To think it’s normal to take your kids to a house viewing?

[HouseMover2024]

Friend is trying to sell her house and has taken issue with people bringing their children. In her view, they should arrange childcare and it’s inappropriate for them to bring children. If they do bring their kids she thinks they should be left in the car with parents taking turns.

Friend doesn’t have children. She can’t relate to the fact that childcare outside of work time isn’t particularly easy to find.

Part of her reasoning is she has animals she says it’s not practical to remove and is worried a child might get bitten.

I have an opposing view and actually have taken my young children to viewings. I ensure they are respectful and take their shoes off/don’t touch anything. But it’s not always practical to arrange childcare especially at weekends. When my home has been on the market I remove my pets for viewings.

Of course you can take children. We viewed so many houses before buying, we arranged childcare where we could because it was less stressful for us to bring a young child along. But sometimes we had to. We would usually split up, one stay in the garden with toddler and the other view the house, then switch.

Also sometimes people want their child’s input on a potential new home.

We always took ours, how very odd she thinks viewing her house is an adult only activity,

Personally I wouldn't bring mine. Its not a family day out and they shouldn't get a say. My child would refuse a house because the curtains were blue or something.

ok that’s your kid, mine always got a say and was fully aware they would have their own curtains, from first they viewed houses at 3.

If she's worried her dog might bite a stranger in her house she should leave her dog in the car.

I don’t ask for my kids opinions on buying. But if childcare isn’t convenient I’ve had to take them.

I'd say it's more normal to have the buyers children at a viewing than the owner's pets! Doubly so if the pets bite.

I've never left my pets at home when my house was for sale, nor have I ever viewed a house with pets present.

My children are going to live in the house as well, why wouldn't I bring them along? Either they're babies/toddlers who I'm going to watch like a hawk anyway, or they're older and I want to know their opinions.

Sorry. I was assuming dog. Could be a cat? Snake? Tarantula?

Precisely. The responsibility is hers to put her dog out the road of potential buyers.

We viewed a house with large dogs that the owner allowed to run about and jump on us. We left. House smelled of dog too.

Dog with bite history.

YANBU. I have taken my DC to lots of viewings.

I would leave a cat but I wouldn’t leave my dog at home even if it were just adults viewing (easier for cats escape) She is very difficult.

Dog with bite history should 100% be removed from the house if she's inviting people in for viewings.

I have no idea who viewed my house as I had to make myself scarce and the dog had to make himself scarce too! The one viewing that I was at work for, I had to crate the dog on the back porch for a few hours.

If I’d had small kids that couldn’t be left alone, I’d certainly be bringing them with me to view.

I would want my DC to see a house before I bought it. I would think most people would. Also if you arrange childcare for every little thing you do you'd never get to see your DC.

No, I don't think it's normal. When DH and I view houses we arrange our parents to watch the kids.

🤣🤣🤣

If we bought it, we'd all be moving in as a family. So I want us to view it as a family. And we saw SOOO many houses before we finally bought, often slotted in last minute to fit in with estate agents schedules. We couldn't possibly have arranged childcare for every single viewing/at such short notice.

Viewings last all of 15-20 mins for the average house. Why would we go to the trouble of arranging childcare for such a short appointment?

I see my children plenty 🤣 but viewing a home and discussing things about it are important. I'd be distracted by my 4 and 2 yr old so no, they stay home.

@Whatthefack exactly.
@Hungrycaterpillarsmummythat’s great if they’re willing and able, I don’t have that luxury. I’d need to pay a babysitter.

I've done both, depending on whether I could get childcare or not, but I'd be very much put off by a dog, particularly a bitey one, being left in a house I was viewing. That's akin to the owner leaving dirty clothes lying around imo. You friend is doing herself no favours if she actually wants to sell

Well, up to her obviously to stipulate no children to be brought to viewings, but she’s massively dropping her chances of selling her house.

No, I wouldn’t take my DC to a house viewing. If I’d offered on it and it had been accepted, I might take them to see it then. Even then, so much can go wrong before the actual sale.

Of course people can take children to house viewings- it will be their house if they decide to buy, so their feelings/opinions are important. Your friend can put the animals in her car if she wants!

I don’t think they should be there TBH. It is someone’s home, I don’t think without keeping a close eye on young kids you can guarantee that they aren’t going to get bored and touch peoples belongings or damage things. And I don’t see how if you are properly supervising the kids you are taking in what you need to see if the house.
House viewings are a necessary evil for people trying to sell you should try to keep them as minimally invasive as possible.