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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Fluffymule · 05/04/2022 19:30

What bizarre behaviour from the house owner.

Isn't the perceived wisdom to make every effort to allow buyers to see/feel themselves living in the property when they view?

When I sold my house last year I moved my car off of the front drive and parked to the side so that viewers could park there. I thought it an obvious move, not just for convenience but for them to see how the parking would work for them and their car(s).

godmum56 · 05/04/2022 19:33

@jamdonut

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?
That's a bit different.....you wouldn't take someone else's space, so, unless each flat had more than one space that would be a problem....although if it was me selling, I'd put my care elsewhere if at all possible and leave the assigned space for the viewer. But a house with a multi car drive? why would you, as an invited visitor, not park on it....and actually if it was a one car drive I'd put my car somewhere else to make sure that the viewer had no concerns about the availability of parking.
Eucalyptusbee · 05/04/2022 19:36

@Krakenchorus

The person selling the house is an idiot. Of course it is reasonable to park on the drive of a house you are considering buying.
100%

Vendor sounds nuts. I also would not want to buy the house any more! Unless she's renting it and isn't actually the seller???

DebtheSander · 05/04/2022 19:36

@Tweedledeeanddum

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

Not for me.

If I was selling my house, I would move my cars off my drive. I would want prospective buyers to feel as comfortable as possible. To know how easy it is to park right outside the house etc etc.

If I’m selling my house, I’m in it to drum up as much interest as possible. I would want prospective buyers to feel comfortable from the moment they step out of their car. Because I want their money.

I suspect the seller in question doesn’t actually want to sell her house.

DarkDarkNight · 05/04/2022 19:36

She is being unreasonable Shock not exactly the way to go about charming a potential buyer.

godmum56 · 05/04/2022 19:38

@Tweedledeeanddum

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

I dunno..... I see myself as middle class from working class roots and I would deffo expect an invited visitor to park on my drive. Round here there are quite a few small posh-ish estates where if visitors don't park on the drive there is literally nowhere else for them to park unless they want to leave the estate and drive about a mile down the main road. I used to work in the community for the NHS and I wouldn't havbe dreamed of not parking on someone's drive of I was visiting. I was often delivering heavy equipment and was not going to hike miles with it.
Firelogbridge · 05/04/2022 19:38

I would hope prospective buyers would park on my drive. When we were selling our old house we deliberately moved our two cars out onto the road so that they could park on the drive. We did live on a busyish road in a village and wouldn't have wanted buyers having to look for a space (or thinking parking was an issue). The owner was rude. If it was such an issue she could've been more polite about it.

PassThePringles · 05/04/2022 19:39

Her reaction was unreasonable. She could have spoke politely about her concerns about her son not being able to get parked elsewhere or even text him while you were upstairs to just tell him to pop to the shops or somewhere for ten mins while yous are using the drive. Being abrupt and asking 'why have you parked there?' is too direct for a stranger imo anyway. Wouldn't want to deal with someone like that again so good riddance.

godmum56 · 05/04/2022 19:39

@jamdonut

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.
you aren't really sorry are you?
godmum56 · 05/04/2022 19:40

@PassThePringles

Her reaction was unreasonable. She could have spoke politely about her concerns about her son not being able to get parked elsewhere or even text him while you were upstairs to just tell him to pop to the shops or somewhere for ten mins while yous are using the drive. Being abrupt and asking 'why have you parked there?' is too direct for a stranger imo anyway. Wouldn't want to deal with someone like that again so good riddance.
REALLY bad move to say that her son couldn't get parked elsewhere to a prospecive purchaser!
oakleaffy · 05/04/2022 19:42

I might have asked first, knowing how protective and territorial people can be over drives.
What really WAS unadulterated CF'ery was a bloke I know who visited me and he'd parked on my elderly neighbour's drive, saying ''But you say she hasn't got a car?''

My goodness...I made him move his car at once.

I'd mentioned that she'd very kindly let us park on it once, when loading stuff.

