Vendor present at the viewing

Splatfoot

I think she needs to take a step back, take a deep breath, read over her previous posts and how she's coming across (badly) and then start the day with a fresh attitude. It's very easy to become defensive on a forum when 90% are not in agreement so I have a small amount of sympathy. I hated being in when we had viewings so we would all go out. 2 adults, 2 kids, 2 dogs. But we had a car we could go and sit in if necessary. Maybe your vendor didnt, maybe the weather was awful, maybe he'd already been out 3 times that day, maybe he had work to do. No one knows, but the fact is, he was there and I'm sure he won't be the last homeowner to be at a viewing. As a previous poster said, tell your EA you would prefer the homeowner not to be in. However we are coming to the end of restrictions so people are going to have to be less stressed about COVID and just get on with it. 

Abbafan1972

@RoisinDubh_2

There's nothing unusual in the vendor being there at all.  You're over-reacting. 

TBagpuss

I think it is fairly common for vendors to present  - I personally prefer to know in advance that they'll be there, or if they are doing the viewing themselves, and my own personal preference would be to shown round by an agent for a first viewing, without the owner there, and then have them there for the second viewing if there is one, but that's just a personal preference.

With the current pandemic, I think letting you know they will be there is more important, and that it would be normal and appropriate for all parties to wear masks during the viewing.

However, given that large numbers of people are currently still working from home, it's not surprising that some vendors will be doing so, so I do think you were a bit unreasonable.

The current rules allow up to 6 people to met indoors, so while you personally may have felt uncomfortable with there being 3 of you rather than 2 as you expected, it was within the rules. I do think it's reasonable to have your own assessment of what level of risk you are comfortable with, but if you want to impose stricter restrictions that the legally required ones I think the onus is on you to  raise that - so if you  are not comfortable viewing a property where anyone other than the agent is present, make that clear when you speak to them to arrange the viewing. 

swingaloo2

On your other thread about the landlord wanting prospective tennants to look round the flat you are leaving you say
'The thought of strangers walking around my flat actually makes me want to vomit'

Perhaps the gut in the flat felt the same.

You are never going to accept any opinion that does not agree with yours so just put it to one side and move on.

For those who have not lost the will to live perhaps you could pop over to the OP's new thread about asking questions before viewing.

olgadapolga

I've always felt a little uncomfortable if the vendor was in the property whilst being shown around by an EA, haven't a problem bring shown around by the vendor but it just feels odd if both the vendor and the EA are both there. There always seems to be an air of expectation.

The worst viewing was at an old, neglected house that was being sold by elderly vendors, one of whom was  terminally ill in bed. The EA was quite blasé about the situation, stating that they wanted to sell asap!

RoisinDubh_2

swingaloo2 said:

On your other thread about the landlord wanting prospective tennants to look round the flat you are leaving you say
'The thought of strangers walking around my flat actually makes me want to vomit'

Perhaps the gut in the flat felt the same.

You are never going to accept any opinion that does not agree with yours so just put it to one side and move on.

For those who have not lost the will to live perhaps you could pop over to the OP's new thread about asking questions before viewing.

Yes, but I had no choice in the matter and he does! That's the entire point! If you don't want people looking round your flat, then don't put it up for sale! And if you're worried about covid, then definitely don't be there when viewers are there and open the windows. The entire situation was entirely in his control! 

How is this so hard? It's really basic logic.

RoisinDubh_2

nimbo said:

RoisinDubh_2 said:

Sazzy1253 said:

I went to viewing back in March and the vendor was working from home. I didn’t think it was appropriate as we weren’t allowed to see the room he was in as he was working. Slightly annoying as if never put an offer in if I hadn’t seen the whole place. I wouldn’t have minded if he’d let us have a look though 

Well, exactly! What even is the point? In this case, it was a one bed flat and he was in the living room, which was the main space! I got to stick in my head in walk around quickly with this guy making it very obvious he didn't really want me there, ...what goes on in these people's heads? Just ask viewers to come in the evening and pop out for 10 minutes?! 

Why would someone want to leave a total stranger in their house with all of their possessions entirely alone? Especially if their are 40 viewers per property…. 

That’s 8 hours minimum wandering round with knob all to do. Assuming that people really are only there 10 minutes each. 

LOL I don't know where you live but I can assure you that no one-bed flat in London is getting 40 viewers a day. They said I was the only viewer that day. He could have gone out for 15 minutes to walk round the block. Or he could have done the viewing himself without the EA. There were many things he could have done, because he was holding all the cards.

It's absolutely mental to me that people are acting as if nobody would ever leave their property for viewers to look around. It's so much the norm that the agent I spoke to this morning regarding a future viewing thought I was mad for asking if the viewer would be in. 'No, of course not' was the answer, with a tone of absolute bemusement.

I feel like I live on a different planet to the rest of you. 

