to request to view a house without the owner's presence?

[nightowlmostly]

We want to see a house for a second viewing, and would prefer it if the owner wasn't there this time, as they were there last time and it's just not as easy to have a proper critical look around when you are also trying to be polite about someone's home. I'd like to see it with just the estate agent before committing, as it is a lot of money obviously!

My DH asked the estate agent on the phone and he said she seemed a little surprised, as if it was on odd request, is it? I would have thought it was quite common for people to want to see houses without them there, everyone in RL that I've mentioned house hunting to says it is much easier to look properly without the vendor present.

Just wondered if IABU!

Estate Agents are not necessary for selling houses. (a) they cost a fortune (b) there are ways of selling houses without using them.

If a vendor uses the non-estate agent route, someone has to be in the house to show the prospective buyer around. So - show buyer around then retreat to somewhere else (not that I'd sit in the garden in this weather) and leave them alone. Just say, "I'll leave you alone now and I'll be in and take a book to the dog kennel" (No, if you've a dog, I wouldn't buy your house).

I remember being at viewing for my parents house while they were away , let the viewers in and then went and stood in the garage whilst they had a look around . Then i answered their questions with a bit too much honesty and they never came back .

As someone who buys and sells a reasonable amount of property for me:-

Vendor present - I won't view lost cash sale to them

Vendor absent - I will view pretty good chance I will buy, I am very selective in what I view and I can complete in their time scale.

Maybe vendors see me as harsh, but even when it's potentially my own home it still a business deal and I do it on my terms.

My method worked fine-it was for sale with an estate agent, but they didn't need to come and show people around. Sold at the asking price within 48 hours! I'm not sure that I want to deal with fussy viewers-they are quite likely to be fussy in the buying process.

If it is my house I will do it on my terms Lizcat!

I have never, ever been shown around by an owner, to me that is very odd. Similarly I would wonder what I was paying my 1% to the agent for if he expected me to show people round ours.

And that's fine Exotic, but similarly if someone is going to shell out on your house they will do it on their terms.

Well it worked for me! Full asking price in 48 hours is what I call a result. I have always showed people around my own home and done it on my terms. I agree that you might have to compromise if you can't sell. I have also been shown around by the owner unless they are living there or away-it is much better-they are the ones who know the house and area.I would find it very odd to have an estate agent if the owners are in.

My house is full of my stuff so if strangers want to traipse around it then they either have me hovering at the doorways or they can bring their solicitor/ estate agent as long as he doesn't leave them unsupervised in the house.
It's never bothered me when viewing houses. You're just polite when there and discuss it afterwards. If discussing what would fit where/ extension possibilities etc there is no problem with the owner overhearing. There's no need to slag off my decor, that's a minor problem you can discuss later.

I'm amazed this is the norm, I have never heard of it before...and between DH and I we have bought/sold a fair few houses! Even my old school parents with v expensive belongings wouldn't consider being in, let along hovering in doorways. Personally I would object to being treated like a criminal. I don't think anyone would view without an agent if owner wasn't in anyway would they?

Anyway, different strokes and all that.

Ps: whose house isn't full of their stuff...who else's stuff would it be full of?!

We do our viewings because we are not using a standard high street EA so no agent to do the viewing. We do one quick 'orientation', pointing out where the boiler is etc and then let people wander around on their own whilst we skull in the attic.....
As long as a vendor gives you the space to have those conversations I can't see. The problem. Would expect the same of an EA frankly.

The only time I have ever sold a house it was empty of valuables as I had moved into rented accomodation far away before the house went on the market.
If a house is still lived in I have usually had the owner in the house, often showing us around when viewing. It has never bothered me, and if you want to buy their house being on friendly terms with the owners can be useful.

Maybe Scotland is different from England with solicitors rather than estate agents still handling many house sales. In general we only got shown around the house by the solicitor's employee without the owners present if the house wasn't inhabited.

I wonder where some of you live, as whenever I have bought it seems to be the norm that the owner shows you around unless the house is empty. I had to show people round myself all the times I have sold as well, viewings done by the agent were not an option offered.

I have prefer the vendors showing me round.

In all the cases where it has been an EA showing a house, I have been distinctly unimpressed...all they care about is a sale, they rarely know anything about the house (CT band, what the average bills are like, what the neighbours are like, how long ago any works were done...I could go on!)

Also had an EA advise me once to offer £50k less than asking on a property....bet the vendor didnt know she was saying that to prospective buyers!!!

You may well find that you go back, with an EA and they cant answer any of your questions!!!!

I prefer to meet vendors on a viewing, too. EAs can't tell you about neighbours, parking, exactly what improvements they have done when, etc.

I have bought and sold a fair few houses-I always show people around and the vendors nearly always show me around. It is much better to hear it from the vendor.
Buyers can try being difficult, but you don't have to sell to them, and they can't dictate if you are there are not, so unless I was desperate to sell (which has never been the case) I should do it on my terms. If they don't like it they can buy someone else's house.

I think for most people buying a house to occupy, imagining yourself living there is an important part of the decision process so YANBU to want to view without the vendor. When we were selling a house in England once a guy wanted to come back for a second viewing in the evening. He was a single, gay man and we were a family with three kids so I wanted to give him the best possible opportunity to stand in the house, quietly, by himself and imagine it as his home, not noisy and full of kids. I got two of the kids out of bed and we went to a friend's house around the corner for half an hour - he made a full asking price offer the next morning. I think if you really want to sell your house sometimes you have to just go with what works for the purchaser!

However, if you have a desirable house that people want they are not going to refuse to see it because you want to show it to them yourself! (if they do it is their loss).
It has been a much loved home to me and I would rather sell to someone who sees it the same way and not just a building. The estate agent can't answer half the questions-I can.
I have never heard of the estate agent showing people around when the home owner is available. My mother sold her house last year, she is in her 80's and showed them around herself.

I'm just amazed this seems to be the norm, we're viewing two houses this avo and can guarantee we will be shown round an empty (as in, vendors will be out) house by the agent. If the vendors were there that's fine, unless they followed us round or loitered in doorways to be sure we weren't pocketing any valuables. Likewise at our viewings we will go out and the agent will let himself and the viewers in. I have bo objection to people thinking it is the norm, obviously, I'm just really surprised! It is seen as part of the agent's job here, otherwise their role is pretty limited!

I am happy either way but only vendors really know the ins and outs of a house and location .
I have recently bought privately and that was good because we split the difference on the EA fees which were 15 grand!

For £15k I'd be mighty peed off to have to do all viewings as well!

Private sales are such a good idea, we often search the web for them.

We have just moved and so I have seen umpteen houses in the last year. The vendors always showed us around, except in one case where the owner had died, one where the elderly lady was disabled, one where they were both at work and one where they were away for the weekend. The vendor is much the better person-they can answer the questions-the estate agent can't tell you things like when the kitchen was put in, who lives next door, what the school is like etc.
It would also be immensely inconvenient to go out.
I can see that if you have a house that is difficult to shift then you need to try it all, but if you have one that people want you hold the advantages and can do it your way.

I like doing the viewings.