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House viewing tales

118 replies

Henrietta75 · 31/05/2020 14:46

Bought and sold 2 homes over 15 years:

Couple with a grown up daughter I’m showing round, the mother disappears. Mother reappears after 10 mins (assumed she was in first bedroom still as we’ve moved to second), moved to third bedroom and daughter disappears, come out of bedroom and see daughter emerging from bathroom with flushing noise. Not a word. They both used the loo without asking. How rude!

Viewer booked in for tues 1pm, Dh gets leave off work and waits - viewer doesn’t turn up. Complain to EA, EA sends screenshot of text to viewer confirming time and date, the viewer turns up weds 1pm with no one home and starts banging on the door (according to retired neighbour). Then sits in the car for 1 hour on the drive before giving up and leaving.

Couple having been shown around property then proceed to demand what is the “bottom price” and are not leaving until they get an answer.

Showing another pair around and the man starts to open kitchen cupboards....gets into the bedrooms and starts to open free standing wardrobes and chest of drawers....!

Asked another viewee to remove shoes AFTER he insisted on seeing garden first and traipsed all on the grass in the mud and he refused.

Different EA, different property, asked to lop £25k off our price so he could get the deal done quick. DH says ok, with one condition, find us a house in ‘x’ area where we wish to move to that’s priced similarly as ours and ask the owner to lop £25k off too.

And the best for last - sold the house and buyer wants wants to exchange and complete in 3 days. Due to circumstances I said not possible, the buyers then create HUGE sob story that they’re going to be chucked out of rented accommodation....blah..little kids...pets...etc. So gargantuan effort to do it in 5 days and move in with in-laws temporarily....they then move into empty property 2 weeks later.

OP posts:
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Henrietta75 · 31/05/2020 14:48

Edit - sorry that last one isn’t a “viewing” story - it still rankles as part of my whole buying / selling saga.

OP posts:
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sst1234 · 31/05/2020 15:20

Wow, all that in 2 homes. OP, you’ve been unfortunate with so many difficult people.

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araiwa · 31/05/2020 15:26

Went to do a viewing with clients. Turned in to the road to be greeted by police barriers closing the road due to a murder in the house 2 doors away from my viewing.

Rearranged viewing for another day and sealed rhe deal

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icansmellburningleaves · 31/05/2020 15:42

Put our house on the market, got a viewing more or less same day. Viewer turns up. It’s only my neighbour from three doors away, saying “we’re putting on ours on the market and I wanted to see what the competition was”. I was so gobsmacked I actually let her in!!

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WindsorBlues · 31/05/2020 15:56

DH and I went to view a house that we wanted to buy that was currently let. Met the EA at the front door and they said the tenant was currently in but wouldn't bother us. As soon as we walked in the Tenant came right towards us and stared, we tried saying hello and to exchange a view pleasantries but where met with silence.

As the EA showed us about the house the tenant followed as close as possible bumping into us several times without saying a word. She also chained smoked the entire time and when she was done she would just stump the fag end out on the floor where she stood.

It was the strangest and most awkward experience of my life. I loved the house but DH wouldn't let us buy it because he said the whole thing gave him the hebegebes and put him right off it.

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Bluntness100 · 31/05/2020 15:56

I don’t think it’s rude to use the loo although personally I’d try not to and would ask, a lot of folks seem to be really weird about folks using their toilets.

Mine was a house i viewed, I’ve posted about it before. Very attractive woman in her thirties, immaculately done up and dressed, met her as we went in, she went out at the same point so we could do the viewing with the agent.

The house, a seven figure one, was an absolute and utter shit tip and I don’t say that lightly. Rubbish strewn on the floor, dirty dishes everywhere, towels on the at broom floors and visibly grimy, beds unmade and visibly filthy bed linen.

And worst was the smell of cat piss. Honestly made my eyes water, she had the litter trays in her bedroom and in the living room, the smell was just unbelievable, acrid and over powering, like you coughed as you went in and recoiled.

I can see past a lot, but that house I just walked round shocked at what I was seeing. In the pictures it was immaculate.

When we came out I said to the agent “I couldn’t see past the filth” and he just nodded. The way he’d interacted with the woman on arrival and glanced in the door made me think they’d spoken to her about it before. Even my husband, who is a messy bugger and not the most hygienic was open mouthed. We just sat there after in the car looking at each other thinking wtaf have we just seen.

