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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think this is weird when viewing a house?

192 replies

lemoncurd20 · 27/05/2015 17:36

We are potential FTBs and viewed our first house today.

The owner was there... aibu to think this is weird?

It was really awkward... or is it normal?

OP posts:
Mehitabel6 · 28/05/2015 07:02

Exactly Silvercatowner. I also go a lot by the 'feel' of a house and have always bought from lovely people. I am still friends with one couple 30 yrs on! You can't get the 'feel' if you only see an agent.

treaclesoda · 28/05/2015 07:08

When owners have shown us round their houses we never had any problem with them being in the way. Every single time they showed us each room then disappeared into the living room and said 'go and have another look round without us', so there was never any problem with being unable to say to each other 'we'd want to change x, y and z'.

I wouldn't let an agent show someone round without us here. The thought of handing my house over to strangers like that makes me very uncomfortable.

hibbledibble · 28/05/2015 07:10

Why would that be weird??

The owners are best placed to answer questions.

We did tours ourselves too when selling, it is very common.

GoodbyeToAllOfThat · 28/05/2015 07:13

I agree it's stifling to have a vendor there when looking at a house, particularly if it's being sold as a turn-key house. That's when things are extremely awkward.

We've been looking at houses in the country and happened to see a wag-tastic house a few weeks back. It was bloody awkward as the sellers were so pleased with the place, they told us all about the renovations and we had to make affirming comments periodically. Not fun.

Mehitabel6 · 28/05/2015 07:15

In my experience it is generally the owners- estate agents simply wouldn't have time if everyone expected them to do it.they would also have to work every evening.

Mehitabel6 · 28/05/2015 07:17

Anyway- to get back to OP- both ways are normal and you simply have to put up with either, if you are interested in the house.

Bunbaker · 28/05/2015 07:18

"The owner was there... aibu to think this is weird?"

Yes. We last moved house 11 years ago and have lived in 5 houses so far. We have always shown potential buyers round ourselves when selling a house.

I think it is a recent "thing" that estate agents do this. Probably trying to justify their exorbitant fees. An estate agent wouldn't be able to answer a buyer's questions as well as the house owner because they won't know the house or neighbours/area as well as the owner.

When we sold our last house our daughter, who was two at the time, decided to show one set of viewers around. The viewers put an offer in straight away. It was 2003 and we had three offers within a fortnight - all at or above the asking price. We sold to the couple that had no chain.

hesterton · 28/05/2015 07:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

leftyloosy · 28/05/2015 07:24

We've done the viewings so far. When people say open cupboards, do you mean unit in ones/kitchen etc? We have free standing wardrobes where I shove the baskets of clean washing during viewings!

Bunbaker · 28/05/2015 07:26

I imagine people will open any built in cupboard, not a wardrobe that you will take with you.

YoniMitchell · 28/05/2015 07:26

We were shown around a house by an agent once while the owner's daughter sat sobbing in the kitchen with fellow mourners. The owner had recently died and it was her funeral that day.

Awkward doesn't cover how we felt. I was amazed the agent made the booking and continued with it on that day. The last thing that poor family needed was him pointing out how we could extend and update the house while her grave was being filled in. Sad

Kittymum03 · 28/05/2015 07:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheEmpressofBlandings · 28/05/2015 07:33

We buying at the moment and round here it's very much the norm for the owner to be out. My heart sinks if I find it's the owner doing the tour, it's just not possible to have a really good look round. We have found though that a lot of places the agent has done the first viewing and the vendors have been there for the second, which works ok.
When we sold, the agents asked if we wanted them to conduct viewings or if we wanted them to do it, so we asked them to.

GoodbyeToAllOfThat · 28/05/2015 07:36

In my experience it is generally the owners- estate agents simply wouldn't have time if everyone expected them to do it.they would also have to work every evening.

I think this is why they charge 2% of the selling price.

TandemFlux · 28/05/2015 07:42

Hate it!

Also I read some statistics years ago that showed that more houses sold with agents doing the viewings rather then owners.

Mehitabel6 · 28/05/2015 07:43

But it works time wise because the majority of owners do the showing around. They would need more staff if they had to do them all. I would also find it very inconvenient to go out. Plus the fact that agents don't do the job half as well as the owner- they don't have the knowledge.
Luckily the owner is free to do it their own way.

Mehitabel6 · 28/05/2015 07:44

I have sold 5 houses very easily and I have done every viewing apart from two.

TandemFlux · 28/05/2015 07:45

Yes if I had to show people around id expect a cut of the commission. Estate agents are in effect just a shop and I expect them to work for their 3k

GlitzAndGigglesx · 28/05/2015 07:47

I went with my dsis to view a flat and the agent let us in and followed. The living room door was shut and when the agent opened it the current tenant was on the sofa topless in boxers. It was sooooo awkward and uncomfortable he just sat there watching us nose about

Mehitabel6 · 28/05/2015 07:50

If you viewing a rented property it is likely to be an agent.
I really don't care whether the agent is earning the money- it is my house and I will do the viewings. If people don't like it then they don't have to view!

Aeroflotgirl · 28/05/2015 07:51

Yes perfectly normal. Some estate agents are clueless, I viewed our current house when the owners were present, and they were able to answer more detailed questions about the property, local amenities.

Mehitabel6 · 28/05/2015 07:54

The agent hasn't a child in the school, they have no idea how many toddler groups there are in the area, he doesn't know when the kitchen was put in etc etc etc In fact they know very little of use! The owner is a wealth of information. I can't see why anyone finds it difficult. You are free to be rude afterwards- you can hold the information in your head for 10 mins!

RustyBear · 28/05/2015 07:54

Last time we moved, there was one very nice house where we were shown round by the owner - can't remember now exactly what he said (this was over 20 years ago), but both DH and I were left with the feeling we didn't trust him an inch, and we took the house off our list. We bought nearby and later discovered that he had suddenly demanded more money at the last minute from his buyers.

MidniteScribbler · 28/05/2015 07:55

You wouldn't buy my house then, MidniteScribbler, because I do the showing around. It would be highly inconvenient to keep going out. It is nothing to do with negotiation- that goes through the agent afterwards. I merely do the tour. Since it is my house, I pay the agent, I get to do it my way. Agents are never as good as the owner- they haven't lived in the house.

No, I wouldn't buy your house. I don't want to know your opinion of the house, the neighbourhood or the neighbours. You want to sell the property, so I'm going to consider you about as trustworthy as a vacuum cleaner salesperson. Most vendors make very bad sellers.

When we sold our last house our daughter, who was two at the time, decided to show one set of viewers around.

That would piss me off no end. I don't want to have to play nice with your toddler. I went to one where the owner insisted on staying and a child would not leave me alone. Driving me crazy. Then I find out he has chicken pox. I walked out and refused to even consider that house.

I've bought and sold 34 times, and never once have I dealt directly with an owner of the property, rarely have I even met them. Fortunately, it's not the done thing around here (except for the idiots who think they can not use an agent, and I won't even look at those properties because inevitably the owners are always delusional about how much their house is genuinely worth).

MidniteScribbler · 28/05/2015 07:58

The agent hasn't a child in the school, they have no idea how many toddler groups there are in the area, he doesn't know when the kitchen was put in etc etc etc

I don't need an owner to tell me that. There's this amazing invention called the internet. You can find out plenty of information about the area and its facilities on that. As for kitchens, well I have two eyes and I can easily figure out if a kitchen is going to need to be replaced or not.