to think strangers shouldn't poke through my cupboards?

[Arum51]

Need some advice here on whether things have changed in the past 20 or so years.

Put my house on the market yesterday. First couple came round tonight. Seemed nice, but... they opened all the cupboards and poked around! "Just seeing how far back it goes". WTF?

It's been 20 years or so since I bought or sold a house. Have things changed? I would never have started opening cupboards etc, particularly on a first visit!

AIBU, is this how things are now, or were these people the CFs they seemed to be?!

And if they get affronted that someone is thorough about probably the most serious financial commitment a person can make, then they can sell to someone who suits them better. When I sell, the only thing I'm interested in is the person's ability to pay for the property within my desired timeframe, after all, I'm moving, I need the money to buy somewhere else.

I specifically told our EA (of the appointments in which she did the viewing) not to let anyone open any cupboards/wardrobes.

Wow. I'd have walked right out. Can't believe anyone would buy a place without checking out any built in cupboards or drawers. I would assume anyone who was that precious about a house they were supposedly trying to sell was pulling a fast one or don't really want to move.

I was actively encouraged to take a look at the cupboards when I bought mine - but the difference might be that I was shown round by the agent not the owner. If I sold it again I wouldn't fancy watching people poke through things.

"If it’s any consolation I would also feel aggrieved. And I used to work for an estate agent." Seriously? You don't consider it a massive waste of all parties time to arrange a second visit just to finally open up the cupboards! This is house buying, not going on a blind date

Honestly my advice to home sellers is NOT to be present if possible when people view your home. The prospective buyers won't feel comfortable enough to have a frank discussion or ask the certain EA questions while you're there. They might subconsciously feel more rushed and not spend all the time they might otherwise have spent getting a feel for your place and imagining themselves living there.

You as the owner may be on the defensive when any negative issue/flaw is commented on or even if they just talk about how they would change the look of a room etc... Seriously, go to a pub and leave them too it!

Quite normal. We had someone come to look at our previous house who went up in the loft!

My house is really high spec, so no mould, no shit kitchen cabinets, everything well designed to make the most of the space.

But they don’t know that. They don’t know that you’ve not just wallpapered over the cracks and painted the mould.

None of the wardrobes are built in LeftRightCentre so any prospective buyers would have just been being nosy, and therefore quite welcome to walk out. Not precious, but they'd have been injured, and then probably wouldn't have bought my house anyway AND I'd have had to clear up after.

But they don’t know that. They don’t know that you’ve not just wallpapered over the cracks and painted the mould.

I think that's it - I genuinely hadn't thought that anyone would be expecting that. Or would do it! This whole thread is opening my eyes. I am dreading having to view properties now

Come to think of it, my eldest has just rented a place with a cupboard that turned out to open into a wall with some coat hooks on it! She's a student, and is renting for the year of her internship, so she just thought it was funny. I can see why this type of crap would be entirely different if I was actually buying the house!

I'm still trying to think of other things people might want to look at.

When we bought our house there was no obvious place to put a Christmas tree, so I asked where they put theirs if they had one. They said upstairs on the landing (the landing is a kind of square shape with a big window and it might have looked okay but it's not where I wanted our tree to go) but actually they had two giant display units in the living room taking up the space so we haven't had an issue having ours downstairs.

Ask to look in the cupboard under the stairs. Ask to see where they keep their hoover and mop bucket.

Look to see where they might hang up coats or put their shoes. If you can't see any coats or shoes, ask where they are. These are the kinds of things people hide in the boot of their car during viewings.

Our living room has two doors and the kitchen has three, one of the living room doors was blocked by an armchair when we looked around so we asked if it opened.

If you do run the water in the bathroom, go outside afterwards and try to have a look at the drain it goes into. See how that clears or if there's a smell.

If the internal doors are all open when you look around, close them, see how they fit. If they are propped open with doorstoppers, move them and see if the door stays open on it's own or not.

@Hygge

And ask where things are plugged in and try to have a look at the plugs and power points if you can, especially in kitchens and living rooms.

Oooo, the man did this! Then I pointed out the whole run of plug sockets, and he scuttled off.

Seriously, is this a 'usual' thing? That no fucker has put in additional power points over the past 20 years? There were only one or two per room when we moved in, but over the years we've made sure there are minimum six per room. We read somewhere that this is the least you need, eg in bedrooms? Our living room has 14. Is this not normal?

Honestly my advice to home sellers is NOT to be present if possible when people view your home. The prospective buyers won't feel comfortable enough to have a frank discussion or ask the certain EA questions while you're there. They might subconsciously feel more rushed and not spend all the time they might otherwise have spent getting a feel for your place and imagining themselves living there

In Australia the vendor is never there. Viewings are only for half an hour but then there are several over period of weeks, always Wednesday and Saturday by some ancient custom. I agree you feel more free to be frank about what you see, no offence caused.

