If someone turned up at your house unexpectedly...

[LanguidLobster]

...what sort of state would it be in?

I had this happen twice recently, my flat is on the market and the estate agents couldn't get hold of me so I opened the door in horror to estate agent + potential buyer and had about one minute to whip tights off of lampshades etc (estate agents were hilarious, I heard him say to potential buyer's remark that it's quite small 'no, it's bijoux, cue me snorting with laughter in the background).

Then I cleaned up quite a lot and had a friend visit short notice couple of days ago but didn't feel self conscious at all as we're both clutterers and it was a bit improved (no tights on lampshades).

I live on my own so that's a bit different but how would you cope with impromptu visits, would you pass muster??

My house would be relatively ok but I have a tendency to dress in some quite "interesting" outfits when I am WFH and not expecting anyone

So they would be distracted from any mness by me looking like a complete clown anyway!

NO WAY!!!!!!!

It would be horrific for all concerned.

shudder

Most of the time my downstairs would be mostly ok. Upstairs I’d never let anyone up unexpectedly!

Today though dd is off sick, I’m declutterinf and I’ve just done a shop and have stuff out for camping this weekend. So right now. It’s a tip.

The estate agent should not come without speaking to you first.

For a start it puts the sale in jeopardy if the property is not 'prepped' to its best advantage.

For you - it's embarrassing and inconvenient.

I sacked off an Estate Agent and went with someone else when they did it twice to my nice tenants.

IT wouldn't bother me at all. They'd have to take me as they find new!

Isn't this the same as the current thread on is your house guest ready?

I was going to say they could take me as they find me, why should I care; but why have you got tights on lampshades when your flat is on the market?
You know you’re going to have strangers nosing around

@Bluntness100 I don't think I've been on that thread.

greyhound although my flat is on the market it's just being sold with me in itit, viewings have been slow and my phone broke so estate agents couldn't get hold of me.

There's no structural damage I'm just a bit scatty and messy when it's just me and tend to toss things around

Anyway it's a lot cleaner and tidier now. Hallelujah for me and prospective buyers! I was just caught on the hop. The woman was really nice and said her son was just the same.

Missing the point here but why would your tights be on a lampshade?

I must have just bunged a newly washed pair onto the side but they accidentally got on a lamp.

It might sound more 'interesting' than it actually was! I only noticed when I had short notice about house viewing.

Anyway no harm done, they were only black wool tights, it spurred me on to tidy a lot more

It'd be fine here as I always keep the downstairs loo clean just in case but I'm always working on some kind of project which leaks out from the studio room into the rest of the downstairs so although it could be slightly messy it's always acceptable to anyone as it's what I do so quite lucky I can pass mess off as working 😁
There's always books around too, research or general interest as dh writes so we sort of have an eclectic messy style which never looks too awful thank goodness.

It doesn't matter what state it is in. It could be the cleanest house ever but the second a visitor gets to my door one cat will stink the place up shitting and the other will puke up a hair ball bang in the middle of the carpet.

Oh, thought you’d been putting them there on purpose 😂

I'd let them in, the bathroom's clean, just hoovered, etc, but it's still a bit messy. I've just been ironing (stopped for a cuppa) so there's an iron sat on the table, alongside the fruit bowl, a laptop and homework. Washing basket and four piles of ironed clothes on the sofa and Nerf guns and a pile of shoes by the front door. Other than that it's okay...

@lackingimagination you're evidently not :)

I've been celebate for years, I live on my own, I sometimes bung things around.

It's just a bit...unnerving having people turn up suddenly.

I'll clean/tidy more yadda yadda.

Um, as long as you come on the day the cleaners have been (once a fortnight), it should be fine! Otherwise, I may not have bed made up (or I may be organized - I try to have it ready always) and it may even be covered in shite.

The kitchen will always be clean, and the bathrooms. But the dining table has an end to eat off and an end where things "migrate" - often its the work of moments to clear off but sometimes may take quite some sorting....

You might be able to see clearly to the back door, but there may be a (FULLY) laden clothes horse in the way. And the hamper of clean clothes is usually full if you come after Wednesday (we fold everything at the weekend - if you need something urgently before then, you rummage in the clean hamper if there's nothing in your own wardrobe). And DD may have schoolbag, coat, hockey stick, schoolbooks etc scattered all over the room before we get home and make her sort it.

Sitting room is usually left neat and tidy daily, but if DD gets in before us, there may be shoes, cushions, clothes, used plates and glasses, wrappers, and even bodies (herself and her BFF!) scattered all over it...

Then again, we get very few "callers" except for the well known neighbours (who have similar lives) or family (who always tell us beforehand).