I would not let them in!

[snowandshowers]

5 years ago we had viewers to our house which was for sale. A retired couple arrived with a clip board held out in front of the man. They came in and were a nightmare. Opening my windows, wardrobes, kitchen draws, running taps, jumping up and down on my floor, taking photos, flushing toilets, and much much more! After 3 hours I had had enough and said we were going out so they would have to leave.
We never heard from them again but the owner of the house we eventually bought said she had had them view hers and they had stayed 6 hours doing the same things.

I later found out they are serial house viewers and do it as a "nice day out".
Anyway we are now moving again and low and behold who turns up at the door, only Mr and Mrs pain in the arse. I did not remember their name or I would have refused a viewing. Same as last time clip board and pen ready.

The moment I opened the door I recognized them.

I was so angry with these time wasters I just said "YOU AGAIN! FUCK OFF! and closed the door.
I feel better now.

I thought about that after but clipboard couple were easily recognized. 😂

I'm talking Harold Wilson and Hilda Baker. ( you may not be old enough to remember them)

So they viewed the house you ended buying? So they've already viewed your current house for 6 hours with the previous owners and have turned up to it again today? Really? And they're doing this all over but all these estate agents haven't heard about them previously?

Yes but then they are crazy. However the house looks very different now to when we bought it.

To be honest booking are often made over the phone and unless the Estate Agent has or bothers to look up a name, they would not know. Plus there are several people in their offices anyone could have taken the booking for a viewing.

Love this. Definitely sitcom material.

Well done.
They should be reported to the estate agent and now allowed to waste anyone else's time.

I just said "YOU AGAIN! FUCK OFF! and closed the door.
I feel better now.

😆

Well Done!

What a hilarious thread! Why do people do this - especially as Rightmove exists now?! I'd feel awkward looking around the house accompanied by the owners even for a short time, even if I was definitely intending to buy it from them.

I don't think it's really much better if people 'only' go for a few minutes, when they have no interest in buying at all, as it's really stressful for the sellers, however long they're there. Aside from the false hopes, they might have spent ages tidying and preparing it for viewing, got somebody to look after the kids, dog etc., cancelled other engagements, work or whatever.

Love this. I'm just imaging they end up on all these ban lists from estate agents and one day do actually want to buy a house, but they are rejected from any viewings. Now that will be the best revenge

That's probably what will happen - 'the old couple who cried wolf'! They'll be like the senior equivalent of the schoolkids who aren't allowed in the corner shop anymore, because they've been caught helping themselves to crisps and Twixes before!

It would take me weeks if not months to prepare my house if I were selling it so would hate if anyone was a time waster BUT, I would love to prowl through houses for sale, I love interior design (and extremes of taste!) and am basically nosy so it would be the perfect hobby for me. I wouldn’t do it though, I would feel terrible to think I had got their hopes up with no intention of buying!

This is why I was so pissed off with them. We had spent ages cleaning windows, mowing the lawns, hoovering, polishing, changing the beds, flowers on the table, clearing the utility, tidying the garage etc etc. We even put out new towels and tea towels. Only for it all to be a waste of time.

3 hours?! That's ridiculous.

However if I'm serious about selling a house I do turn on taps, check kitchen cupboards, open windows and flush toilets! I'll look in wardrobes too if they're fitted and therefore staying. I only do it if I'm actually serious about buying though.

it is ridiculous, I agree. In the past I have made an offer on a house quicker than I have made my mind up about a pair of shoes!

They probably think they're just being a bit cheeky, but it's actually really quite a nasty, selfish thing to do. No drama if it's an open day with all-comers welcome, but to book an individual viewing is very mean indeed.

It's horrible to treat somebody else's life as your free entertainment. Surely they'd be better joining the National Trust and getting their money's worth there - the houses are likely to be a lot more interesting than a three-bed semi in Harlow, at any rate.

I'm not big on swearing, but there are times when nothing else will do.

In the US, they're called looky-loos. I've had a few. One showed up at an open house I was having when selling a flat, and I told her to leave. I know she wasn't interested in buying as I overheard her telling the estate agent that she couldn't afford my flat, but wanted to "see what was out there".

Maybe they think if they manage to stay long enough they can claim squatters rights?!

Hilarious OP. And well done for seeing them off!

My thoughts exactly.

Golly! What do you think people should do on a first viewing: just wander around blankly without god forbid inspecting anything closely or trying to see how it works? And how many viewings would you anticipate? At which one can you actually view properly?

What a waste of time, both for potential buyer and seller. It's best to identify that there's what you consider a serious draw-back at the first viewing and to be able to take that into consideration.

I have never been or will be a liar.

So they're going to find themselves blacklisted by every estate agent in the area?

I wonder what they'll find to do with their time instead?

Omg yes, me too!

I’ve spent longer trying on jeans!

In my defence though, there were only two houses in our price range in the only area in a 20 mile radius we could afford when we bought this time.

It was either this house, or the boarded up one that had been used as a weed farm.

We had one nearly 10 years ago. MIL wanted to sell her house after she was widowed and I was helping her with the viewings.

Tiny middle aged lady turned up, very well dressed in a typical Tory wife style (little navy dress, pearls, velvet hair band on immaculately coiffed blonde hair).

She had a big white fluffy cat in a cat carrier, which she then lugged all around the (very big) house, up and down several flights of stairs. She said she wasn’t local and was visiting the area so why she had the cat with her god only knows!

She then came back for a second viewing a week later - with cat - before disappearing for ever!

I guess the cat didn’t like the house, it didn’t flush any loos though!

We also had viewers, man and woman who turned up in wet suits. this was a few years ago. We had a couple with a little boy about 5 who came in and the little boy picked up a large glass globe from the top of my glass topped coffee table and dropped in on the top breaking the glass. Why do I get all the odd viewers!

Post the video then OP. You can easily blur out faces, or just play the audio.