To think this is weird when viewing a house?

[lemoncurd20]

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?

I have moved many, many times in my life and have always been around when potential buyers have visited. I have done a quick whizz round with them and then left them to it to explore.

I have also refused an offer from someone who wanted to buy my house. It was when it was a seller's market though. The person was just so obnoxious and rubbed me up the wrong way so I was happy to wait for another offer.

It was awkward because I could hardly say "oh, look we could paint this such and such" or move that wall etc. obviously it's their home so you don't want to say anything that could offend them.

They're selling it. They want someone to want to buy it. They're mentally moving out already. Why would they be offended?!

Our agent does first viewings. We go out.

I do second viewings. By definition the potential buyers don't hate the house or they would not have come back. Mostly I sit in the garden and they have freedom to roam without being overheard. If they want coffee and a Q&A at the end of the viewing I'm happy to oblige. I've answered all sorts of questions that the agent/the internet cannot answer. Do we have a gardener and, if so, for how many hours? Does the cellar ever flood? Who owns the part of the drive we share with a neighbour? Do the neighbours have children? etc etc

It is all a pointless argument. Obviously people have strong views about it but it us the owner who does it their way. They pay the estate agent and they tell the estate agent how it is to be done and not the other way around.
I will always show people around at all viewings and I will always give them information. If they don't like it they can get out as quickly as possible.
It has been very successful because I have always sold quickly to people who are happy to chat and quite happy to look in cupboards and say which wall they would knock down.

I leave them to wander if I like them.

It has been very successful because I have always sold quickly to people who are happy to chat and quite happy to look in cupboards and say which wall they would knock down.

I suspect they've been lucky in you as well - friends lost a house because the owner didn't like the estate agent's reports of their (mild) comments as it was an insult to her precious house. (All they'd said was that they would need to price in redecoration costs when considering what they could afford.)

I've moved around a bit over the past thirty years and have always shown people round the houses I've lived in, even the two I rented. I've sold every one myself.

I always leave them to have another look around on their own and either go outside or as far away as possible so they can look round properly once I've done the tour.

I've only once been shown round by an agent, and that was a house where the owner had passed away.

Perfectly normal. Although plenty of people prefer it of the owners are out. If this was your first viewing as first time buyers you surely know that you are unfamiliar with the norms.

I should add that while I used to prefer the owner being out, I now quite like to meet them. You can get a LOT of info v quickly re state of repair etc, and it's good to know what kind of people you're dealing with. I've had enough sales scuppered or nearly scuppered due to vendors being fuckwits.

Easy to mention key things (criticisms) to partner in polite terms and hushed tones.

What I really don't like is the owner DOING the viewing without agent and not leaving you any time to look round by yourself. You spend all our time being polite and chatting and no time getting feel for the place and looking at detail.

I hate v chatty agents for same reason.

It was awkward because I could hardly say "oh, look we could paint this such and such" or move that wall etc. obviously it's their home so you don't want to say anything that could offend them.

I think you just need to adjust your ideas of what you need to do when viewing. Yes it would be nice to say those things if the house is empty, but with the vendor there you just need to have a good look around and discuss it once you have left. You can always ask for a subsequent visit if you are really interested.

We try to be out, but sometimes you can't be. I normally say I'll be upstairs, feel free to look around (with the agent) and then I slip down stairs after they've gone up.
But I'll happily answer questions or point out things (ie we are equidistance between two stations on different spurs, which means you can leave on the first train leaving Waterloo rather than waiting for one or other, which means you get home quicker, that most kids on our road go to the school they want their kid to go to -must be easily in the catchment- and the neighbours are friendly but reserved etc, and to tell them that we love the house, but want to relocate completely rather than just to another house) things the agent might not know.

If you like a house it might be advantageous to meet the vendors. You can find out why they are leaving. What they think of the neighbours. Etc. You can make a good impression on them, which might help with negotiations if you put an offer in.

If you don't like the house, well, yes, awkward, but suck it up, it's more disappointing for them.

As has been said futher up thread it's normal in Scotland for owners to show vendors around, usually open viewings on Thursday night and Sunday afternoon around here. Most house sales are done through solicitors who have a property department
Having said that my mum always had itchy feet and kept buying and selling houses and we viewed several with her outside the open viewings with someone from the vending solicitors on hand.
It can be handy having the owners on hand to ask why they're moving, where are the shops, what are the neighbours like

The only time it has been awkward was when we walked into a tiny room with mirrored wardrobes on each side and a 'sex platform' type bed in the middle. I said 'oh my god' really loudly then had to pretend to the owner that it was because I didn't like looking at my huge pregnant self.

I have never found it intimidating or awkward to be shown round a house by the owners. Of the few houses we looked at with the estate agent we found the them pretty useless. They didn't know where anything was, what the utility bills might be, or anything about the local area. These are things I would want to know about.

I am always disappointed to have an agent- they do their best, you hope, but they simply don't know the house and neighbourhood the way the owner does.

I was in when someone came to view our house - I just went and sat outside in the garden while the estate agent showed them around.

Perhaps OP can report back when she has done a few more. I'm sure that she will find it perfectly normal either way, since we seem split either way.
If anyone thinks I am going out in my garden to let an agent show them around, when I have years of experience of the house and the neighbourhood, they will have to be disappointed!