My house damaged by estate agent.

martinsurrey

ReadingTim wrote: »

Unless you specifically asked the EA (and buyers) to take their shoes off when viewing, I don't think you've got much of a case here.

Yes, the EA should have considered the impact (literally!) of her footwear on the floor, but equally, the vendor should have considered the suitability of such a flooring in high traffic areas of the house such as the hallway and kitchen. If a stiletto can cause such dents, I'm pretty sure the feet of appliances such as fridge freezers, washing machines etc would do the same (although in a less visable place!).

That said, if you don't ask/complain, you don't get; so contact the branch manager and see what they have to say - but don't get your hopes up, especially if the floor wasn't newly laid...

Feet of fridges are around the size of 50p pieces (30mm diameter)so thats 2,826MM squared, times 4 (4 feet) is 11,304MM squared.

A fridge weighs about 100Kg if its a big one (but that willhave larger feet, but I’ll be prudent)

100Kg = 100,000g

So we get 100,000/11,304= 9g/mmsquared



Stiletto heals are around 5mm across, so 79mm squared

Lets say the person weighs 10 stone (60kg) and puts half of theirweight on the heel as they place a step,

30Kg = 30,000g

So we get 30,000/79 =382g/mmsquared

Or 42 times as much pressure as caused by a fridge.

Stilettos are like walking around on nails, a BAD idea for anything but the hardest surfaces.

Angelicdevil

martinsurrey wrote: »

Feet of fridges are around the size of 50p pieces (30mm diameter)so thats 2,826MM squared, times 4 (4 feet) is 11,304MM squared.

A fridge weighs about 100Kg if its a big one (but that willhave larger feet, but I’ll be prudent)

100Kg = 100,000g

So we get 100,000/11,304= 9g/mmsquared



Stiletto heals are around 5mm across, so 79mm squared

Lets say the person weighs 10 stone (60kg) and puts half of theirweight on the heel as they place a step,

30Kg = 30,000g

So we get 30,000/79 =382g/mmsquared

Or 42 times as much pressure as caused by a fridge.

Stilettos are like walking around on nails, a BAD idea for anything but the hardest surfaces.

GCSE physics, it's been a while The smaller the point the higher the pressure.

suze012

I don't understand how the EA managed to make 80 marks on the floor without you asking her to take her shoes off??

So if it was a viewer that came to see your house in stiletto's would you demand payment from them?

As everyone said, you can try, but I don't think you will get very far.

TBagpuss

I agree with PPs. Unless you specifically requested that visitors take their shoes off then it's unreasonable to assume that people will guess that that is what you want them to do.

If the Estate Agents are proposed to offer something as a gesture of goodwill that's great, but don't hold your breath.

It's also worth bearing in mind that a lot of people would be extremely uncomfortable with removing their shoes in a strange house whether they have no idea what may be on the floor. If you want the agent or viewers to remove shoes in the future I suggest that you make sure you provide slippers or alternative footwear.

cayennepepper

Agree with ReadingTim. And remember that the dents won't necessarily put Buyers off, for example if it were me I would want to replace it with either wood floor or tiles.

googler

TBagpuss wrote: »

It's also worth bearing in mind that a lot of people would be extremely uncomfortable with removing their shoes in a strange house whether they have no idea what may be on the floor.

It's also worth pointing out that I/we have had more than one delivery recently where the suppliers have explicitly pointed out that, due to 'elf 'n' safety, guv, the delivery drivers will not, under any circumstances, remove their own shoes ....

martinsurrey

TBagpuss wrote: »

I agree with PPs. Unless you specifically requested that visitors take their shoes off then it's unreasonable to assume that people will guess that that is what you want them to do.

So if an EA came through your house wearing crampons, or muddy wellies you wouldn’t mind as you hadn’t told them not too?

Or if I put nails through my shoes so the points are down to the floor, also not my fault, as you didn’t tell me not too?

Negligence is defined as a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances.

And in my opinion walking on ANY floor in a house apart from tiles or carpet with stilettos is negligent, especially for someone whose job it is to go into a lot of houses.

Negligence means it’s their fault, their cost (IMO).

lord_tyrannus

googler wrote: »

It's also worth pointing out that I/we have had more than one delivery recently where the suppliers have explicitly pointed out that, due to 'elf 'n' safety, guv, the delivery drivers will not, under any circumstances, remove their own shoes ....

This is another example of elf n safety misused they should only not have to remove there shoes if they where carrying something that if dropped carried the risk of severing toes so they would need to wear shoes with toe protection

you can easily turn it back round on the company by asking to see there risk assessment for carrying out whatever task they need to do in your property which carries the need of boots with toe protection

BUT to be honest I wouldn't advise doing!

TO the OP buy some of these and leave them by the front door
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/290833707628?hlpht=true&ops=true&viphx=1&lpid=95&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=95

BornAtTheRightTime

We're not talking about a hapless visitor with no experience of life, this is an Estate Agent who should have reams of experience in trotting around a property. This EA is fully culpable IMO.

nidO

googler wrote: »

It's also worth pointing out that I/we have had more than one delivery recently where the suppliers have explicitly pointed out that, due to 'elf 'n' safety, guv, the delivery drivers will not, under any circumstances, remove their own shoes ....

I have yet to ever see a delivery driver carrying a heavy delivery into my house wearing steel-toed protective work stilettos.

If a flat work boot damages a floor, you have the wrong kind of floor and its your problem. Stilettos however are obnoxious, and shouldn't be worn indoors.