Honestly. She was gorgeous. Perfect make up, lovely clothes. And lived in the sort of filthy conditions you’d see on tv. And I can assure you the house was not priced to reflect the state it was being presented in.

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Flowersinthewild · 31/05/2020 16:11

I was viewing 2 houses both for rent the same afternoon my brother came with me as he is good at spotting problems etc and always gives a honest opinion.

We turned up at the 1st house and the tenant opened the door ready to show us around. It was a old style cottage with beams. As soon as walked in we noticed that every single beam and wood had been chewed! I mean massive chew marks throughout! big chunks out of every beam, cupboard door, kitchen door literally if it was wood it had been chewed! My brother and I just stared as we were guided round each room until my brother finally piped up with ‘so do you have any pets?’ The tenant replied ‘yes we had a puppy (big breed) for a couple of years but rehomed as we are moving abroad soon, you may notice a few chew marks here and there (no shit Sherlock) we know we will loose our deposit but oh well its one of them things’Hmm
We quickly left and got back into the car and just sat there staring at the house, my brother then says don’t worry I’m sure the house we are going to next is the one before Bursting out laughing! Grin funny enough the next house was the one and we have been here 3 years and are very happy! As for the other house I drove passed a few times as it was on my new journey to work and the whole house had to be gutted, must have cost the landlord 10 times what the deposit was to put it right!

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TheQueensWave · 31/05/2020 16:16

Went to view a house where the seller met us at the door, clearly drunk. She staggered around the house bumping into cabinets and walls, and nearly fell down the stairs. It was a morning appointment and she clearly had a problem.

Also viewed a house that was horrendously messy! Dishes of food from days ago left on the sides, rotten flowers stinking on the counter. She had three dogs that growled and barked the entire time. She put two out and let the other follow us around. I had to carry a four year old through the house. We fed back to the EA and she explained the house was being sold as part of a divorce settlement, against the woman’s wishes. I have no idea if the house sold or not, but her techniques worked on us!

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Keepthebloodynoisedown · 31/05/2020 16:18

I got bitten by the current tenants dog while looking at a rental years ago. The agent just carried on awkwardly while the tenant put the dog in another room.

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Tittie · 31/05/2020 16:22

We went for a viewing of a lovely house which was being sold by two brothers. One was very friendly (the one who did the viewing), the other sat in a corner creating THE worst atmosphere, not speaking, sullen face. We learned that it was their late mum's house (and childhood home) so the second brother was dead against selling it. We thought that it would probably fall through if we went ahead - they seemed as if they were falling out over it - so we decided not to make an offer. It was gorgeous though! I think they ended up taking it off the market so the sullen brother must have got his way.
It must be so hard when family can't agree what to do in those situations :-(

The couple we bought our current house from were pretty dim and the husband was weird. When he came to collect post once, he commented that we'd changed the locks. How did he know?! DH had thought I was OTT for changing them but I think I was vindicated there Grin

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panicstationsready · 31/05/2020 16:23

Similar to Bluntness, the house we are in now, the owner was always immaculate - made me feel inadequate as I am not! I am not the most houseproud person (understatement) but on moving day as soon as every room was emptied i cleaned round, hoovered and wiped woodwork. Well the state of the house we moved too was unreal! Stuff left in the kitchen cupboards, cobwebs everywhere where the furniture had been, garage door broken, stuff left in the garage 'thought you might want it' - yeah, old crockery, deflated canoe, total crap! (We had swapped houses, so she got a house that was probably the cleanest she'd ever had!)

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reluctantbrit · 31/05/2020 16:26

Viewing to buy a house:

no.1 Kitchen was covered in all kind of stuff, absolutely no idea where even the sink was. Rest of the house was ok-ish but so cluttered it was hard to imagine anything.

no. 2 When arrived we were told that a) one bedroom couldn't be viewed (the master) as their toddler had her scheduled nap and b) one bedroom coudn't be viewed by me as it was converted into a prayer room and not open for ladies. DH looked into it but with all curtains drawn and curtains used as room dividers no way to even guess size and layout. Why accept a viewing at a time a toddler naps and we had a word with the estate agent about the prayer room.

no. 3 the estate agent had no room for the garden doors and as it was on a busy road I wanted to know how loud the back garden would have been. Hm.

