AIBU to think shoes off and bare feet at a house viewing is odd?

[Duckrabbit]

I went to view a house today and the estate agent told me to remove my shoes, so I ended up walking around the house in bare feet, which felt very uncomfortable. My shoes were not visibly dirty, btw.

I am shoes off at home, and prefer visitors to do the same, but AIBU to think this is weird for a viewing? I wouldn't want people walking around my house bare foot.

Same here. I’d rather risk a bit of dirt from outside than have multiple strangers’ feet (and possibly very sweaty feet at the moment depending on where you are).

They need to provide disposable shoe covers if they insist on no outdoor shoes on flooring and carpet

I didn't like walking around in bare foot in an unfamiliar place. It just seemed weird and unnatural to me. It certainly meant that the viewing was cut short.

I would rather 50 people viewing my house walked around barefoot than one person who'd trodden in dog shit walked everywhere with shoes on. It's not an unreasonable request, wear socks next time.

Extremely weird. I’d be put off having to deal with the buyers or estate agents at further

If the estate agent had warned me, I would have worn socks.

My house is currently on the market and I hope viewers feel comfortable and are not walking around it bare foot!

So you are shoes off at home and expect visitors to take their shoes off, but don’t want them walking barefoot! So what do they do then?

But those are my friends and they would know to wear socks. This is a stranger's house - and it wasn't very clean. Really hated walking around it bare foot.

As I mentioned, I hope that the viewers going around my house are not doing it bare foot, and are comfortably in their shoes.

Surely they assumed you'd be wearing socks?

Urgh outdoor shoes upstairs. Just no. In my house or anyone else’s. You’ve walked on the streets where people spit and dogs wee. I don’t know why you wouldn’t have worn socks anywhere - surely you know that some people don’t like shoes in their house.

It's boiling hot here. I was wearing sandals.

Respect the rules of the house you are viewing. It’s not an outlandish request. The last house I viewed, the agent said it was shoes off. I would have removed them anyway because tramping around someone’s house in shoes is rude if it’s a shoes off house.

Then carry socks in your bag

Foot Fetish Sellers. Totally a thing. Probably.

Personally I think asking people to take off their shoes is poor manners but I’m aware I’m in a minority.

Why are people so weird about feet? Far preferable to dirty shoes on carpets surely?

No other estate agent has asked this, so it wasn't something I thought of doing

I'm thinking of this from the perspective of the viewer - I don't want to walk around an unknown house barefoot

The estate agent should have provided shoe coverings.

When it's boiling hot do you just not invite people over then, since you don't allow bare feet or shoes?

I haven't worn socks in several weeks, I'm sure I'm not the only one!

I probably viewed 20 or more houses before buying ours, and only one had a shoes off policy. So, I think it's unusual, but not unreasonable.
I do, however think that it would be helpful for the estate agent to warn you in advance, so you could have brought socks or slippers.

I’ve been viewing house in the past two weeks and expected to take my shoes off, so wore socks with my trainers, even on very hot days.
It was only for 30/40 mins so not a big deal or weird at all.

I expected to take my shoes off in every house viewing I went to last year and hope the agents told viewers at my house to do the same.

I’m in the minority with you, fwiw. I think it’s so rude asking guests to take their shoes off. I’d be really p’d off if it happened at a house viewing.

No I don't think it's weird