Should I call it BSG’s maneuver?
Sometimes agents do things that work against their goal. Bsg143 put his or her finger on one of my pet peeves. During the day, the lights should not have to be on! When listing agents and sellers put every light on, it distracts from the natural light coming in from the window. The only exception is in the basements, where there are frequently not enough lights.
bsg143 wrote:
I think it's funny how at open houses in the middle of a sunny day EVERY SINGLE LIGHT is on in the entire condo or house. The first thing I do is go around and turn off the lights so I can see what the natural light would be like in the daytime. This seems to be the case in every single open house I go to. I don't quite understand this practice - supposedly it makes the unit or hours more appealing? But really, who has ALL the lights on the middle of the day???
When I show a house by myself, I never turn on unnecessary lights. When another agent is there and has all the lights on, I turn them off, one room at a time. Once their pupils are back to normal, I ask about the natural light. Then I turn the light back on.
This annoys some of my peers… So be it.
If it annoys you that every light is on, turn them off. Look around, then turn them back on. Try it at the next open house and let us know what happens! If it catches on, we’ll call it “BSG’s maneuver.”
Agents are taught that a house that is bright and cheerful is more attractive to buyers. However, I think there is a lack of common sense or a failure of the imagination that makes agents mindlessly turn lights on in bright rooms, just because they were taught to do so. They would better serve their client by opening shades and curtains, airing the house out, and leaving the lights off.
Should we start a “turn off the lights in the daytime” movement? What other light-related things bother you?