@movingonupps
DH and I {20 and 26} were looking at a house in Brentford to buy, it was cheap, but the neighbour came out and was slapping the walls of the 'Alley' that went between the houses saying ''This is MINE!, that is MINE..''
EA said ''This house might not be what you want, it needs a lot of updating''..
More likely the batshit neighbour!

thegcatsmother · 05/04/2022 19:44

This is interesting. My NDN is selling up. She has right of way across the drive, but not to park on it. I will not be amused if her viewers (just like her students) park on my drive without asking. We had some issues persuading the parents of her students that our drive was not a car park, and that yes, we did object to having to wait 20-30 minutes to be able to access our drive or get off it, as they were parked in the middle of it. It is better interviewers know from the outset that they cannot park there.

AlternativePerspective · 05/04/2022 19:44

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. her reaction here would be a red flag as to how the sale would go. She was going to be a nightmare vendor, and as such I wouldn’t even engage.

Better to walk away before instructing solicitors/surveyors/doing searches etc on the assumption I’d probably never actually be buying this house so best to be proactive about it.

Jux · 05/04/2022 19:45

Rude.

" hi, we've come for a viewing, but couldn't see where to park. Is it OK there, or would you like us to move it?" would have been polite.

If you'd turnedup if we were selling, I'd have gone through with the viewing and then told the EAin private that I would not sell to you - my neighbours deserve better, as does myhouse.

thegcatsmother · 05/04/2022 19:45

Gah, viewers!

80sMum · 05/04/2022 19:45

Where else would the vendor expect you to park except on the driveway?! You were most definitely NBU!

When we had people coming to view the house, we removed our cars from the driveway and parked around the corner, so that the viewers would have an easy place to park. It's not only polite but it makes sense from a potential sales point of view as well. You don't want your viewers having to drive around looking for a parking place because any lack of parking can be very off-putting to potential buyers.

NewPapaGuinea · 05/04/2022 19:48

I wouldn’t expect the vendor to be there whilst doing a viewing. I’d expect to greeted by the EA and shown around by them.

Tiredmum12389 · 05/04/2022 19:49

When we were selling our house we moved our cars off the drive to make space for the viewers... surely want the viewers to feel comfortable and not stressed from trying to park

Original poster
movingonupps · 05/04/2022 19:49

@Jux

Rude.

" hi, we've come for a viewing, but couldn't see where to park. Is it OK there, or would you like us to move it?" would have been polite.

If you'd turnedup if we were selling, I'd have gone through with the viewing and then told the EAin private that I would not sell to you - my neighbours deserve better, as does myhouse.

Tbh she didn't give us the chance. She opened the door, asked us why we parked there, mentioned the viewing, she blinked said we can't do that, her son etc. We said we can move it, we shall leave.

HAD she said oh I'm sorry, but would you mind moving, we of course would have tried.

But like most others said, if she was difficult then...I can only imagine how bad it could have gotten lol

OP posts:
sophienelisse · 05/04/2022 19:50

Hats off to you op.

SirChenjins · 05/04/2022 19:50

@Tweedledeeanddum

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

Solidly middle class here - but not an idiot therefore wouldn’t have a problem at all with a prospective buyer parking on my driveway.

If she was like this at the beginning can you imagine how difficult she’d be if you decided to buy the house.

godmum56 · 05/04/2022 19:51

@thegcatsmother

This is interesting. My NDN is selling up. She has right of way across the drive, but not to park on it. I will not be amused if her viewers (just like her students) park on my drive without asking. We had some issues persuading the parents of her students that our drive was not a car park, and that yes, we did object to having to wait 20-30 minutes to be able to access our drive or get off it, as they were parked in the middle of it. It is better interviewers know from the outset that they cannot park there.
yes but again that's different.
NewPapaGuinea · 05/04/2022 19:52

@Jux

Rude.

" hi, we've come for a viewing, but couldn't see where to park. Is it OK there, or would you like us to move it?" would have been polite.

If you'd turnedup if we were selling, I'd have gone through with the viewing and then told the EAin private that I would not sell to you - my neighbours deserve better, as does myhouse.

Jesus 😂
godmum56 · 05/04/2022 19:52

@Jux

Rude.

" hi, we've come for a viewing, but couldn't see where to park. Is it OK there, or would you like us to move it?" would have been polite.

If you'd turnedup if we were selling, I'd have gone through with the viewing and then told the EAin private that I would not sell to you - my neighbours deserve better, as does myhouse.

batshit
Clovacloud · 05/04/2022 19:54

WTF? I always clear my drive if we are having viewings so people can properly see how much parking there is. If people are going to spend hundreds of thousands on a house, they can park in my drive.