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!

ninkynonker me too! I've used internet based EA's in the past too with excellent results!

not odd, just difficult for the estate agents to manage. How do you politely tell someone that they need to make themselves absent from their own home? If they can't work it out for themselves, then they will not take kindly to beign told.

I don't think it is about a difficult to shift house, it just seems the norm here. We've never asked to see a house empty, not have we been asked to go out...it just seems to be the way it is done around here. I genuinely have only seen one property with the owner present. I wouldn't mind doing the viewings, but I would wonder where the agent fees were going and wish I could just list on Rightmove myself!

I wouldn't mind this if they were supervised by the estate agent. Other than that I wouldn't be letting strangers have the key and let themselves into my house when I am out. If I was there and they wanted to look around by themselves I'd just sit in the kitchen or the front room and let them get on with it for a few minutes.

When we viewed ours the vendor was in the kitchen. When we moved in 3 months later we found there were no innards to any of the kitchen cupboards, just bare stone walls and plywood shelves [hconfused].

I'm not suggesting vendors should be out, just not in the rooms you want to have a good look/discussion about. He had nowt worth nicking anyway.

Oh no, I can't imagine someone coming round alone, that'd be weird.

ninkynonker - how about if someone comes round escorted by the estate agent?

That's the norm where we are, the agent shows people round and the owner goes out.

I think it is just what you are used to, I would find it odd being shown round by the owner because it has never happened, some would find it weird to be shown round by the agent. We tend to meet on the pavement, have a chat about the owner's situation, the house, ask pertinent questions then agent takes us in.

Its good to meet the owner once because they know more about the neighbours and the history of the house etc.

However, you need space to see the house without the owner hanging around. Even if they are in another room, their presence is still felt and you don't want them listening into your private conversation about changes you might make if you were living there.

I show people round then go out to the garden with a book. Second viewings, I just let them wander by themselves while I sit in the garden.

'And we spent nearly an hour at the house we recently bought on second viewing and discussed a lot with the EA including how much under the asking price the vendor was likely to go - would have been impossible if vendor there.'

That's why I never tell the EA what my bottom line is - their job is to get me the best possible price they can, and that's what I'm paying them to do. I can never understand why people let their EA know this.

scaryteacher - they lie if they have any sense when the EA asks! But if no one will negotiate, then there will be no sale

We're on the market atm, and after showing viewers round leave them to their own devices for another look. I hide in the kitchen, and then when they want to look in there, either go upstairs or away so I can't hear them. If someone wanted a 2nd viewing without me there at all I'd agree to it, although insist the agent accompanied them round the whole house.

Selling our last house though we had 5 adults show up for a first viewing (I was told it was only a couple) and found it really hard to keep track of them as they were wandering about all over the place. One used the loo without asking which I thought was a bit off - of course I wouldn't refuse if they asked, but it would have been nice to be asked!

Organa - negotiating is a different thing to letting the EA know your bottom line. I like to make the buggers work for their money.

You don't have to lie when the EA asks - you say what I said above. They grimace, but accept it.

When I was renting a couple of years ago my LL decided to sell the house. A viewing was booked and I was just leaving the house when the couple arrived early. It was chucking down with rain so I let them in whilst we waiting for the EA. He didn't turn up until 30 mins after he was due, and in the meantime I'd shown them round and told them about the area, quirks to the house, parking, etc. The EA arrived and started telling them all this bull about how the house had private parking in a garage down the street, the path next to the house was private to us (it was an access path to a block of flats behind the house), and that from the house it'd take 30 mins to walk into town (it took 10 if you walked slowly). I said I was going out and the people looking round asked me to stay, so I did. Later on I got a phone call from my LL telling me that I'd messed it up for him and should've gone out. I gave him my version of events and when the couple put in an offer he sacked the agent.

I've looked at lots of houses and had mine for sale for a long time. My preference both ways is agent only first time, meet the vendors on second viewing. Sometimes it works the other way round or vendors both times - if any sense they'll leave you to it. You can always take photos.

Lots of vendors are capable of doing good viewings but some talk too much and get in the way. A 'good' vendor will understand that people have different taste and requirements, a 'bad' one (usually people who haven't bought or sold a house for many years) are much too personal about everything - but that can mean they inadvertantly tell you things the EA would rather not.

The value of meeting the vendor is to ask more detailed questions about the neighbours, area etc. Also, getting a sense of whether you trust the vendor and what their priorities have been does make a difference in evaluating any work they've done on the house (the truly bad will try to distract you from the bad bits).

I think you just have to be thick-skinned about discussing room layouts, alterations etc in front of them, or go for a chat in the garden / upstairs and come back in to look at the relevant feature.

The EA I used insisted on doing accompanied viewings (suited me esp. while the house was rented) but their reason was that they were such experts at negotiation and didn't want a vendor attracting attention to the wrong things, inadvertantly giving away price information or negotiating directly.

If only they had been as brilliant as they thought they were!

Anyone would think it was the EA house and not yours! It is your house and you can arrange viewings as you wish. In my case that it staying in and doing it myself.

You can arrange your viewings yourself exotic, but are you prepared to miss out on a sale because some would prefer you not to be there. In the OP case this is a second viewing so they think they may want to buy the house so there is a very serious chance this sale will proceed. Currently it is very much a buyers market and you have to be very dispassionate when selling a property - for most people this is the biggest business deal you will ever do.

It took me over 4 years to sell my last house too. Complete nightmare and very few viewers as the market was dead.

When I bought this house, I was shown round by the vendors who said 'we really want you to buy this house' . To this day, I wish I hadn't.

I think you feel rushed when the vendor is over your shoulder.

It was a buyers market when I sold-I expected it to take months, not less than 48hrs! If I was having difficulties I expect I would have to take buyers odd quirks into account-luckily I have never had to and I wouldn't unless forced.
If you have a desirable house, in a good school catchment area at a realistic price the buyer would be extremely silly to miss out because they couldn't have their own way on a viewing-their loss.
On a second viewing I let them wander around on their own. I wouldn't want an agent letting them wander around on their own.

Seems like a very strange request to me OP, the only houses I've ever been shown by a non-owner have been brand new or executry properties. It is the norm here for owners to do viewings.

Surely they'll just sit in the living room watching TV while you wander around? And how loudly do you talk? Can't you just write things down and say quietly changes you'd consider making?

I'm glad I'm not the only one PedigreeChump-I was thinking 'how can I be the only one who has bought and sold houses and thinks it is a peculiar request to be told not to be there?'

We recently bought a house. Vendor won't let us look round without her and kids and dog being there. In hindsight we should have walked away. Since moving in we have found dodgy wiring ( which we may have spotted if she had not been there as we would have looked behind sofa to see where plugs were)
We do love the house but the vendor was a pain, at the time we put it down to her splitting with her husband so not wanting to sell. They are now make together(complete with council house) they owe lots of money so have to check all mail. He was/is a builder but not a very good one. Just wished we been able to look properly.
IF THEY WON'T GO OUT WALK AWAY