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Original poster

CF? Would you park on the driveway of a house you were viewing to buy?

358 replies

movingonupps · 05/04/2022 16:31

This happened to us today and DH & I can't quite workout if we were the CF or not lol.

Went to viewing, no where to park, 1 car already on 3 car drive.

We parked on drive and got out of car

Vendor opens door, asks why we have parked on drive.

Explained we had a viewing

Again she said why have you parked on drive, her son will be home shortly

I said if it's a problem, we will just leave; so we did!

Her EA was gobsmacked when I explained why we didn't do the viewing.

Who is BU?

OP posts:
Cervinia · 05/04/2022 18:54

To add, our house is a bit different which is why I said depends upon set up. We live off the road down a private drive which goes to two houses. So it’s kind of instinctive To Go down the drive and see what the parking is like at the house.

DarleneSnell · 05/04/2022 18:54

What?! Parking is literally why the driveway exists, if you're visiting a house and there's space it's clearly the most appropriate place to go. You'll be there like 15 mins. She's nuts.

WonderingWanda · 05/04/2022 18:57

I've only once viewed a house (and I've viewed lots) where the owners were there (family of 5 adults and older teens, lounging on the sofa, cooking dinner letting their dogs jump all over me) it was really off putting and uncomfortable. I felt I was intruding and didn't want to be there or buy the house. If you want to sell your house, tidy it, go out and let the estate agent show your potential buyers around and don't be ridiculous about parking.

Feckaffoutofit · 05/04/2022 19:01

Absolute mentalist.

I would definitely park on the drive. I would be looking to see how difficult it was to park there and to leave there and how roomy it was.

Some people really are up their own arses like toddlers shouting 'that's mine' over a stupid drive.

I would not have been pointing out that you couldn't have a visitor park on your drive if your son was coming home. It's like she was highlighting the drawbacks of living there and having her 2 cars only drive.

Good move leaving. Very rude of her.

whenindoubtgotothelibrary · 05/04/2022 19:01

A lucky escape - there's no way I'd be wanting to get into a chain with someone like that!

balalake · 05/04/2022 19:02

How dare you actually want to come and view the house before possibly making an offer! Whatever next!!

AlternativePerspective · 05/04/2022 19:03

Some strange responses on this thread.

Houses have driveways for, you know, parking cars on. If there is space on the driveway then you park your car on it, it really is that simple.

As for the people saying that the OP should have pulled up in front of the drive, presumably then she should have blocked in the drive for the other drivers coming in, as well as blocking access along the pavement for wheelchair users, buggy users, guide dog owners. Yeah. Okayyyy.

The woman was an idiot.

Pemba · 05/04/2022 19:05

Goodness me, some people are so precious about their driveways, it's ridiculous.

'It's not your house yet' 'You don't live there' 'You were rude'. Rubbish!

A driveway is for parking at the house, for the residents and also for people with a reason to be there. Which includes friends/family of course, but also anyone there for a legitimate reason, like tradespeople, healthcare staff, PEOPLE THERE TO VIEW THE HOUSE, etc. All legitimate reasons to park. She knew you were coming and she chose to be aggressive to a potential buyer. Nuts! You definitely dodged a bullet, as pps said.

AlternativePerspective · 05/04/2022 19:07

How dare you actually want to come and view the house before possibly making an offer! Whatever next!! I went to view a house once where the bloke took us into the living room first and then demanded to know why we were viewing other houses when his was the one he clearly wanted to buy. Hmm

He was incredibly pushy so clearly did want to sell the house, but when I rang the agent to give feedback I suggested that they should probably do the viewings as he was very off putting. She said they’d had several complaints along the same lines but he refused to let them do the viewings.

The house had been on the market for nearly a year when we went to view it. After we had it wasn’t hard to see why.

chisanunian · 05/04/2022 19:07

If you are selling, then surely one thing you really want viewers to think about a property they are viewing is that there is ample parking.

AlternativePerspective · 05/04/2022 19:08

The one *we clearly wanted to buy.

MurmuratingStarling · 05/04/2022 19:09

@HorribleHerstory

I have never parked on anyone else’s drive. It would never occur to me to do so. I would be extremely surprised if someone I hadn’t met before tried to park on mine. I don’t think I’d mind exactly but I’d be taken aback, as it’s not something I have ever done or had done.
SO you would be shocked even if the person you were trying to sell your house to parked on your drive?

Batshit.

Cultureclub · 05/04/2022 19:10

Good on you, she obviously doesn't want to sell.

BlancmanegeBunny · 05/04/2022 19:11

I would have done the same as you!

Shelaydownunderthetable · 05/04/2022 19:11

YANBU. What a bizarre thing to say to a potential buyer.

Hugasauras · 05/04/2022 19:11

Bonkers! I'd absolutely expect a viewer to park on drive, just like when we have people in to do work they use the drive or friends to visit. It's literally what it's for Confused

Jules912 · 05/04/2022 19:11

Unless there was already a car on it it wouldn't occur to me not to.

SweetPetrichor · 05/04/2022 19:12

Personally wouldn’t/didn’t but equally I wouldn’t care if I was a seller.

JollyHolly30 · 05/04/2022 19:14

@CoastalWave

I would never ever park on someone's drive - unless they had specifically invited me to. That's unbelievably rude tbh.

No where to park - you park in front of the driveway if needs be.

To call it 'unbelievably rude' is such a ridiculous exaggeration. 🙄

jamdonut · 05/04/2022 19:19

I wouldn’t dream of parking on someone’s driveway, unless I had specifically been invited to. I personally think you were in the wrong. Sorry.

TurquoiseDragon · 05/04/2022 19:19

@Fimofriend

I am very surprised at the people who say to ask first. If you have agreed to a viewing of your house you have essentially invited people to your house. Very neurotic to expect people to ask before they park when you have invited them.
Exactly.

I've parked on drives when viewing. Getting a feel for the drive and how it'll be for driving on and then off is all part and parcel for the viewing. And the viewing was arranged so you're also a guest while viewing. She clearly doesn't want to sell.

I knew someone who got a bit bonkers while selling a house. She'd had a couple knock on the door saying they were there to view. But she wasn't expecting them at that time (lunchtime), but rather was expecting them to arrive later at about 5ish.

Instead of thinking 'oh well' and just giving them a tour, she made the couple wait outside for half an hour while she 'dressed' the house, etc, like it would make a difference. I'm surprised they actually waited, and no, they didn't buy. Seems she'd misread the email; the agent did say lunchtime.

Changechangychange · 05/04/2022 19:21

@pussycatunpickingcrossesagain

DH has just reminded me of this....

We had an appointment to view a house, had sold ours, meeting the EA at the house.

We got to the door with the EA and the vendor opened it, said it wasn't convenient and she slammed the door in our face!

We bought somewhere else.

We had that happen. It turned out it was a rental and the tenants didn’t want to leave.
shinynewapple22 · 05/04/2022 19:22

If there was no convenient space on road outside, I may have parked on drive .

I can't believe the owner risked selling her home by being rude to you though - is it an area where it's easy to sell?

Likewise though - I don't think I would have gone storming off if I was really interested in the property - you were planning to buy from her not become housemates.

jamdonut · 05/04/2022 19:24

I wouldn’t park in in reserved spaces at blocks of flats when I was looking. It’s rude to park in someone’s space or drive without being told to. You pArk on the road, and walk to the property. Why is that difficult?

Tweedledeeanddum · 05/04/2022 19:27

I’m definitely seeing this is a subtle class question 🤔🤪🤩?!

Middle class - horrified that you would park on the drive
Working class - of course I should park on the drive

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