What are your worst or weirdest experiences from a vendor hosting the viewings?

Skiddaw1

Oh dear, that's a bit sad really (though love the bit when you could look through the floorboards!)

We once viewed a tenanted property. Tenants clearly didn't want to move out (all roads were leading to a Section 21 saga). First time we turned up for the viewing (met EA outside) the tenants didn't answer the door (though were obviously in). We went back for a second try just for the sake of it and did eventually get in (once EA had hammered on door and shouted through the windows for a while). My favourite moment was when EA tried to switch on the kitchen lights (it was a cloudy day in late winter so not much daylight) and nothing happened. One of the tenants banged the wall a few times (which shook like a set from 'Crossroads') and the lights came on. Tenants clearly had to do that all the time.  We felt really sorry for them- they had several young children and were clearly on their uppers. Needless to say, we didn't make an offer...

TripleH

We looked at one house where we met the couple (both on their second marriage).

She was enthusiastic about how wonderful the house was, but they were selling because they were moving to look after her mum and the last child was about to go to uni (the others had left).

He clearly didn't want to go, when she had to dash off, his enthusiasm plummeted and he commented on this job he needed to finish and that job and came across as so reluctant to sell. 

To add, when we bought our current home, the estate agent didn't believe I work in the field I do as I don't fit the stereotypical image.

AlexMac

A greenhouse full of Ganja!

(I didn't buy the house...)

Woolsery

Skiddaw1 said:

We once viewed a tenanted property. Tenants clearly didn't want to move out (all roads were leading to a Section 21 saga).

We rented between sale and purchase and somewhat reluctantly let a few viewers in. While they were there and split from the agent in the garden, I managed a bit of wink-wink, nudge-nudge over signs of subsidence. The front wall of the property was just starting to slide away on what we learned was 'well lubricated' blue clay.

Whether it was our helpfulness I shall never know, but requests for viewings stopped.

Emmia

I viewed a property once where every room was painted silver (including the doors and the ceiling) except for the bathroom which had been fully done out to make it feel like you were inside a giant fish tank, including having fish suspended on wires from the ceiling that you'd walk into if you weren't careful...  There were also several very large (over life size) photos of people who I assume lived there.

More recently we viewed a flat with two front doors, that was like the Marie Celeste... when we arrived with the EA to view there was a plate of hot steaming dinner on the table of a flat that was otherwise empty of the owner / tenant - it also had 3 bedrooms, but bafflingly the occupant clearly slept on a mattress in the conservatory/lean to as none of the other beds had mattresses on them. Aside from that the place was filthy, and although many other aspects of the place were good, I told my husband immediately afterwards that if we bought it it would need to be entirely gutted and fumigated... wierdly we didn't end up buying it.

olgadapolga

Saw one house and one of the vendors was in bed. We were told that he was dying . . .

Another house was full to the brim with rubbish. Stuff was stacked up everywhere, with narrow walkways through the clutter. The double garage was completely clear with nothing in it.

Also saw a house whereby the integral garage had been "converted" into living space . . . by wallpapering over the breeze blocks. They'd also divided a bedroom into two smaller rooms, both had half a window.

matticus7

My wife really liked the look of a house a few streets away from the main house we were looking at (and bought) so I said she could view it and if if was to her liking I would go with her to a 2nd viewing prior to placing an offer.

My wife was greeted by the owner who was an elderly woman. Everything was going well until they got to one of the rooms which was her husband's study / man cave when the owner broke down and told my wife he had just recently passed away and she couldn't bring herself to move anything in the room.

The rest of the viewing consisted of my wife consoling the owner which was very awkward and then she left. The property itself would have been too small for our family but was lovely and in a nice location.

The estate agent listing the property called us for feedback the next day and I asked if they were aware of her circumstances. They said they knew about her husband passing away so I slammed them about how they should be hosting the viewings for her and told them what happened. 

bexybest

Years ago I was looking to rent a house with an ex-partner & we went to view a house in the suburbs of North Liverpool and it was a really rough area as it turned out. Rubbish all in the street, kids playing out and staring at us as we parked up etc. House was nice enough and the landlord himself did the viewing. When leaving we said we would consider it but needed to look at the area a bit more as we weren't familiar with it and wanted to make sure it suited us as it felt like there were more young families than couples in the area.. which somehow whirlwinded into the landlord getting very defensive about the area (he clearly knew it was a dump!). He explained it was his house for the last 10 years and was now renting it out blah blah.

My innocent comment turned quite nasty and we left quickly - lesson learnt!

ka7e

As a vendor , I had a viewing arranged at very short notice - a matter of an hour or two. I sped around, quick hoover and tidy-up, dog beds moved to shed, husband sent to pub, lights on everywhere as it was a dismal November day. I left as the EA arrived and walked the dogs for 30mins and returned when the viewing had ended.

Opening the front door I was met with a terrible smell, the basement door was open and I realised in my rush I had overlooked the lights down there. The EA and viewers had opened all the doors which released the stench of what we surmise was a decomposing rodent behind a false wall.Over the next 48 hours the smell seeped up through the floorboards into the kitchen and gradually filled the whole house.

We suspended viewings and bought in chemical gel which is often used to hide the smell of cannabis growing. We couldn't pinpoint exactly where it came from, so couldn't remove the offending article and it took nearly 2 weeks for the whiff to be eliminated. I heartily apologise to whoever the viewers were - needless to say, they didn't make an offer!

ILoveSittingDown

Not that weird really but we were once shown around by a woman who was probably in her mid 60s, and then halfway round introduced us to her husband who was probably in his mid 20s. For the rest of the viewing I couldn’t concentrate on the house as I was looking and listening for clues about how this couple ended up together, and desperately wanted to ask my girlfriend what she thought of the situation