When the house we rented was sold (we already had our contracts signed) the estate agent arranged a mass viewing without telling us. So we always tried to stay with the viewing party but after the third party arriving and just wandering around DH took the EA aside and had the owner on the phone who also went mental as a mass viewing as exactly what they said should not happen with us still in residence. The same EA also arranged a viewing with us out of the house and not telling us, it was just bad luck for him that DH came home early and caught him in the act. Again the owner exploded and EA changed after that.

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BumpBundle · 31/05/2020 16:28

When I lived in a rented house share the landlord wanted to sell up during our tenancy. We had no problems with viewings provided that we were given 24 hours notice (as is our legal right). One of my flatmates was a police detective who had files and notes etc in the house that he needed to ensure wouldn't be in any way accessible. The EA kept turning up unannounced and letting themselves in. They would say that obviously the emails to say we were coming had gone to junk (forgetting that we needed to reply for them to have permission to enter), blame other flatmates for giving permission or say they only let themselves in because they knew we were home.
We set up a camera and caught them doing viewings without our knowledge/consent whilst we were out. We told our landlord that unless the unauthorised viewings stopped we would not allow any more viewings at all. The EA promised to stop but continued. Then we demanded that they return their key. There was a three month stalemate where the EA refused to return the key despite us and the landlord requesting that they return it and us refusing to allow them to do viewings (even when they turned up on our doorstep).
Eventually they returned our key. The next day, the EA knocked on our door and said that they needed one of our keys so that they could get a copy cut because the landlord has lost his and had asked the EA to pick one up for him - obviously this was not true.
I couldn't believe it was so difficult for EA's to just give 24 hours notice.

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KitNCaboodle · 31/05/2020 16:33

Not viewing but buying/moving.

We bought a house from a couple who also had the house next door. Both were on the market but the other one didn’t sell for a while. It was a terrace house, which is an important fact.

Day of move, we turned up and they were not ready. We sat outside for a wee while and then asked if we could have just one room to put our bits in.
To say they were not ready was an understatement. The husband still had his manly dressing gown hanging on the back of the bathroom door. We ended up helping them move their stuff into their house literally next door. In the evening, we were standing in the kitchen, when I saw someone in the garden. They have climbed the fence to dig up an olive plant in the garden!

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Windyatthebeach · 31/05/2020 16:33

Rental viewing stories..
First was a 7 bed house but the owner wouldn't have 5 dc in it.
Second a 7 bed farmhouse on land standing alone wouldn't allow our 1 ddog.
Third one EA showed us around and a teenage boy was sill asleep in bed!
Once bought a house off a pervy bloke who informed us the window cleaner 'came' only once a month. In front of my very well to do friends... Tried to call round often when my dh was at work. Grim...

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ShaniaPayne · 31/05/2020 16:35

I spent a lot of time and money restoring a lovely old Grade II listed Georgian cottage, including painstaking renovation of the original sash windows. One viewer said she quite liked it but wouldn't be offering as the necessary cost of replacing all the windows with uPVC double glazing would be 'ridiculous'.

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HairyFloppins · 31/05/2020 16:37

We viewed a house in Grays. There was a child in the bath, a teenager in a grotty bedroom asleep. The house was full of crap from top to bottom and it smelt. I really had to keep a hand over my then three year olds mouth as she was desparate to say it smelt.

The agent got a massive earful of us when they asked for feedback.

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Lemondropsandgumdrops · 31/05/2020 16:37

Back when I was a teen and my parents were selling we did a couple of viewings. One man opened the microwave. I started laughing, and yet he looked at me strangely. People are weird.

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Lemondropsandgumdrops · 31/05/2020 16:39

Oh and when DH and I were viewers for a rental, we showed up to a house where the current tenant refused to let us in. EA apologised and arranged for the next day. Showed up next day and were let in, but one tenant was in the bedroom sleeping. We didn’t rent the place.

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BlueJava · 31/05/2020 16:40

We were selling our 3 bed (fairly small) famliy home. The EA called and said he didn't have time to show someone round, but they wanted to see it now before they left for the airport (about 1 year ago). I said ok, provided the woman was on her own she could come.

