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Original poster

to ask house viewers to remove shoes before going upstairs?!

224 replies

HollieHelen · 18/09/2013 09:43

I am really new to this as have never sold a house before. We are having the first estate agent round today to value our house, and then I want to get it on the market as soon as. Just thinking ahead to viewings ... would it sound awful to ask prospective buyers to take their shoes off before going upstairs?! It's bound to be terrible weather when they view and muddy etc. We have beige carpet ... fairly forgiving but does show marks. As a family we do no shoes upstairs but I know that might not be fair on visitors!!

OP posts:
Snoot · 19/09/2013 00:13

Surely if you want to sell your house you want viewers to be in a positive frame of mind? Being asked to take their shoes off will make a significant proportion of people uncomfortable. Those blue plastic shoe covers are awful and dangerous on hard floors and over high heels. The shoes-off request does reek of Hyacinth Bucket (as mentioned previously) and a certain social subset, who is your target buyer? Some will like, some won't. Perhaps pointedly leave a couple of pairs of shoes on the "welcome" mat? not so welcoming if you're asked to walk around a stranger's house in your pop socks

exoticfruits · 19/09/2013 07:16

Not ridiculous StuntGirl- there are loads of threads with Hyacinth Bucket types who are so precious about a floor covering- it does cause upset. It probably depends how sellable your house is as to whether you can afford to upset people. People generally make up their mind in the first few minutes, if not at the front door, so why start negatively?
I am an adult, if I had arrived after a muddy walk of course I would remove them- but the likelihood is that I have come straight from home, by car, with clean and dry shoes.

WillSingForCake · 19/09/2013 07:25

If you wouldn't buy a house because of this then you're a moron. It's like people who are fooled into buying by the smell of baking bread and fresh flowers, or who wouldn't buy because you don't like the wallpaper.

exoticfruits · 19/09/2013 07:32

It is a fact that first impressions count. I want to sell my house- a 'moron' is as welcome as anyone else if they pay the asking price!

StuntGirl · 19/09/2013 07:44

Exactly willsing.

Thinking it's silly is one thing. Disagreeing with the need to do so - fair enough also. Actually getting angry? Refusing to consider the house?! The mind boggles!

exoticfruits · 19/09/2013 07:46

A lot if people go by the 'feel' of a house- I wouldn't underestimate friendliness

exoticfruits · 19/09/2013 07:47

Of not if.

vix206 · 19/09/2013 07:48

It would make me think that they have taken care of their carpets a d are continuing to do so. Wouldn't mind one bit!!

nooka · 19/09/2013 08:04

It would make me think that their carpets marked easily and were hard to keep clean. So no, not a plus factor for me. I hate taking my shoes off though, I don't feel comfortable walking around in socks, and in the winter get cold. If I had advance warning I might bring slippers I suppose, but I might just give that particular house a miss.

Generally I've not found that there are a great shortage of houses to look at. If I was expected to put on shoe covers I would be seriously put off because it would make me think that the owners were totally anal and would be very difficult to liaise with.

Snoot · 19/09/2013 08:27

If the owner had young children or pets I really wouldn't want to walk barefoot on their carpets. Who knows what lurks within? Nappy leaks, potty accidents, sick, pet hair and gubbins off their paws and bottoms . Really quite revolting to have to pad about in stockinged feet.

saintmerryweather · 19/09/2013 08:50

i take my shoes off whenever i visit someone elses housee, its polite to do.so and shows a bit of respect for the environment.you're in. if i was visiting a wreck id keep my shoes on but otherwise id take them off

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 19/09/2013 09:15

It's not really about getting 'angry', or refusing to buy the house - but as a seller, you do try to do everything you can to make the viewers feel comfortable, happy with the house, and at ease. Now if you cause them a frisson of annoyance when they have to take their shoes off, you risk them being in a less positive frame of mind, and hence perhaps being more ready to notice niggles and things that might be a problem with the house. The couple who had to take their long boots off probably couldn't wait to leave either, and that's not the mood you want people to leave in.

You want people to get back in their car and say 'wow, what do you think, shall we give the estate agent a ring?'. Not 'thank fuck for that, I'm allowed my shoes back on!'.

I think it's pretty silly and prissy and inhospitable to tell people to take their shoes off at the best of times, but when you're trying to impress them? Really not.

StuntGirl · 19/09/2013 09:29

Oh give over, you could never cater for everyone's differing whims and ideas on 'comfortable' - just look at the thread on house temperatures for proof!