RoisinDubh_2

lookstraightahead said:

nimbo said:

RoisinDubh_2 said:

Sazzy1253 said:

I went to viewing back in March and the vendor was working from home. I didn’t think it was appropriate as we weren’t allowed to see the room he was in as he was working. Slightly annoying as if never put an offer in if I hadn’t seen the whole place. I wouldn’t have minded if he’d let us have a look though 

Well, exactly! What even is the point? In this case, it was a one bed flat and he was in the living room, which was the main space! I got to stick in my head in walk around quickly with this guy making it very obvious he didn't really want me there, ...what goes on in these people's heads? Just ask viewers to come in the evening and pop out for 10 minutes?! 

Why would someone want to leave a total stranger in their house with all of their possessions entirely alone? Especially if their are 40 viewers per property…. 

That’s 8 hours minimum wandering round with knob all to do. Assuming that people really are only there 10 minutes each. 

This is true. It's like asking a shop keeper to go out of the shop so that customers can have a browse. 

I don't think I've ever seen such a strange perspective on a situation. Very unusual indeed. Very unusual.

my daughter who is 21 is looking for a house share in London. Each time not only the estate agent, but the tenants have been there. Which is perfectly normal. 

I don't think this op is ready to take the plunge into buying. 

No, no it isn't the same at all! Of course the tenants are there when viewing a house share....of course you'd want to meet the people you'll be living with! When you go and view a small flat, you want to have a proper look round, imagine yourself living there, imagine where you'd put your furniture, have a good look out of the window for the view, check for damp and mould. Very awkward to do this with the owner sitting there staring at you or making you feel rushed.

The equivalence would be your daughter viewing a flat with the LANDLORD there, someone who wasn't going to be living there, not showing her around, but just sitting there staring at her. She goes to view her future bedroom and the landlord is sitting on the bed looking at her with an air of annoyance. Are you honestly telling me that isn't weird and uncomfortable?

RoisinDubh_2

olgadapolga said:

I've always felt a little uncomfortable if the vendor was in the property whilst being shown around by an EA, haven't a problem bring shown around by the vendor but it just feels odd if both the vendor and the EA are both there. There always seems to be an air of expectation.

The worst viewing was at an old, neglected house that was being sold by elderly vendors, one of whom was  terminally ill in bed. The EA was quite blasé about the situation, stating that they wanted to sell asap!

Yes, this! It's just a weird vibe! If nothing else, it makes you feel cornered and outnumbered.

The biggest problem is the lack of communication...the EA could have said 'just to let you know, the vendor is terminally ill and will be in bed during the viewing, is that OK?' rather than springing it on you. Likewise, mine should have told me the vendor would be there working from home. I would have asked to come at a different time. 

Davesnave

RoisinDubh_2 said:

lookstraightahead said:

nimbo said:

RoisinDubh_2 said:

Sazzy1253 said:

I went to viewing back in March and the vendor was working from home. I didn’t think it was appropriate as we weren’t allowed to see the room he was in as he was working. Slightly annoying as if never put an offer in if I hadn’t seen the whole place. I wouldn’t have minded if he’d let us have a look though 

Well, exactly! What even is the point? In this case, it was a one bed flat and he was in the living room, which was the main space! I got to stick in my head in walk around quickly with this guy making it very obvious he didn't really want me there, ...what goes on in these people's heads? Just ask viewers to come in the evening and pop out for 10 minutes?! 

Why would someone want to leave a total stranger in their house with all of their possessions entirely alone? Especially if their are 40 viewers per property…. 

That’s 8 hours minimum wandering round with knob all to do. Assuming that people really are only there 10 minutes each. 

This is true. It's like asking a shop keeper to go out of the shop so that customers can have a browse. 

I don't think I've ever seen such a strange perspective on a situation. Very unusual indeed. Very unusual.

my daughter who is 21 is looking for a house share in London. Each time not only the estate agent, but the tenants have been there. Which is perfectly normal. 

I don't think this op is ready to take the plunge into buying. 

The equivalence would be your daughter viewing a flat with the LANDLORD there, someone who wasn't going to be living there, not showing her around, but just sitting there staring at her. She goes to view her future bedroom and the landlord is sitting on the bed looking at her with an air of annoyance. Are you honestly telling me that isn't weird and uncomfortable?

It happens all the time if your daughter is a student in a university town. The landlord might have 15 properties or more and wants  the youngsters to get on with it and make their minds up quickly. If they don't want it, someone else will, so it makes no odds to him/her.

This might not be how we'd like things to be, but it's how they are. On the flip side, as  parent, I was glad we could whip through 3 properties in rapid succession and get stuff sorted on the 4th without another round trip of 220miles. It wasn't a wonderful pad, but weird, uncomfortable and dirty in different proportions were the drivers in rejecting the other 3!