AIBU to refuse to view a house if I have to remove my shoes?

[iliketea]

I'm happy to be told IABU....

We are currently house hunting. A few of the houses we've requested to view have asked us to remove our shoes at the door. At that point, I've said I'm not viewing a house in my socks and stopped the viewin before it's even started if the shoe thing is non-negotiable.

AIBU? it's not that i mind taking my shoes off when I'm visiting a friend - and generally do take my shoes in friends homes, but I find it weird that if you are trying to sell your house that you expect viewers to take their shoes off.

Or am I likely to miss a really great house and just suck it up / make sure i've got non-holey, matching socks wheb we go to view a house?

think it is just what you are used to though. If you grew up with shoes on and it's considered quite normal then of course you'll probably do it. It's probably never occurred to you how rank and strange it is - to people who take shoes off and see shoes off as being normal. Be interesting to challenge people's norms, say if they went to live in Asia or a country where culturally you take shoes off - I wonder if they would soon change their mind or look at it in a different way. Like someone said, folk all used to smoke in their homes without a thought, in the workplace, everywhere. They didn't bother with seat belts cause nearly everyone else didn't and it was seen as normal. Often had carpet in their loos and kitchens etc. Attitudes and norms are changing all the time.

No, I don't have pets.

If the hosts want to value their white carpet over hospitality, then they can keep their carpet and shove it up their backsides really.

If you care more about your fashionable shoes than being a polite and well mannered guest.....you sound like very hard work.

My ILs just visited us from Australia for a few long months. Despite being asked numerous times to remove their shoes in the house they kept them on in our basement suite - you can absolutely tell that our nearly new cream area rug has greyed and needs to be professionally cleaned. They did not leave funds to complete this task though, they just left a mess.

Why shouldn't they value their white carpet??? It's theirs after all!! What does it matter to you if your shoes are on or off? Very little. It matters to them as it's their carpet.

Yes, I'd agree with BlingBang. I spent a while living in a country where it would be seen as bizarre / disgusting to wear your shoes inside, and after a while, your attitudes change and you come round to the idea that shoes are not appropriate for indoor wear.

You aren't even hosts. Thy aren't guests.

The EA bring them round when your not even there. Your presence is not needed or requested they are there to view the HOUSE.

Bit silly, because you're not buying the house with them in it... But I think it's unreasonable and silly and not very polite to request this in the first place, personally.

Yabu, I wouldn't even ask if I should remove shoes. I would always take the off anyway.

I had someone trail mud all the way up my stair carpet...
And I was a little bit miffed when viewing a couple of houses to be asked to remove my shoes, but I could see why, particularly in one of the houses as the carpets were immaculate. - That's the house I'm buying.

You all talk as if those who say no shoes have clean and pristine houses. That is certainly not my experience. If you are going to insist on shoes off, at least have the decency to have totally clean floors. I do not want cat or dog hair stuck to my socks. I do not want to hear tales of how your baby vomited all over the carpet, and you are sure you got it all off.

I honestly find that those with a no shoes rule, rarely have clean floors. Maybe you don't realise it because you always wear slippers, but in my bare feet or socks, I do realise it.

Mine - My carpets are immaculate. Because I bought decent carpets that are made to last and clean them properly.

I think shoe covers are the best solution. My shoes are there to protect my feet and I just don't know what is on the floor at a strangers house. I have stepped on a pin at someone else's house and it wasn't funny.

YANBU. I don't think I've ever even been asked to take my shoes off; I'd find it really weird. My cousin has hyperhidrosis on her feet which makes them sweaty all the time, she would be very embarrassed to have to explain this/ show her sweaty socks.

I think you are being unreasonable, to some even disrespectful. Yes they are selling their home, but it's still in their possession. They have a right to keep outside filth outside I.e possible dog excrement, chewing gum and other filth, outside their home, and not on their Wooden floors or carpets.

Why is it weird to remove your shoes at someone's place if they're not your mate. I guess it's a cultural thing too?

I don't currently have any non asian friends but I would remove my shoes at their house too, unless The floors looked bad and they insisted I keep them on.