The woman turned up with 2 guys. I said sorry, I only said 1 woman not all three. The woman started shouting saying she had to get to the airport and could I get on with it. In the end the guys waited outside after they called the EA and complaining who was very supportive of me. I showed the woman round, she then started asking questions about where the piping for sinks and toilets were. She was asking about putting a shower and loo in the living area.... I said there was no waste pipes on this side of the house, it was all the other side. She then had a go at me for wasting her time! She clearly wanted to turn a small 3 bed into a 4 bed (at least) rent.

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SorryImNotCreative · 31/05/2020 16:45

We went to view a house, and a very flustered-looking woman answered the door. When we explained we were there for a viewing, she snapped “I thought it was tomorrow!” I might’ve left and gone back the next day, but we’d made the 1-hour drive especially, so I showed her the EA’s confirmation email. She then showed us around by storming around, flinging open doors and snapping “Bedroom!” for the 5 minutes(!) we were there. Needless to say, we didn’t buy it.

When we were selling our house, a man and his “brother” came to view. We’d only been on the market a few days and were on the market for a very realistic £220k. We received a call from a very embarrassed EA the next morning saying that they had offered £170k. Obviously we declined their offer.

The same man then had the cheek to show up without an appointment that evening with his wife! He said “if my wife likes it we might be able to offer £190k but that will be our maximum.” They then offered £200k the following day Hmm We didn’t sell to them!!

If buying/selling has taught me anything, it’s that some people are absolutely fucking bizarre.

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Zenithbear · 31/05/2020 16:46

I once sold a house with a postage stamp size garden. On the details it clearly stated small, easy maintenance, patio garden. One woman turned up with three kids under 7 and complained that there would be nowhere to put the football goals, trampoline, climbing frame and swingball etc. Then as she left she said that her oh was refusing to look at any properties because he had no intention of ever moving. Utter time waster.

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Goatinthegarden · 31/05/2020 16:52

bumpbundle

We had loads of problems with a letting agency that just let themselves in all the time, and gave keys to all sorts of random contractors. DH has lots of computer and music equipment and didn’t want all and sundry seeing what we kept in our flat. We assured them that we would make sure DH was in if they needed access. They kept promising us they would never enter without permission, but we knew people had been in.

So we just changed the lock (turns out it’s a really quick and easy thing to do). They couldn’t admit to knowing we’d changed the lock because they had promised they wouldn't enter without permission.

By the time we handed our notice, they had forgotten they couldn’t get access willy nilly and again we told them we would be in if they let us know when. They kept calling us at work because they had turned up with random people to show round and couldn’t get in and we just pointed out they had promised to let us know. I’m sure they were angry but they couldn’t argue.

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Goatinthegarden · 31/05/2020 17:02

When buying our current house, we viewed a long thin bungalow with five bedrooms. It was bigger than we needed but a good price for the area so we were interested. What we hadn’t been shown in the photos was that 4 out of the 5 bedrooms had a small, single glass shower cubicle just standing in the corner of the (carpeted) room.

The lady showing us around just explained that all of her children wanted their own shower because you had to go through the master bedroom to get to the only bathroom which was at the furthest away end of the house. It also housed the only toilet, so presumably everyone had to go through their parent’s bedroom if they needed to pee in the middle of the night?

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JumpingAtJackdaws · 31/05/2020 17:07

Years ago we viewed a house and were shown around by the woman who owned it, who was very cagey about why she was selling. During the buying process she would contact me telling me how difficult it was for her to move everything but that she had spent 2 weeks clearing out the garage and the house was now spotless.

On moving day we literally couldn't get onto the drive as it was piled high with rubbish. The double garage was full off stuff and binbags full of private paperwork. Lots of letters about unpaid bills, debts etc. The house was still full of stuff; furniture, gym equipment, clothes, tonnes of children's toys, gun holsters! It took us weeks to sort it all out. We learned from our new neighbour that the man of the house was in prison for armed robbery and that the police had staked out our house from the field at the back to catch him!

We had constant phone calls from debt collectors chasing the woman. No one had a clue where she had gone. Then we had a call from the brother of the armed robber. Armed robber wanted his multigym from the house. He also wanted to know where the woman had gone and was convinced we knew. I was freaked out as I was alone with a baby much of the time and didn't want to deal with violent criminals or their friends/family. We let them have the gym equipment and changed our phone number. It was a really stressful time when I look back on it.

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