Has you ever told a viewer to leave?

Suzy_M

Just caught up with a friend who has had her house on the market. It is just a nice, but not outstanding (her words not mine), three-bed semi that appeals to a wide market – which seems to be the problem as some of the viewers have been driving her up the wall.

Apart from the obvious sightseeing time-wasters she has been appalled by the boarish ill manners displayed by some and the lack of parental control by others (I know it could be said this is a sad reflection of society as a whole). To say nothing of the "developer" that started thumping walls and kicking skirting boards etc. until told to stop.

So this led me to wonder, regardless of any level of "desperation" to sell / market conditions, if anyone has ever asked a viewer to leave, and in what circumstances. - Or conversely as a viewer have you ever been asked to leave.

(By the way her current estate agent is definitely on the way out.)

Sharifa_2

I haven't but I came very close to it once. I was selling a flat and a 20-something girl with her parents came to view it. The mother made some very disparaging comments about the colour scheme, and when I said that I wasn't in a chain and would be moving out before completion, she muttered 'Yeah right - I've heard that before.' I thought about telling her to leave but bit my lip and sold the flat to the girl for a handsome profit; I liked her because she was rolling her eyes at her mother's behaviour.

Doozergirl

If you can't tolerate viewers you have to go out and let the EA do it. Fact is, it shouldn't really bother you who buys it unless you're moving next door! Sometimes it's the most unlikely people that want to buy.

I've never even come close to wanting someone to leave, let alone several times on the same property!

Toto

I had one family come to view my house who were the viewers from hell. Firstly, it was a wet day so they decided to walk up to the front door through the flower beds to get maximum mud on their shoes and to stomp on my bedding plants. They obviously refused to take off their shoes. They had 3 kids who had to have asbos, these kids ran all over the house, picking up things from shelves, dropped a china elephant which was my late mother's. Opened cupboards, took a chocolate bar which was in the fridge. To top it all, as we walked downstairs the father decided to use the bathroom, left the door open, made the most awful stink then 'forgot' to flush. They tried to hover but I just opened the front door and almost shoved them out.

Doozergirl

Toto wrote: »

I had one family come to view my house who were the viewers from hell. Firstly, it was a wet day so they decided to walk up to the front door through the flower beds to get maximum mud on their shoes and to stomp on my bedding plants. They obviously refused to take off their shoes. They had 3 kids who had to have asbos, these kids ran all over the house, picking up things from shelves, dropped a china elephant which was my late mother's. Opened cupboards, took a chocolate bar which was in the fridge. To top it all, as we walked downstairs the father decided to use the bathroom, left the door open, made the most awful stink then 'forgot' to flush. They tried to hover but I just opened the front door and almost shoved them out.

:eek: Fair enough. LOL!

david29dpo

i did ask one parent nicely to control there offspring who insisted on jumping on the sofa. the response was unprintable so i did frog-march them all to the door. i do not have kids by the way!

terrierlady

Today helping a friend out on her small development a family from hell appeared complete with muddy trainers x4. I pointed out the blue overshoes to protect the off white carpets the father replied, its only a show homme the developer will pay to have the carpets cleaned.....
I did tell him rather than ask him to comply or leave the sales complex , after they left we noticed they had left almost every floor of the three storey house trashed,cushions thrown on the floor,table lights knocked over, the clients from hell.....

mrstinchcombe

Pardon my ignorance but why are you showing people around anyway? Surely thats an EAs job?

What exactly do people pay EAs so much money for? Taking a picture of a house and putting it in a shop window?

Suzy_M

I shall reassure my friend that she is not alone in feeling frustrated with the appalling behaviour of viewers. - Also that she can consider herself lucky when comparing her experience with some of the viewers from hell some of you have suffered.

This is her home she is selling, not a development, so she is finding it particularly hard to deal with the downright bad manners and peoples lack of respect - for property or persons. At least in Sharifa's example the daughter knew her mother was being rude

The estate agent has been doing the viewings but my friend works at home and it would be impractical for her to leave for every viewing - but she's now at the stage where she will not leave the house at all for any viewing. The estate agent (who doesn't even seem to know to put his hand over his mouth when sneezing / coughing ) is just a shoulder shrugger so not much help from him and she doesn't trust him to keep some order whilst she is not there.

As for taking children on viewings. - Would people take children to a business meeting? because that what selling a house is. And yes I am childless - and my doormat really does say "Pets Welcome but Children Must Be On A Leash".

Of course there is another side to this - there must be some really ill-mannered sellers out there too.

Ah well as I said in my original post - this just seems to be a sad reflection on society as a whole. - Perhaps the government should introduce a Home Buyer Permit Pack - to include character references, language ability (ratio of swear words used), ability to control children outside home environment, etc. etc. (Oh God No! Don't give them any more Nanny State ideas)

Doozergirl

I'd argue about the children thing. Moving house is a family experience and if you're selling a 'home and not a development', then you have to appreciate that people are looking for a home as well. Sometimes people can't get babysitters, don't have them at all or they feel that the decision should be a family one. That doesn't excuse their behaviour but you can't exclude children from what might be their future home.

How can you sell a home in one sentence and be running a business meeting in another?

daphne_descends

Suzy, you can't have it both ways - you are either selling a home or having a business meeting, I would take my children to one of those and not the other.