I'm asian in most asian cultures I.e Far East, and Indopak countries and many African nations people remove their footwear before entering the home, and places of worship. it's both cultural and religious elements involved. For me above anything it's a hygiene issue. I can understand you being not used to it, but really just for a rare occasion it's not gonna do you any harm is it?

No ones allowed in my home unless they remove their shoes, that includes maintenance men. I have plastic bag socks that industrial units and catering services use especially for them. So it's bag sock, shoes off , or they can't come in. I've had no problems or weird looks in fact they are more clued up than people from my own background, they often offer to remove their footwear before I ask them.

I always keep new spare slippers or flip flopsfor guests. I wear slippers or flip flops around the house but they're never to be worn to pop out to the garden. Basically I have outside and inside footwear.

I thought everyone in the uk removed their shoes in the vestibule area or somewhere near their door to be honest

Your are socks can go in the wash, honestly. A bit of dog hair on your socks compared to dog filth on your shoes trailing onto someone's floors what's worse?

yes I don't always have a pristine palace in fact if you come after lunch I will have vacuumed but if the odd rice grain escaped me it would go on your beloved sock. But really does that mean my house is filthy and support your argument of outside dirt inside the house?

Regardless of the hygiene issue it's someone else's home so it's their rules if you don't like the rule don't view those houses. If really think its a petty reason to miss out on possibly your dream home?

Sorry but yab so u.

It's so rude to keep your shoes on in anyone's house! I always take my shoes off - even if they say I don't have to.

How rude to refuse to take them off.

I rented a house with a cream hallway and sitting room carpet. It wasn't long until there were large discoloured patches just inside the front door and sitting room door and where people rest their feet when they were sitting on the sofa. I had them cleaned several times but in the end they were ruined. I had to buy new carpet for the sitting room and put some laminate (I don't like it but it was necessary).

I don't even own the house but I wanted my bond back after I moved out. It's not always homeowners that insist on the removal of shoes. I insist that they do now because I can't afford to replace carpets before I move out.

Sorry - laminate in the hallway

The OP has already agreed that she will be wearing shoe covers in future.

Thanks yesterday1 - I will be wearing shoe covers, but I will also be expecting immaculate carpets / flooring if sellers have a shoes off rule - the first one that happened most definitely did not have that. And if you're upstairs with dirty floors, and no shoes, your stuck walking around a dirty house with no shoes. So shoe covers it is.

We looked at an awful lot of houses this summer (40-50) before buying here.
We weren't asked to remove our shoes in any of them. Most of them were in the £500-800k bracket in the countryside (so lots more mud about) many with very expensive cream carpets or beautiful wooden floors, yet not a peep.
I wouldn't refuse if asked but I'd never volunteer especially as I need a chair to take off or put on shoes due to joint problems.
I have cream/pale carpets and don't expect people take shoes off unless caked in mud that's what door mats/vacuums are for.

This is seriously wierd.

If it's such a problem bring shoe covers or some slippers.

Sorry haven't read full thread, maybe it's a huge problem for you to expose your socked feet but if that's the case perhaps you should have a word with yourself. Sorry if I'm being crass and judgey but this is just odd.

Unfortunately a class issue , akin to saying pardon and using a toilet do you think the queen or the Duchess of Devonshire etc takes their shoes off ?No shoes off at Downton!!

If asked I will take my shoes off but I loathe it, it's taken me 20 years to get dh into occasionally wearing just socks but he does wear indoor shoes , not wearing anything is slovenly in his opinion and the idea of some stranger walking around my house in socks possibly spreading verrucas or fungal infections makes me feel positively queazy .

Anyone in gumboots or muddy shoes will be ushered in through the back door and yes of course take shoes off but front door visitors shoes on unless there is a very good reason to take off.

Maybe it's a city thing, there is little or no dog mess on the pavements , but also very few pavements as we live in the country, most people drive up to front door get out of car and into house.Or they walk across the field and bring spare shoes.

Sorry just seen you are ok wearing shoe covers.

As you were..

YANBU to do what you want, you're the only one losing out if you miss a great house. YWBU to insist on keeping your shoes on.

Personally if i was selling my house and wanted peoples shoes off or if I felt the way you did and going to view now I'd invest in overshoes so everyone is happy.