If having your shoes on or not during the visit sways you that much, then you obviously weren't that arsed about the house in the first place!

clearsommespace · 19/09/2013 09:30

I'm surprised at how many people find taking shoes off a problem. I'm in France and last year we viewed about 40 houses before finding the one for us. The agents all asked us to remove shoes before treading on carpet, gardens were always viewed last to avoid trekking dirt back into the house, even when the houses were already no longer occupied.

I'd rather buy from someone who cared about their carpets (seeing as they usually get sold with the house) than someone who didn't.

bamboobutton · 19/09/2013 09:32

it would piss me off and would put a taint on the house, but I have joint problems so putting shoes on is difficult due to immobility and is also very painful, once my shoes are on I like to keep them on.
we would also have our kids with us so squatting down on the floor to put them back on would also be very painful.

we did lots of viewings over the last year and only one house asked us to take shoes off, luckily for me it was summer so only had to slip flipflops off but having to squat down for the kids shoes I was thinking "ffs"

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 19/09/2013 09:35

Yeah, but if you could change someone from 'not that arsed' to 'thinking about making you an offer', wouldn't you want to?

Think of it like this: has anyone ever been offended or made uncomfortable by not being asked to take their shoes off?

Floggingmolly · 19/09/2013 09:40

Why would anyone be upset at being asked to remove shoes so as not to destroy your carpets? Confused
They are not friends coming to tea, to be made "welcome".
They are not potentional flat mates looking to house share with you.
If they like your house they like it, if they don't, they don't. I can't believe anyone is influenced by the atmosphere you create; someone grinning like a loon in the background welcoming me to a house I was considering buying would actually put me off. It's a business transaction, pure and simple.

diddl · 19/09/2013 09:43

Have these already been suggested?

treas · 19/09/2013 09:47

YANBU - your house your rules. Any reasonable person coming to view would automatically offer to remove their footwear at the door.

Besides if they're interested in the house the carpets would become theirs anyway.

Also it is one way of getting rid of time wasters

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 19/09/2013 09:48

Yeah, but flogging, if you were meeting with someone from another company to strike a business deal, and he or she asked you to remove your shoes before you went into the office, wouldn't that be a bit odd and annoying?

It doesn't really matter why some people find it irritating (not upsetting) to be told to take their shoes off (makes me feel like I'm in infant school, tbh) - the fact is, as this thread shows, they do - so why would you risk it, when you're trying to sell your house to them?

TheDietStartsTomorrow · 19/09/2013 09:50

It's polite to take your shoes off when walking around someone's house that you're viewing, especially upstairs. You're not a guest or a friend visiting them- you're part of a transaction and although the homeowners should also be polite in return and not necessarily expect the viewers to remove their shoes, to go into someone else's home and feel you have the right to keep our shoes on because you don't respect their house rules is just plain rude. Those people who said they'd traipse around the house and not buy just to spiteful need to get a life. You would honestly do that to stranger just because of a polite request to remove your shoes?

Some people have very dirty shoes. Some people may have just walked over wet grass, wet leaves, a dusty path etc. I wouldn't want that being transferred to my carpets. Shoes are by nature, always going to carry dirt even if you wipe them on the mat. Try walking outside with a pair of socks and then look at the soles. That should be enough to understand why some people don't appreciate shoes in their bedroom.

wordfactory · 19/09/2013 09:51

When you're trying to sell somehting, common sense should tell you that you don't do things to piss off potential buyers.

It doesn't matter why it pisses them off. It doesn't matter if they're being daft.

Your sole objective is to sell it for the best possible price with the least difficulty.

MrsRajeshKoothrappali · 19/09/2013 09:51

It's a fair enough request.

However, I wear big lace up boots which take an age to do up and undo and get really cold feet. I think I'd say thanks, but no thanks and go home.

I'm most likely in the minority though.

I've been viewing houses lately and no one's asked me to take my shoes off.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 19/09/2013 09:54

Absolutely, Word. It's not a stately home you're showing them round. (in which nobody is ever asked to take shoes off anyway!). You want them to like it, and buy it!

HormonalHousewife · 19/09/2013 09:54

Thats a point MrsRaj if I had my Dr Martins on I would be a bit miffed.

If the house looked clean and tidy and the carpet in a similar condition to mine then I probably would take my shoes off, but a dirty carpet no way.

We are a shoe off home but when we bought and sold recently I never took my shoes off nor did I ask anyone too.