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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Taking children to a house viewing?

136 replies

Bubblegumfan · 19/01/2018 15:15

In your opinion lovely mumsnetters? As either the buyer or seller, is it ok to take young children along to view a house for sale?

OP posts:
Paintspotsonthefloor · 19/01/2018 15:26

Do it. When we moved into our current house we had 4 children, aged 2 to 8. New to the area, knew no one to leave them with. It was too important a moment for dh or I to go alone. They had to come. The owners were showing us around but they had house guests on the day. The house guests, and for some of the time, the owners themselves looked after our children in the garden while we went round. It was fine. If they thought it odd or wrong, they did not show it.

abbey44 · 19/01/2018 15:27

From the point of view of a seller I don't mind a bit - as long as they don't behave like the children of one family who came to view my house last year. About 6 and 8, they chased the cat, ran shrieking round the house, jumped on the beds and sofas and used the loo without flushing... Parents never said a word to them and my teeth were firmly gritted. I was so glad to see the back of them. Thankfully they didn't come back for a second viewing.

EggsonHeads · 19/01/2018 15:27

We always do. Our 3 year old is quite vocal about which househe likes and which he doesn't sometimes though Blush

House4 · 19/01/2018 15:27

I wouldn’t buy a house unless my child had seen it. People take children all the time. And the buyer wants to sell so they won’t mind!

MrsFezziwig · 19/01/2018 15:31

Although I hadn’t particularly been expecting people to bring their children it wasn’t a problem because the kids were well-behaved and immediately started making themselves at home, choosing bedrooms and running round the garden, so great from a selling point of view!
I guess if you’ve got children who have to be closely supervised every second when in a strange house then it might be difficult for people to concentrate properly on looking at the house.

RandomUsernameHere · 19/01/2018 15:31

I've taken mine to loads, why wouldn't it be ok? As long as you supervise them so they don't cause any damage, I can't see what the problem would be.

flirtygirl · 19/01/2018 15:32

I had 4 children last week with parents to view my house and half of my viewers have had babies with them. I thought this was the norm. I would not purchase a house that my kids had not seen.

Katedotness1963 · 19/01/2018 15:34

It's not okay if they're allowed to run riot, tipping out toys, jumping on the furniture, looking in the fridge and annoying the pets.

Pupsiecola · 19/01/2018 15:34

So long as they are well behaved. Our Estate Agent was horrified that one viewer turned up with a 3 and 5 year old, both with ice creams!! I wouldn't have let them in, personally. Who does that?!

maddiemookins16mum · 19/01/2018 15:35

Done it from all angles, went as a child, took my own (even as a baby) and had families with youngsters come to view ours.
It's quite normal in my view.

Ansumpasty · 19/01/2018 15:37

I did, absolutely. Will be their home too!

NeopreneMermaid · 19/01/2018 15:38

I took my two (3 and 5) to quite a few (but not all) when we were looking to buy and asked them to say either, "I like this house and want this room to be mine," or, "I don't like it one little bit."

When selling, we had a viewing when a 5yo friend came over. With no previous form for this, he shat himself and I only discovered this when I followed the viewers upstairs and discovered his pants, sunny side up, greeting us on the landing. They didn't make an offer.

Thierryhenryneedisaymore · 19/01/2018 15:40

Depends on the child 😂😂😂😂😂
Not sure mine would behae and would probably be nosing in the seller's underwear drawers lol

crunchymint · 19/01/2018 15:43

I like if potential buyers bring kids to look at a house I am selling. They are easily distracted by fancy toys or garden play equipment and beg their parents to buy it on that basis.

Original poster
Bubblegumfan · 19/01/2018 15:44

Thank you. I wont feel like a CF tomorrow hauling my tribe to our viewings

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 19/01/2018 15:44

Yes. Although thankfully we were house hunting when I was pregnant with DS2/he was a newborn. I’m not sure I would have taken him as a toddler!!

Deathraystare · 19/01/2018 15:45

Ahhh memories of going round houses with mum, Dad and my brothers. Was very pissed off that they didn't buy a house which had Egyptian style wallpaper (as in pics of ancient Egypt etc).

Original poster
Bubblegumfan · 19/01/2018 15:45

Neoprene- that is hilarious! Would loved to have seen their faces!

OP posts:
socksandpants · 19/01/2018 15:46

We always have. DC was quite an expert even at age three, walking in and announcing "hmmm, this is interesting" as he'd heard us do lol!

BarbarianMum · 19/01/2018 15:46

The only time I wouldn't was if I knew that it would unsettle them (I refused to view houses when I was 11 as I was so upset about the idea of moving).

Ds2 (then 8 weeks) helped to secure the purchase of our current house. The lady selling enjoyed a good cuddle whilst we looked round and was very keen to sell to a young family (the fact that we weren't part of a chain also helped) because it was the house she'd brought her own family up in. Smile

Darkbendis · 19/01/2018 15:47

We tried to avoid bringing them with us when we could, but we didn't manage every time. So we took them with us to most of the houses we viewed, including the one we finally bought.

RedForFilth · 19/01/2018 15:47

Of course you can take them. I'm a single mum and took my then 2.5 year old to rental viewings. It's his house too after all! You're in and out in a few minutes anyway. Anyone who thinks it's unacceptable needs to get over themselves.

LML83 · 19/01/2018 15:47

I tried not too because I didn't want DD getting excited about a move if it wasn't happening. But I would if I needed to and I wouldn't think someone is cheeky to bring kids.

Nikephorus · 19/01/2018 15:47

About 6 and 8, they chased the cat, ran shrieking round the house, jumped on the beds and sofas and used the loo without flushing... Parents never said a word to them and my teeth were firmly gritted. I was so glad to see the back of them. Thankfully they didn't come back for a second viewing.
Sounds like the ones who looked round my house - the boys corned eldest cat on the stairs and scared him so much he wee'd on the stair carpet. I could happily have throttled the little sods. Parents were nowhere to be seen.

FluffyWuffy100 · 19/01/2018 15:49

As long as you don’t let them touch anything I can’t see a problem?