Showing people round house - taking shoes off

Zelie

I have to say I'd find it slightly odd going to view a house and being asked to remove my shoes. And that's even with fully agreeing that shoes are better left at a porch/in a hallway! I think it's because the vendors would be complete strangers to me and I'd have no idea about if their floors were clean.

Just bear in mind that some people will outright refuse.

The_Plush_Doormat

Bite your tongue on this occasion. If they offer, all well and good. If they want to view the back garden, it's a lot of faffing about, taking them off, putting them on again, and so on.

3KIDSNOMONEY

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.

charliee_3

i dont think you can ask people to take their shoes off, how rude.. what if they are wearing holey socks, or have athletes foot or something, they would feel embarrased? And who is to say they want to walk on a strangers floor in bare feet...
you could maybe say as a selling point that the carpets are nice and clean as you usually ask people to take off their shoes.. if they are not averse to it they may offer to do it and if not you will just have to grin and bear it...

charliee_3

3KIDSNOMONEY wrote: »

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.

i am not sure how it works with part-exchange, are you not obliged in any way to help them sell your house whilst you are in there and not be obstructive? i hope turning someone away would not jeopardise your purchase??

3KIDSNOMONEY

charliee wrote: »

i am not sure how it works with part-exchange, are you not obliged in any way to help them sell your house whilst you are in there and not be obstructive? i hope turning someone away would not jeopardise your purchase??

by keeping my house clean and tidy surely i am doing my best to keep the house nice to sell.

chickmug

On the same subject when I went out doing valuations I always offered to take my shoes off so made sure there were NO holes in my socks but I felt my M&S stripe toes and heels socks looked a bit loud.:o

On the initial OP questions and the replies back it does seem mixed but every now and then we had viewers, when we chased for feedback, were more animated about the fact they had been asked to take their shoes off. My reply was "For goodness sake what on earth has that got to do with anything as you are looking to make a major purchase". In the same vein some would go on about wallpaper in the one of the rooms and not liking all the plants in the garden. All so very trivial in the context?

I expect people to take off their shoes in my house but would relax this for viewings if I were selling. Then smoulder (inside) with rage if they got any mud of my carpets:D

3KIDSNOMONEY

thanks chickmg - its not so much muck but dog mess - i have 4 kids and from past experiences we no longer wear shoes in the house.

andyrules

Well you seem to have made up your mind.

Oddly enough, all my viewers have asked if I want them to remove shoes and I always say no. As someone said - they arrive in a car and my drive is clean.

When I view - I always wipe my feet carefully but I wouldn't like to walk around in my socks!

chickmug

3KIDSNOMONEY wrote: »

thanks chickmg - its not so much muck but dog mess - i have 4 kids and from past experiences we no longer wear shoes in the house.

As someone has said it is when you wipe your feet on the door mat - on the way out - you realise how bad some places are. Yet I have been in these types of places and been asked to take my shoes off.

The worst where I wouldn't even sit in their chairs or have a coffee it was so filthy but the couple had the poshest of accents. I actually declined to act - being independent we could afford to be a little picky- thank goodness.

I always put my shoes on outside as I have stood in more than one lump of dog poo despite being told it had all been cleared up. Usually I had to clean it off:mad: