Awkward Viewing Stories

NewbuyerNE

I'm hopefully at the end of the tediousness of the house viewing phase of house buying and about to embark on the stressful street of mortgage applications tomorrow.

I thought I'd try to lighten the mood by hearing of your awkward viewing stories, whether you were the buyer or vendor.

I recently viewed a home with the vendor, had my check lists and questions all printed out and was bluffing my way through them but turns out it was her husband who was away working that knew all of the house facts. So when I was feeling all smug and asking if the electric shower was earthed or is the pipes were lagged I then felt a bit daft when she said she didn't know what that meant and I had to admit that neither did I (at the time, I do now almost 19 house viewings later)

Someone must have had worse than that?

pop37

Viewing a house where the father of the house, who did not want to move (we guessed a divorce was involved) who had left dirty washing out all over the floor, unmade beds, two of whom were occupied by teenage boys who were asleep, bin overflowing and cigarette butts all over the place. Strangely we did not buy it.

Jenniefour

Sold a ground floor flat once and had one lot of viewers where agent couldn't be there so he asked me if I was OK doing it myself. I agreed. 3 adults and 2 children turned up, enthusiastically running about all over the place and asking questions I didn't expect like "can we extend into the garden?"! A bit hair-raising as I couldn't keep an eye on them all at once. They said they thought it was on for a good price - at 100k less than I agreed with agent! I told them the price and they insisted it was on Rightmove for 100k less, I stood my ground politely and said they had misunderstood something. English was not their first language. As soon as they left I checked on Rightmove and it was on for the right price.

I felt like I'd been run over by a steamroller. But I think it's rare for an entire family to turn up on a first viewing - and with the wrong asking price firmly planted in their heads! What I took from that is to check how many people will be turning up if agents ask me to do a viewing that they can't make themselves.

cattie

Not a personal story, but one from my sister when she was looking for a house to buy.

The vendor was showing my sister & her friend over the house & in the main bedroom on the bedside cabinet sat a vibrator. My sis & her friend couldn't wait to get out of the house as they were desperate to burst into a fit of giggles.

It wasn't the house for my sister & it was nothing to do with the vibrator!

System

I once went to a 'do'er upper' for a viewing. Upstairs I went into the room at the back of the upstairs of the house and there was a door at the end. I thought 'I wonder where this goes?'. I opened it and I was staring down at the garden but no stairs to get there! One hell of a fright!

the_blacksmith

We viewed a house and it was going well until we looked out of the upstairs back bedroom window, next door's small concrete garden was totally covered in Dogs Poo, yuk. Best bit was pointing it out to the estate agent, the shock horror look on his face was a picture.

rosyw

The worst one for me was being shown around by the vendor who had a massive nude portrait of he & his wife hanging above the bed in the master bedroom :eek::eek: We left very quickly after seeing that :rotfl:

tigsly

a vendor once showed me round his property - he had two massive and scary dogs.. and spent the whole time syain g- you will make an offer wont you - i hate time wasters.. i really need you to offer.. i dont like showing people who wont offer.. i'll be waiting for your feedback and offer - i'm in all evening so it would be nice if you could make your offer quickly...

As we had asked for a victorian or edwardian style home and this was 1930's - we were not planning to offer.. his interesting extension - whcih ran down the side of the house- in one large 20ft by 10 frt room - with no planning - was not ideal for us..

We did not offer..

I've seen quite a few badly decorated houses - that the owners have obviously thought were stunning!

Jenniefour

tigsly wrote: »

We did not offer..

I've seen quite a few badly decorated houses - that the owners have obviously thought were stunning!

Same here! And worse. Like badly planned kitchens and extensions that don't make sense.

DiscoCat54

I viewed a house in High Wycombe (which incidentally I bought) where there were naked photos of the vendors wife on the wall going up the stairs. I distinctly remember one of her wearing boxing gloves and another where she was painted gold and hanging upside down from a tree!

The truly awkward part was when he opened the door to the master bedroom and his wife and a female friend were still in bed!!

It really didn't put me off the house but in all seriousness the nature of the business that had been run from the place caused me 18 months of hell..

Talc1234

Viewed an apartment once (unaccompanied viewing) and got on so well with the seller that we ended up in bed

Didn't buy it though