To offer to pay the upstairs neighbour to go out for viewings?

[NapQueen]

Thinking ahead as will be selling in a year or so. She is so fucking loud and heavy on her feet.

We accept there is a certain level of noise expected when living in a pair of flats, but light fittings work themselves loose and drop on the floor, the pictures on the wall rattle on their hooks, and she slams the communal door every time she uses it. She also likes to gather at the communal entrance (right next to one of our bedrooms) to chat away to visitors.

Previous upstairs neighbours have never been this loud. And im under no illusion that noise travels up from us but we are mindful of it and always take our time closing the main door quietly, dont let our kids run in the house or play with noisy toys etc.

So aibu to restrict viewings to when she is at work or offer her some cash to bugger off out for the odd afternoon?

[astoundedgoat]

Tempting as it is, could you get into legal trouble for concealing something as awful as this?

[NapQueen]

Urgh....maybe.

[NapQueen]

It really is a shame as she is lovely. But oh my god.

[PlumFairy2014]

Does she work Mon-Fri? I would aim for viewings then.
What if she takes offence and sabotages your viewings?!

[NapQueen]

She works pt through the week maybe 3 or 4 days. We are also out of the house mon to fri office hours. So in theory viewings could happen on her work days but we just dont have time to get the house "viewing ready" before work. Its massively tight in the mornings.

Gosh i dont know if she would. Maybe she will be embarassed? Or annoyed that we havent mentioned it sooner.

I know she wants to move somewhere with a garden so maybe I take the cowards way out and wait for her to move first.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

Don't say anything to her, but do schedule viewings for her working hours.

Is she likely to stay forever?

[NapQueen]

She goes away to visit family a few times a year so maybe if I can make the listing coincide with one of her trips....

[Wehavetogoback]

I think if I was buying an apartment one of the first questions would be can you hear upstairs neighbours, how is the soundproofing?

I'm not sure if that's subjective or if you would need to be honest , I would as someone that hates noise I hope you would be .. tricky one

[Iggi999]

You aren’t supposed to conceal problems from viewers, though I believe they have to ask. We were nearly always asked “how are the neighbours”. “So noisy I’ve paid them to go out” would be an interesting response! I would use the time to try to get a resolution instead. Find out if she has no carpets for example. Is there already a sign on the door asking for it to be closed quietly? Most tenements I know have one of those.

[Bluelonerose]

Have you spoke to her? It might be she doesn't realise.

First thing I say when new neighbours move in is "feel free to knock my door if were being too loud"

[NapQueen]

She has thick carpets and I dont hear day to day noise - no tv pr music or phone ringing etc. Just the footfall. And the door. Couple that with no noise from previous neighbours and I think she is just really heavy footed / handed.

Id be nervous of putting a sign up as its an old converted victorian terrace so only us and her. So the note would be only for hee

If it was a communal block of three or more Id go for that in a heartbeat!

[Crumbs1]

Anyone with Hal a brain would return for a viewing when neighbours were home.

[HipToBeSquare]

As someone who is selling now I think you're dreaming if you think you can restrict your viewings to only when it suits you! I thought the very same thing...but there I was at 7 pm last night wandering around the streets with dh, dd1 (6.5) and dd2 (2) because that's what time it suited the buyer.

I would knock and tell her now, if you're not planning to move for another year you can work on any hurt feelings if there are any

[morningconstitutional2017]

A tricky one. You don't want to invite trouble by being economical with the truth. Whenever DH and I house-hunted we always made sure we viewed places at different times of day and weekends just to try to avoid the problem you describe.
We had a noisy lad next door once who rode one of those loud little motorbikes (not a 'proper motorbike' which just glides along) and when he passed his driving test he drove around in a loud car which had been souped up to be even noisier. Thankfully he seemed to be out when we were selling.

[mygorgeousmilo]

I would just tell her, you've said she saw lovely, she might respond in a positive way. It may be that your previous neighbours didn't wear shoes in the house, but that she does. It will be uncomfortable for you for a moment, but having that straight conversation now might save you from future headaches.

[TheSockGoblin]

Yea, get her to go out. Fuck the potential new occupants, it's fine to trick them that it's nice and quiet in the flat.

[ssd]

defo do this

when I shared a flat in my 20's our upstairs neighbour appeared at the door one day with a bottle of wine, asking us if we'd mind staying quiet when he had viewings, we said no problem.

we didnt realise we were so noisy but we were probably a right PITA.

[HipToBeSquare]

sock that's a bit harsh. The OP's upstairs neighbour could be lovely and quiet, then sell to a loud family with 6 kids (nothing against loud families, just more foot-fall!)

Then what, the new buyers ask in 2 years time for their money back? If you are buying anywhere you know neighbours change. We live in a semi and I wouldn't move to a terrace as I could handle one loud neighbour but two would send me over the edge. Some people noise just doesn't bother.

[SpamBurrito]

Yea, get her to go out. Fuck the potential new occupants, it's fine to trick them that it's nice and quiet in the flat

That was my initial thought as well. It's a bit underhand imo.

[TheSockGoblin]

I agree you can't control who buys or moves in once you're already there. But I'd be mightily pissed off if someone made out somewhere I wanted to move was quiet via tricking me, which is essentially what is being suggested here.

I just think it's better to be honest - there could be people who don't mind heavy footfall, and are willing to accept that as part of living in a block of flats.

(By the by I live in a terrace now for the first time and it's the quietest place I've ever lived! Thick stone walls, never hear my neighbours and one next door has 4 extremely boisterous kids.)

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

Gosh i dont know if she would. Maybe she will be embarassed? Or annoyed that we havent mentioned it sooner

So she's unaware that she's noisy?
If she can't hear you, it's reasonable for her to assume that you can't hear her.
At the risk of being ridiculously unBritish, maybe mention it to her?

[ImageQueen]

Whatever happened to honesty!

Noise is subjective, what annoys one may not annoy somebody else.

It never ceases to amaze me how people live in communal areas and want silence.

Speak to her, she may not realise.

[pasturesgreen]

Trying to arrange viewings for when she's at work, I'd say perfectly reasonable.

Going as far as to offer her money to bugger out of the flat during viewings, I really wouldn't.

[purplecollar]

I'd try and get into the habit of getting it clear every morning.

Ensure as tidy as possible the night before - clothes away, bins emptied, kitchen tidy.
Make the bed as soon as you get out of it.
Keep bathroom toiletries in a tray or box so you can quickly put it away in a cupboard after use.
Have a "show" towel and bath mat - put ones you use in a cupboard and throw down these.
Then it's only a few breakfast pots to clear after use.
Do a quick scoot round, plump cushions, put toilet seats down.
It's easy once you get used to doing it.

Then the EA can show people round during the day when she's hopefully out. But no, I wouldn't bribe her - you might end up in a legal mess later down the line would be my worry. You have to declare a lot of things on a form from the solicitors. I can't remember if there was anything relating to noise though. Don't complain about it on FB or other social media.