This is what happened to a candle that was close to a fireplace in a vacant home. I wouldn't have thought someone would turn the fireplace on in Houston in March or I wouldn't have placed candles there. I went back to take pictures, and this is what I found. The fireplace is turned on by a light switch, so I'm assuming whomever showed it, flipped on all the switches not knowing one was the fireplace. No telling how long it had been on, I thought the REA had lit it for an open house, but the wick is in tact. I soon realized it was from the heat from the fireplace not the burning of the candle.
To be safe I labeled the switch before I left and took out the candlesticks.
Just another lesson on possible fire hazards in staged vacant homes.
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WOW ! This could have been devastating. Thanks for sharing.
Linda Lipscomb, Real Estate in Lexington, TN. www.lindalipscomb.com
Cindy...now I have to take my label maker over to one of my stagings and do the same. When that switch is turned you can hear the swish sound of the gas but I can see how people may not notice and this could result. Thanks for the blog...great info.
My contract says, "no candles will be lit in this staged home." Does everyone elses?
Funny (not really) that you mention this - we had an experience recently with a very similar incident (with almost similar results). We were sent to assess the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and clean the ducts in a house that had been vacant for over a year. This particular chilly morning the painting contractors decided to heat the house by turning on the gas fire place - then they went on an extended lunch break. They left the fire place on next to their paint and materials (all flammable, of course). The next time someone opened the door, the wind blew some of those materials right into the fireplace. Disaster was VERY narrowly averted when we saw the materials being blown into the fire. It is a very good idea to warn homeowners in similar situations to leave very explicit orders for the contractors on where they can go, what can they touch or energize, etc. It is too bad, but sometimes this is the only way that a home owner can protect his or her interest in their home.
Vince - DUCTZ of North Phoenix and Deer Valley
623-262-3614
We have a little saying:
Question: "What are the chances of (fill in the blank)"?
Answer: 100%
For example, what were the chances of a murder scene being investigated next to the house I was to stage yesterday? 100%!
I guess that's why they call it the Wild West!
Happy Staging Y'all
Yikes- thanks for the story and warning, Cindy. We can never be too careful!
Kathy
Thank you for sharing your experience. Fortunately, the only casualty was the candle!
Kristina, KFM Staging & Design - A Minnesota Home Staging Company
All great responses and informative.
To: Michelle Ewing You are so right. As a building inspector both residential and commercial I always go back through the building I have just finished. I confirm everything is left as it was when I entered. Just so everyone knows this as well, especially on vacant buildings especially. I inform whomever that all services must be turned on before I do an inspection, if they are not I will not turn them on and if I need to return I will have to charge an additional fee. The reason for my doing this is because in my first year of business I would turn on the water at the meter if it was not on. Well I am sure all of you know where this is going but I will tell you any way. So I turn the water on at a house that I am inspecting for a realtor that a lot of her clients have hired me. She shows them my reports from previous clients with permission for them. So I turn the water on and go inside and check all the faucets I can find. Nothing is leaking I look under the house quickly and see no issues there as well. I do my inspection double check everything as far as lights and locks etc. go out to the meter and can't close it or turn it off. It is locked up. So I have to call the water utility company and I am charged for a new meter valve installation. The valve was scheduled to be serviced and replaced sometime this year but now they have to come out and do it so I have to pay their service call charge and pay for a new valve. I also found a small leak in the crawl space that needed to be repaired. So now as I am driving home having lost money on this job and 5 hours after finishing the inspection I tell my wife and she says to be thankful. I ak why and she says it could have been a gas valave and I could have blown up the house not knowing why it was off. She was right of course and I learned a great lesson that day. Sometimes things are off for reason we do not know. The seller knows but the buyer and his contractors don't.
Just thought you should know.
Mark