Looking into the kitchen cabinets - and the drawers - was actually one of the biggest selling points when we recently bought. They were so clever in use of space and function, it made me believe that if they took so much time and care ensuring the kitchen was workable, then it probably was reflective of the rest of the house.

Seller did insist we come back three (or was it four?) times to show us how to maintain the jacuzzi which we are almost certainly going to rip out

When we bought recently, one of the rooms had no plug sockets at all! It’s amazing what you see if you view enough houses, don’t blame your viewers for being thorough

electrical sockets - you will be surprised...
we had 2 in the living room (now 4 in each corner) and one bedroom had only one!

Ask to look in the cupboard under the stairs. Ask to see where they keep their hoover and mop bucket.

Look to see where they might hang up coats or put their shoes. If you can't see any coats or shoes, ask where they are. These are the kinds of things people hide in the boot of their car during viewings.

God yes, this. So often forget about the mundane side of life. Storage space is massively important

(Our house had the wallpaper sellotaped to the wall in places. That doesn't work btw )

@Arum - yes it is a thing.

Everything is a thing when you are buying or selling a house.

Things that seem so obvious or completely unlikely to you will be the thing that someone else has an obsession or a horror story about.

The plug sockets can be a nightmare even these days. I can remember one house where the sockets were like big boxes rather than slim sockets. With plugs in them it meant that everything was about four inches away from the walls. The person who bought that house and didn't realise was really unhappy on moving day when they realised.

People now might also be looking for sockets with the USB ports as well as normal plug sockets. If you have those, point them out.

We had people come to the EA and say that they were offering lower because they house needed X or Y doing to it, then a few years later they were selling, still hadn't done X or Y, but were insisting it made no difference now they were on the selling end rather than the buying end.

What people will live with and not do is amazing. It sounds like you've worked really hard on your house and taken good care to maintain and update it, but not everybody bothers.

My dad is selling his house he has a lot of people coming too look round and opening everything they can one couple even then started talking about how they are going to use some of the ideas in their house so basically are not even looking to buy but looking round for house interior ideas.

Brilliant advise from Hygge. I turn on all the taps at once in houses, flick all the lights on at once and check all drains, too. Do check the loft. Once rented a house to find out there were some pretty dodgy electrics up in the loft and another with a huge wasp nest (it was Winter when we moved in). Wouldn't consider even renting a place again without a thorough going over. I mean, you wouldn't pay £100 for a pair of shoes not knowing if they fit or not why would you buy a house or put in an expensive rental deposit without making sure it's really what suits your needs?

We still only have 2 plug points in our sitting room and 2 in our bedroom... Moved in two and a half years ago. I'd like more but tbh I think the whole house needs rewiring and I haven't got the cash

A friend didn’t check. On move in day they discovered that the doors in the wall had cupboards behind them, but they went through the wall and out of the other side! The back of the cupboards were completely open to the elements!

The plug sockets can be a nightmare even these days. I can remember one house where the sockets were like big boxes rather than slim sockets.

It was like that when we moved in here. Just about every damn socket was stuck to the wall, nothing embedded.

People now might also be looking for sockets with the USB ports as well as normal plug sockets. If you have those, point them out.

Okay, got them. Will point out.

@Windmillsinsummer

one couple even then started talking about how they are going to use some of the ideas in their house so basically are not even looking to buy but looking round for house interior ideas.

One of my concerns. This is a fast-moving market, and the houses around here stand or fall on their spec. I really don't want to be providing ideas that are going to earn £1000s for someone else in six months.

@TotHappy

I think the whole house needs rewiring and I haven't got the cash

How we were 20 years ago! It gets better. And you end up having to do it anywway. "Oh, we'll just do this tiny thing... HOLY CRAP THE ENTIRE DOWNSTAIRS FLOOR HAS TO COME UP" kind of thing.

I wouldn't have any issues with someone checking.

My flat is on the market at the moment, it was really difficult to clear off on Monday as I suddenly had herds of people round (well, 3) and had to pace myself to navigate my way around them and grab my coffee cup and keys and clear off for 10 minutes.

I wouldn't have minded if they'd gone into any drawers or cupboards, they're interested in buying the place. They were more worried about how long I would stay (sold as rental with me in it, obviously they would want continuity).

Not unreasonable of them to want to check the cupboards out.
But rude to do it without asking.

Re-wiring is hell! So is re-plumbing. I run from places like this whenever possible. Most recently had to have pipes leading out of the house replaced. Was only the back garden that was a mess and that was bad enough. The house is over 60-years-old so such a job is not uncommon but if you're not into fixer upper projects it wouldn't be the sort of house to take on.