Some parents enjoy having children involved in the decision-making process of buying a home by accompanying them on showings. But is it worth the risk? One Utah-based Realtor says no.
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Homebuyers often see shopping for a home as tantamount to seeking sanctuary — a place where they, their family and their friends will all be welcome and safe.
But what if something goes wrong a home showing that shatters that security?
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A jarring accident involving a 6-year-old girl at one of Karina VanOrman’s home showings in South Ogden, Utah, is one reason she decided to recommend that children not attend showings alongside their parents at all.
In a story the Lehi, Utah-based Real Brokerage agent shared on TikTok last week, VanOrman described how the excitement of her clients’ young daughter resulted in a terrifying airlift to the hospital.
“The kids would be running through the home looking at it,” VanOrman said in the TikTok that has gained nearly 67,000 views. “As all kids do. Kids are bored looking at houses. The parents are looking at all the details … and the kids are, like, zooming through the house in two seconds.”
@karinasutahhomes Why I don’t recommend that kids come with parents to look for houses. I learned this the hard way! #lifeflight #traumtizing #realestatestories #utahrealestate #utahrealtor #showinghouses #dangeroussituations ♬ original sound – Karina.VanOrman
VanOrman was with a couple on a showing in South Ogden for a 1970s-era home that was midway through a renovation. As the parents were looking at the home’s kitchen, their 6-year-old daughter started to run excitedly through the house to exit out the back and play in the yard.
“The family had gotten there early and they had already been looking around in the yard and they were all really excited,” VanOrman said.
“I saw their 6-year-old daughter go running from the front of the house, as fast as she could, to go running out to the backyard. And I could see that she did not realize that the sliding glass door was closed. So as she was running full-speed ahead, I yelled, ‘Stop!’ but before she could stop herself, she ran straight through that glass door.”
Because the home’s glass doors were original to the ’70s house, when the girl hit the door, it formed into large shards instead of shattering into smaller pieces. As the girl stumbled away from the door, one large shard was left lodged into her abdomen, VanOrman said.
Despite VanOrman warning the girl not to touch the shard, as the girl looked down in alarm, her instinct was to immediately pull the shard out of her body, while cutting her hands up in the process. There was nothing in the vacant house to help stem the bleeding, but fortunately, VanOrman had a blanket in her car that she was able to use to apply a bit of pressure on the girl’s abdomen wound. Meanwhile, the girl’s shocked parents called an ambulance.
Fortunately, the EMTs arrived quickly, VanOrman said, and realized that the girl’s wounds were serious enough to warrant her being airlifted to Salt Lake City’s Children’s Hospital.
“I just needed to be strong in that situation,” the agent told The New York Post. “And I needed to be the one not in shock.”
After the incident, VanOrman revealed to The Post that she broke down in her car and “bawled.”
The child was fortunate in that the glass missed any major arteries or organs. She also made a full recovery, VanOrman said in the video’s comments.
“It was a hard lesson that I learned,” VanOrman told The Post of her decision to urge homebuyers to not bring young children to home showings.
Some viewers of the TikTok wondered who was financially responsible for the accident, including the hospital bill, which was sure to be significant. VanOrman said that the homeowner’s insurance policy of the seller ended up covering most of the costs involved with the hospital bills and replacement of the door.
Even if a home is not actively under construction, there are risks involved in allowing young children to wander around an unfamiliar property. Kids can easily get tangled up in blind cords, trip on unfamiliar stairs, or accidentally expose themselves to poisonous plants in the yard, if they don’t know what to look for.
Some parents enjoy having children involved in the decision-making process of buying a home by accompanying them on showings. But is it worth the risk?