Showing people round house - taking shoes off

queenieplum

as long as they have had a pedicure they should be fine! ha ha
I have been asked to take my shoes off while viewing, no problem, and actually shows the vendor takes care of their property :0)

3KIDSNOMONEY

can't believe this thread has got this big!!

I have had 5 viewings so far and yes i did ask the people to remove their shoes. I asked nicely and made sure that all my carpets were hoovered and laminate cleaned before showing people round. I did feel a little awkward but it is still my house. I am aware that children need some germs to build immunity - you should see my 1 year old in the garden! And my house isn't spotless but as the area i live in is very often not respected by dog owners I feel that it is the right thing in removing shoes when coming into a house.

Someone said earlier that it should be the 'norm' to do this. I do it when i got into other peoples houses as i think that it is respectful.

seven-day-weekend

I would take my shoes off if requested and if I liked your house it wouldn't stop me buying it.

But I'd tell all my friends about the inhospitable person with a cleanliness fetish who'd lived there before.

Sorry. I'm not saying you are like that. But that is how I would feel.

Amanita_2

3KIDSNOMONEY wrote: »

thanks for all the replies. I think that i will ask people to remove their shoes, as i said i am part-exchanging so if they are offended and don't want to buy a house because i ask them to remove shoes then so be it. I have a young child who picks things up off the floor. My floors are clean as my family don't wear shoes in the house. If someone refused to take their shoes off then i don't think that i would show them around. After all my purchase of my new house could fall through and i wouldn't want dirty carpets when i am trying to sell my house myself.

It's summer, season of bare feet and sandels. Better hope that your viewers don't have verrucas or other communicable foot diseases.

SarahShattered

tbs624 wrote: »

That's because it *is* odd: especially when it comes from the same poster who maintains that she is a serious house buyer:rotfl:.................Not every house on the market is struggling for buyers and Sarah Shattered getting uppity because she's asked to slip her shoes off in someone else's home is a sure sign that she's exactly the sort of buyer no-one needs, ie, one with no respect for others. Until your money is on the table it's still someone else's home. After all, just because you are having a look round does *not* mean that you will be buying: you may not get a mortgage , you may be in a chain that collapses, get all in a tizzy over your surveyor's report or the buyer may simply take a personal dislike to you, your feet, and your distinct lack of manners. ..;)

ooooooooooooo! Uppity! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:I haven't been called that before. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:That's hilarious.

SingleSue

This is an awkward one....and I have views from both sides of the fence.

Our house is a shoes off thing (apart from youngest who has a real feet thing), not by order but because it just feels natural, when I go to my parents, the shoes come straight off...again it is not a house rule. My youngest son though would be very eek about complete strangers removing their shoes, he cannot bear the sound of unshoed feet on floors or to be without his shoes (it's an autistic thing).

When I was a child, I was seen as a little strange to kick my shoes off straight away, my friends (or their parents) used to make the little digs about making myself too comfortable but it felt very unnatural to go around to a friends house to play and not remove them.

But

I went to someone's house once, just to pick something up and they insisted we removed our shoes at the door (no hallway, porch etc to remove them in!) and it just didn't feel right....I think because they were pretty much strangers. I did do it though but felt completely uncomfortable and almost naked for the entire time we were there.

Saver-Rob

Although I can see both sides of the coin, if the house is in good condition and clean carpets etc then I would say that people should take their shoes off.

I dont like not wearing shoes in somebody elses house but it really isnt nice for people to be walking around in shoes that they wear outdoors. Shoes are taken off when you come in to our house.

andyrules

jackieb wrote: »

Another aspect of it, which may seem a bit strange to some, is that I find the idea of strangers walking round my house in their stocking soles very strange. It's like belittling someone, therefore somewhat disrespectful. Now I know it's not for that reason that people want visitors to remove their shoes. To me it's disempowering.
Maybe it's just me, but that's how I feel. Maybe it's because I was born with deformed feet, that I feel like this.
.

See, you've just articulated what I was thinking! It sends out a subliminal message - this is MY house (yes, currently it is, but you want your vendor to think on more neutral terms - to be along the track to it being in THEIR ownership).

It wouldn't stop me buying if it had all I was looking for, however, it would make me feel uncomfortable and distract me - not good if I was undecided before looking.

Too Hyacinth Bucket for me:D:D

GracieP

3KIDSNOMONEY wrote: »

Someone said earlier that it should be the 'norm' to do this. I do it when i got into other peoples houses as i think that it is respectful.

I hope you only do this in the houses of people who you know really well. I'd hate it if someone came into my house for dinner or a party and just removed their shoes. It's over-familiar. If it was a good friend who had come over to watch a movie and wanted to get comfy, it would be fine, equally if they were staying in the house overnight. But under any other circumstances I'd actually find it disrespectful, just because you like something done in your house doesn't mean that others don't feel the exact opposite.

Castleman

Normally I kick my shoes off the minute I walk in the door, but if having people over for something more formal (e.g. dinner party, business meeting, party, wake or the like) will keep shoes on (I mean, people in suits and socks?). It's also a generation thing - very few people in their 70's, 80's etc will take their shoes off, even in their own home.

If I walk in with someone and take my shoes off (I tend to kick them off in a not-obvious way) most people will ask if they should take theirs off too. Then you can say yes.

To be honest though, I would consider house selling to be in the formal category and expect people to keep their shoes on even if most of the time everyone who visits our house takes their shoes off.

Just deal with it!