Buyers - control your children

lessonlearned

googler wrote: »

I did, seriously. If the homeowner isn't there to regulate the behaviour of their 'guests', it's down to their agent (who's acting on their behalf) to do so.

Spot on. It's part of the job.

googler

lessonlearned wrote: »

I suggest you strongly complain to the EA in question. He/she should not have allowed the viewers to treat your home with such disrespect.

I second this.

Errata

DLTAG89 wrote: »

I'm the other side of the story.

I thought this thread could have been about me :rotfl:

We have been viewing houses over the past few weeks and the second we walk through the front door its like a switch is flicked in our kids heads (two boys aged 2 and 4) and they just run riot.

Me and DH do everything we can to tell them off without embarrasing the sellers. Its a total nightmare and would be so much easier if i could leave them with someone but we dont always have that option. I know its not ideal and parents should control their kids but its so difficult when your trying to view a house and your kids just start being total pains in the bums.

I do sympathise with you and its not something you should have to put up with but its hard for the buyers to look round and try control the kids at the same time.

I have now taken to the tatic of sitting the boys in a corner and letting DH have a look around and then swapping over.

If your kids ran riot in my house, they'd find themselves running straight out of the front door, pronto.
Leave your kids outside in the care of one of you whilst the other views the property, then if they run riot you can deal with them however you choose.

ERICS_MUM

or put reins on young children so you can control them better.

OP - have you checked cupboards etc in case something is "missing" ? Young kids love to pick up little bits and bobs which can find their way into pockets - not theft as such just curiosity.

I have never left the EA to show my house, I'd rather do it myself.

Ivana_Tinkle

DLTAG89 - I feel your pain! Strongly recommend either looking round the house one at a time while the other waits outside/in the car, or one of you does all the first viewings and makes a shortlist so at least you're only dragging the kids round a couple of houses.

OP, I would attempt to console yourself with the thought that the parents were too busy cooing over how lovely your house was to notice what the child was doing... Also, the footprints on the bed could have been something which happened in an instant. I'm not trying to justify it at all - obviously! - but it doesn't necessarily mean the kid was going bat!!!! crazy round your house or that your agent was negligent. It could just have been one of those delightful moments where your normally well-behaved kid suddenly decides to act like they've been raised by wolves and does something awful before you're able to stop them.

moneyistooshorttomention

bylromarha wrote: »

EA gave us feedback and said parents let 5 year old run wild - parents didn't even bother to curb her behaviour.

Unfortunately, we live in a country where it no longer seems to be expected that any adult nearby will discipline children if necessary.

All the estate agent had to do was to say to the parents "Please keep your child under control or I will have to terminate the viewing immediately" and proceed to march them straight towards the front door if they didn't. Easy enough isn't it?

moneyshoe

We leave our 2 and 3 year old with granny for viewings. We did take the older one to see one house. Initially she refused to go in and then walked around saying Mummy, I don't like this house - not my proudest moment!

phill99

DLTAG89 wrote: »

Me and DH do everything we can to tell them off .

Absolute rubbish. You are the kind of parent who has no interest in disciplining their children. To say 'we do everything we can to tell them off' is poppycock. You clearly have no control and do not set boundaries. You are no doubt the same parents that let their children run riot in shops, supermarkets and worse, restaurants, and will be the same parents, who, when your children are in their teens and have a string of asbo's will be blaming teachers, social workers, key workers, support workers and health visitors for you children's bad behaviour while at the same time insisting that the police are wrong to arrest them.

bylromarha

Interesting...despite this happening, I don't think the EA is really at fault here. He is trying to make a sale. By saying anything negative to the buyer, he may have lost the sale.

If parents need to be told by an EA to keep their kids in line, do you think it'd make a difference? More likely the buyer would make a half hearted attempt, then give up.

It's not the EA's job to babysit the parents who can't control their kids. But at the same time, I see that he could have handled it much better...maybe not threaten to terminate the viewing, but we have a big garden which can be used as a holding pen for active kids!

This EA has 25+years experience and is a partner in the firm...seems he still has stuff to learn.

Still want more of your horror stories though!

Lionel_Thinkbag

I was once selling a lovely little cottage in the woods. These two kids came round and left breadcrumbs everywhere, and then to make things worse they kept breaking bits of masonry off and eating it! You couldn't make it up!