cleaning toilets. TG it sold immediately.

After noticing our realtor start to walk away without locking someone's front door (!), I found myself monitoring him at every house: "Did you turn off ALL the lights? Did you relock the door?" We were looking at vacation homes, some might be empty for weeks until the next showing or the owner returned. No one needs every light, including the closets, on for weeks because the realtor is too thoughtless to hit the switch.

When we were looking, the only sign that gave me pause was a somewhat threatening sign about removing shoes since the floors were delicate. I thought I'm not interested in maintaining delicate floors in a beach place so let's move on to the next listing. It was the type of place used for weekly rentals, why would you put easily dented and marred floors in a place that gets abused by renters?

I agree with the others to put a sign AND a cord or ribbon across it. Good luck, I hope you get above asking price and a quick and easy settlement.

I would remove anything you do not want used or touched by buyers. You want them to feel at home in your house or psychologically they will not wish to purchase it and a sign or rope will negate that comfortable home like feeling.

Thank you hhireno for the good sale wishes :-).

Uh oh, just thinking through what some people may do when "they truly feel at home" in your house.

I agree with roarah. If you don't want people sitting on something that invites being sat upon, remove it. Put something else in its place. Better a blank spot than a "do not sit here" vibe.

Perhaps put a "Wet Paint" sign on it?!

I like the idea of signage re delicate item, please do not sit.

nosoccermom - I can't believe it either when I watch the HGTV shows and people throw themselves on the beds when viewing a home. I saw one show where the couple's young children were trying out the beds in every home they looked at, and the parents and agent just looked on and laughed, not saying a word.

That scene seriously keeps coming back to haunt me as we're preparing to list our home. I'm a bit of a germaphobic and am particularly wary of bedbugs and head lice when using beds other than my own, and always wash the sheets after guests visit and kid sleepovers. Now I have to worry about strangers on my bed when showing my house?

Edited to fix atrocious typos caused by posting on a cell phone while hungrily waiting for Thai food order and not checking before hitting the submit button :)

A medium small box with holes in it. Made to look like air holes. That's it.

Gotta add. How about setting a mouse trap inside? Too funny.

When we sold our last home, I made sure that we were ALWAYS notified before anyone showed the home, and what time they'd be arriving.

Once, they were coming in the door as we were going out the garage.

As soon as the REA & potential buyers left, either DH or I were there to make sure everything was as it should be.

rgrs, I hope your home sells quickly & painlessly!

I would just remove it. That way you know that nothing will happen to it. There might be some buyers with unruly kids who come to look at the house, and let their kids do what they want while they're looking. Just be safe, remove it, so you don't have to be upset that something happened to it!

There are always people who will do just the opposite. As soon as they hear or see a sign which says 'do not', they will 'do'. Being considerate is not in their vocabulary. Unfortunately, this could include the realtor you hired.

I wouldn't do the sign -- I would just pust some items there - pillows, boxes, stack of magazines or books, a basket with garden tool and gloves, an empty box or two wrapped to look like parcels or gifts. Make it uninviting and not so easy to sit -- or at least weigh that against having a blank space from removing it. If someone needs to wait for someone to take another look, measure a space, or talk about how they'd arrange furniture, those are serious buyers you want to find an appropriate seat to sit on and linger while they figure things out.

Great idea lascatx. There is a comfortable settee nearby so that's good.

I agree with placing a basket, or boxes or books on anything that's too delicate for sitting.

Children won't pay attention to signs or ribbons. I was nervous because the home I sold last year had a swimming pool. I worried that a child would jump in there when an adult had their back turned. Thankfully, that never happened.

I would remove everything that might be easily damaged. Even putting a 'do not sit' sign may put a negative thought in a buyer's head, you want to keep everything positive. Keep it home like and not museum like.

I agree you need to remove anything you don't want damaged/stolen. When my house was on the market, I had guest soaps, kitchen towels, and a picture frame walk off during private showings by realtors. Since there were several showings in a day, I could not tell who walked off with the items.

I had decorator boxes closed with ribbons that were undone a couple of times, and also had storage boxes under a bed pulled out and replaced backwards. I also noticed dresser drawers had been opened/closed -- there is no need to look inside any furniture!

During one showing, I just stepped next door and sat on my neighbor's porch. At one point during the showing, the parents were in the back yard talking to the agent, and their two girls were in the front bedroom jumping on the bed! I walked across the yard, rapped on the window, and sent them fleeing! I walked back to the neighbor and the agent and parents had no idea who did it. I reported it to my realtor and he had a few words with the agent showing the house!

I'm another one who is appalled by the buyers on House Hunters who flop on beds and put their shoes on the blankets. I can see sitting on the chairs, but that is it. I've been to Open Houses where they ask you to remove your shoes at the door, which is a good idea. I have to admit I used a powder room as a designer house because I was bursting. What else could I have done? I agree that a sign on the bench saying Fragile. No Sitting, Please would be a good idea.

Amazing loonlake!

The little devil inside me wants to say put a whoopie cushion under a blanket and let them learn the hard way!

If it isn't something easily removable, I like turquoises suggestion of wording along with a ribbon to block it off.

Put a small sign that says " broken -do not sit"

I think Mimi has the solution!

For me, if I went into a house with a don't sit here sign, I'd take away that homeowner is very particular and probably very careful with her things and in turn also careful with her house. A sign like that would be a positive for me.

I have decided NOT to list my home, again! LOL

We have sold a house or four and have never had anything happen outside a light left on. Y'all are scaring me.

I too have wondered about the people that treat someone else's house like their own.

Only problem with Mimi's solution is that some folks would jump up and not go back but others would sit again and again -- especially if there are bored kids included.