Did you have anything stolen during a house viewing?

[MySunsInLeo]

Friend told a story of how her Jo Malone candle was taken. I have a few items like that .. nice perfumes, sunglasses, candles and bags. No expensive tech equipment

But now I’m worried. Small items are easy to hide in a bag.

Did it ever happen to you?

No.

Oddly this is a conversation my ds who is a lawyer had with me yesterday as I'm about to start viewings. Her advice was move small valuables well out of sight as sadly it is now happening and so easy not to notice a ring is missing till much later.

We hid valuables away, and took our laptops out of the house with us.

So sad .. I might just have to put some things in a box and leave them at a friends. Wonder what the protocol is if it happens, I guess just an insurance claim?

One of the burners off our gas hob got pinched! We weren't living in the house at the tie, so we couldn't find out which viewer did it. Very bloody aggravating!

No, but did hide anything expensive, like jewellery.

Not during a house viewing, but we once gave away a wooden playhouse on Facebook marketplace. It needed to be disassembled to an extent to be moved, so a couple came to break it down into pieces and load into their van. It took an hour or two. After they left, we noticed that of all things, they’d removed the hosepipe and the plastic holder it wraps around from the side of the house and stolen it. Of all bloody random things to take. 😂

No, but a very special watch when someone came to see a car we were selling. It had huge sentimental value, and I am still angry about this.

No, but I’d not leave valuables out on display, but shove in a drawer.

It is sad.
Try to put stuff out of sight and if you are not going to be present, then tell the selling agents that they must accompany people to every room as you fear an infringement of privacy/stealing

I guess its very rare and agetns will be aware and be weary of some but on the whole, IMO, 99.9999 of people viewing are as honest as you/us/etc

When my landlord was selling my house someone pocketed the soap out of my bathroom! It was a big cube of rainbow soap with glitter. The following day it was wrapped in cling film on my doorstep with “Sorry” written on it. I wondered if perhaps it was a child and the parents brought it back 😂

No, but I would lock all valuables away.

Someone nicked a couple of rings when our rented house was being viewed. Though, frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if that was the agent rather than anyone viewing. They were not very nice.

My grandmother stole an ornament when viewing a house with my parents in the 1990s, for some reason we all went not sure why, possibly a second viewing. The renters had abandoned the house with all their belongings but I'm not sure she knew that, she was a strange woman.That ornament is not any of our tastes but much treasured, it's the only thing my mum wanted when my grandparents died (her in laws) and I want it when she goes. It's become a weird family heirloom.

Someone broke my sons toy that was too big to put in a cupboard. Based on when they did a second viewing when we were there, they just let the child run wild and do what he wanted.

I was really annoyed with the estate agent as much as the viewer, but they bought the house so I could say much.

I definitely wouldn't trust the estate agent to keep an eye on the viewers and they will open every cupboard (even ones in furniture that is clearly not part of the fixtures and fittings) so I'd make sure anything sentimental is elsewhere

They must have scoured the land for photos of the same hob on RightMove!

We didn't have something stolen, but something left behind. After one viewing someone had placed a used bandage with dressing and tape in one of the kitchen cupboards. Most odd.

Don’t think so. Can you put anything valuable in a bag and take with? I’ll be sure to do that with my sentimental/valuable jewellery when we sell! I might ask for a mass viewing.

I have a small dish in the hall i keep lose change in. 6 pound coins were taken. It was the couples 12 year old child. They denied it at first then the estate agent rang to say they wanted to pay it back. 😑

A pair of French Sole ballet pumps (worn, I may add 🤢) and two lovely scarves that I'd just bought back from France. Was downstairs at the time as was in Covid times and I couldn't be in the same room. Couldn't obviously prove it and the Estate Agents were hopeless!

Ah, that's actually really sweet. They seem like good parents ☺️

Oh gosh I must be really naive as this has never crossed my mind. Something else to be paranoid and anxious about when we put our house up for sale.
I look at houses on line all the time so I can see how people might get ideas if they were criminally minded.

My mum had some ornaments taken ,she didn’t tell me til much later when her house was taken back off the market but I was really miffed that someone would steal from a house and an elderly persons house at that where ornaments often have real sentimental value.

So I have just signed up for this to warn people and see that it is already happening... I am just so shocked. I put the house on the market in June with a very reputable estate agent whom we bought the house from in 2007 and went to France for the summer as I thought easier to show when we and the dogs are not there.
When I returned I realised my cupboard was a mess and that a pair of brand new black sunglasses had been taken plus a eveniing pearl necklace and a south sea pearl necklace. So furious. I never thought professionals would behave like this. The agent says it may have been a relocation agent.... evidently they just give them the keys..... I assumed they would be there.... but no....
So if anyone is selling their house in south west London please be aware and tell your friends it is even happening in the so called top tier of estate agents. I have an idea who it is in the office but of course you cannot say anything.

I'm sorry this happened to you @PBBattersea . Did you report it to the police?