Well, I can see things being accidentally broken inside a home, but garage door tension wires? Maybe it's just normal wear. Certainly a realtor would want to show the garage. Why would anyone break the tension wires? The house is vacant. They could not want to return and steal stuff. A mystery. I think it's just normal wear and tear. Bad coincidence that it worked when your husband was there, and broke after he left. How old are those wires?

I'm going to say the same thing as Suzi. Honestly, if your garage door wires did break during a showing, they probably would've broken from wear and tear the next time you opened the garage. It could've even happened when the garage door was shutting after they had already shut the door and they wouldn't have noticed. Or they could've broken when your husband last shut the door as he was leaving. Even had they noticed the wires break while they were there, they would've called the listing agent to let them know the seller should replace...it wouldn't have been their liability for a wear and tear item.

You can have your agent change the code, unless it is an electronic box, but the other agent won't have a need to come back unless your house goes back on the market...and if it does go back on the market, you don't know how many other possible buyers that agent has who may wish to see your home.

I agree with Suzi -- and if you want to push the issue, how would you prove that it wasn't an ordinary wear and tear issue, faulty wires or faulty installation? And time is not on your side. Stuff happens, and often at the least convenient time. Get the repair done, get the house sold and move on.

Suzi said it best. Breakage happens. Kinda like a lightbulb not lighting the next time you try to turn it on. No one broke it, it just went bad on its own.

Someone would have to work pretty hard and purposely, and have the correct tools in hand, to break a wire in a garage door. Look at them sometime--not easy to break. It was normal wear and tear that just happened to, maybe, occur during a showing. Consider yourself lucky no one was hurt. Garage doors can cause serious damage and kill.

Our range hood stopped working the Friday before our house inspection. And of course the repairman couldn't figure out how to get the range hood top part off without messing up the ceiling. We had to let the buyer know we were aware of the problem and would make sure it was fixed before moving in.

Our building super wound up fixing it without damaging the ceiling at all. Things happen and usually at the most inopportune time.

I too vote for normal wear. They don't even need to be opening and closing when they actually break. There is tension on them even when the door is down. In addition, no one can actually DO something to break them. It's not like kids could have hung from them, or someone would randomly jump up and grab them.

IMO, your anger is misplaced. Calm down and get it fixed.

I swear, it's like houses know they are up for sale and start breaking down in weird ways on purpose.

When I was a real estate broker, I was inspecting a new reno. As I walked across the tiled basement floor I heard a rhythmic clicking--a whole row of tiles had cracked as I walked on them. I didn't confess my sin. I swear I don't know where you live!

I should've mentioned I had a brand new door installed last year with all new fittings, wires, etc. The garage door has barely been used since December.

My husband told me the tension wires didn't break, my mistake, but rather they have come undone on both sides. He feels the only way that could've happened was someone was pushing the buttons on the wall - there's a box with start, stop, close buttons and most likely they were pushing the buttons too fast. Something had to cause them to go slack and come undone and go off the track. My husband is a general contractor and he tried to get the wires hooked back up but could not.

The reason why I want the lock box changed is I cannot be certain the agent was really there with them. Had he/she been, then I would think they would've called my agent to let her know what happened. This is not an electronic box that only allows the agent access. I wish it was.

I appreciate the advice given. I am calmer today (still irritated tho! lol) and I know we have to just keep moving forward... home inspection is next week. I'm sure that will bring more irritation! ; )

Just before and after we put our house on the market we had the refrigerator leak on the wood floor, garage door wires snap, the air conditioner malfunction, well pump short out and the landscape lighting timer die. Plus the random annoyances of potential buyers and inspectors messing with your stuff and changing settings or disconnecting stuff - the microwave, oven and smoke alarms. Selling a home is not for the faint of heart.

A few houses ago we had some clueless buyer walk around in our attic and put his foot through the dining room ceiling. We had a bunch of showings that day and no one owned up to it.

Edited to add - the first people that looked at the house ended up making an offer. We are through the inspection period and closing soon!

When I lived in Houston, My wires unravled from their pulleys also. If the pulleys are not aligned perfectly, sooner or later, the wires will jump the pulley and unravel.

I would say it's the fault of the company that installed the new door. Have them come out and fix it.

STUFF HAPPENS

If the spring gives out or is defective, that will make the wires all come loose.

Just opening and closing a garage door, even quickly, will not cause that problem.

When I've had my home on the market, there has always been at least one realtor who doesn't leave a card. They are busy talking to the client, flipping on lights or whatever. Or maybe they run short while they are out for the day.

As for not calling your agent, you are making some big assumptions that the buyer and/or agent tried to raise and lower the door (not something most folks do on a first viewing of a property -- or that I've ever done prior to an inspection) and knew that the wires had come loose. Chances are greater they came undone when your DH left and that the buyer and agent just stuck their nose in the door of the garage and saw how big it was, whether there were any cabinets or shelves built-in, etc and went back into the house -- IF they looked at the garage at all.

If that was a new garage door and both wires came undone, it really sounds like a bad installation job. I'd call the company that did the installation and have them come take care of it. If it was DIY, time to call a garage door pro.

I wouldn't worry about the lock box. The simple explanations are usually the right ones.

It happens, but I do get your anger about not being told.

From time to time, something breaks or is damaged during my house cleanings. I know my cleaners never do it on purpose, but it ticks me off when I'm not told.

It's juvenile!

In this case, you cannot prove that the prospective buyer broke them, unless you have it on camera. These tension wires break suddenly.

When I have one for sale, I check the premises after every showing, if there is time.

I rarely leave a business card at showings. I use my cards to attract buyers and sellers. The sellers should be aware of who is showing the home already anyhow.

I rarely leave cards at vacant houses with sentrilock type lockboxes. It sends an email to listing agent telling them the date, time and agent info when it is accessed. No need to leave a card. I leave one on occupied houses so the seller knows it was shown.

Thanks all. I appreciate the advice, the similar situations, etc! The garage door company will be out tomorrow to make the repair. It would be great if it was under warranty but if not, nothing I can do about it.

I get texts about showings but they never say who the showing agent is. I get feedback as well and the funny thing is, whoever saw the house that day said they were extremely interested in it. If the first deal falls through, maybe they'll be next in line.

Not losing sleep over it, just venting at the time. Again, thank you all!

Look it it this way, you got your asking price and well....things break (intro to my thesis on wear mechanisms and how things break omitted). They should have let you know, but then again, its possible that it just broke and they have nothing to do with it. At least it wont break on the new owners right after they move in. I seriously doubt anything was intentional.

You got your asking price. Getting the garage door repaired is a small price to pay.