It is a story I have told dozens of times, but it still is one of those head-scratching things that I'll never understand. Sometimes people are simply unreasonable (or just really numb). The duplex, down in Somersworth, I bought (nearly 20 years ago) had tenants in the downstairs apartment. They had lived there for 12 years without a hitch (according to the owner). He explained the property was going on the market and gave them first right of refusal. At $130K, this was not an extravagant home.

Rather than take him up on the offer (and likely pay the same for their mortgage as they were paying for rent) they abandoned the apartment (full of trash) for the 2 weeks leading up to closing. As a cherry on top, they left their Basset Hound in the unit with food and water for the entire time. Needless to say, the place was an odiferous tragedy and, because of his patterns, the dog's "behavior" ruined 1" thick hardwood flooring in the living room. Unfortunately, there are some simply terrible people in this world.

I don't know what the relationship was between the owner and the tenants, but it was good enough for them to stay with him for 12 years. When we first walked through the place during my first showing, neither of them got up off the couch and it was very clear no cleaning had been done on my account (or in a couple weeks!). Thankfully the upstairs unit was empty, slightly remodeled and spotless. Not only did the owner allow me to choose the tenants for the upstairs unit (before we actually closed), I also required that the downstairs people would be gone prior to closing. In hindsight (after court dates, sheriffs and lawsuits for the former owner) that was a lifesaver.

Just because your property has tenants does not mean you can't sell and does not mean you can't show it to prospective buyers. As an optimist, I trust that the majority of tenants will not be horrible people and will respect the home and the "sale". I think part of the trick is managing that relationship as the seller, the buyer and the real estate agent. Let's take a look at some of the ways this process can go a bit more smoothly than it did for us.

The most obvious first step is to do a bit of detective work and learn what you can about the tenants. How well have they kept the space, how good they are with timely rent payments and how often they entertain guest will all give you some good insights into their behaviors. This matters if the buyers are letting them stay in the property, but also helps the agent work with schedules and make the effort to be as respectful of their space as possible. My upstairs tenants were late almost every month with rent. But they always paid, were always respectful and kept the place immaculate. I couldn't have asked for more awesome tenants.

Speaking of respect, a little goes a long way in these situations. Nobody likes having strangers tromping through their homes especially at odd hours and most certainly not unannounced. Treat these tenants like they were family or at least a client of your business. As with most things in this life, communication goes a long way. Get to know the tenants. Find out about kids, pets, schedules, etc. so that you can work WITH them to most effectively show the home. The quality of the relationship you build will most certainly impact the sale.

"If you can swing it, I encourage sellers to pay for a cleaning service prior to showing," notes Badger Peabody & Smith Realty (formerly Badger Realty) agent, Michele Jordan. "Ideally, the tenants will appreciate the assistance and the prospective buyers will most certainly appreciate the results," she continued.

Another part of that communication piece is keeping the tenants informed of the whole sales process. Just like every first-time buyer, this whole mess is confusing, a bit overwhelming and quite stressful. Keep the tenants informed about schedules, if the buyers are going to continue renting the unit, when is closing happening, etc. All of this information mitigates stress for the tenant and can keep the machine moving forward.

As part of your communication with the tenants, remember that they are also potential buyers. If you have other properties you are selling or renting, keep them informed and keep building that relationship. The more helpful you are during this process (that is out of their control) the more likely they are to look to you when it is their home they are buying or selling.

Buying and selling a home is stressful for everyone involved. As a tenant, the stress is very real, but is mostly out of your hands. The overall lesson here is that communication is going to be the best path for everyone involved. It reduces stress and keeps everyone on the same page.