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.

Feet get pretty dirty in sandals anyway so you should have socks to put on.

Have viewed about 20 houses over the last few months. Every one was shoes off apart from a serious doer-upper. I even had jokes with the EAs about the fact they all wear slip-on shoes because they have to take them off so much.

IME it’s standard for an EA to ask you to take your shoes off. The sellers have cleaned the house and want it to stay clean. If they have 5 shoes on viewings the carpets will be filthy.

We’ve been viewing houses recently and always asked to take shoes off. I would have brought socks with me in the heatwave. The estate agents all wear shoes which are easy to get on and off and all the videos they make they’re in socks.
Id hate it if someone was walking round my carpets with dirty shoes on!

When I was house hunting I would always presume the vendor would want shoes off so if I was wearing flip flops etc I would have a pair of socks in my bag ready for such a request.

Job done.
You're welcome.
X

Haha same. No laces for them!

One house I was selling, I came in after the agent had shown some viewers and the carpet was covered in mud. So shoes off for every other viewing. Told agent to bring their slippers!

Not unusual at all. Even on the TV property progs like Kirsty & Phil, George Clark and Grand Designs, they often show the presenters with their shoes off if you look carefully.

Every house viewing I have ever been to I offered to remove my shoes, we don't have outdoor shoes on in our house, I expect other people to have similar rules and wouldnt want people trudging around my bedroom carpet with their outdoor shoes on, it's gross.

I'd be pleased if I was asked to remove my shoes, it means their carpets are more likely to be well looked after. If I see evidence that a dog or cat lives there well I'm out of there in record time though!

Not weird at all. I take off my shoes straight away as soon as I enter someone’s house. It’s just common courtesy. I wouldn’t want people trampling round my house with dirty outdoor shoes on.

I don’t ask guests to take shoes off, they can make their own choice depending on their comfort and wouldn’t expect a potential buyer to view with shoes off either.

When we bought and sold, not once did anyone ask us to take shoes off, and neither did any visitors to our house. Just throwing this in, as MN clings to the idea that shoes off is, and always has been a “global standard” (someone else’s words, not mine).

And that's great for them! Many of us do not.

Totally normal.

I wouldn't want dog shit and mud potentially being smeared all over the carpets of a house I was trying to sell.

What exactly were you worried would happen to your bare feet?

Used to work for an estate agent and quite a few vendors asked us for a shoes-off rule, mostly older people with immaculate houses.

We had to do this once, socked feet though, and I must say the soles of our shoes were cleaner than anything in that house. When we sold recently, as a shoes off house, we provided shoe covers for all viewers. One man refused, so he waited outside while his wife looked round.

I think I wearing your shoes inside someone's house is poor manners.

Id have taken socks with me as it's a normal expectation I'd take my shoes off as it's how I would want my house treated. I do think the estate agent should have also provided shoe covers.

My house is for sale and everyone has taken shoes off without being asked. I don’t wear shoes in my own home and especially not on the carpets! That’s disgusting.
As PP have said? take socks or slippers if you don’t want your bare feet on other people’s floors.
There’s less crap on bare feet than on dirty outdoor shoes.

Conversely, I was once asked to remove my shoes in my own home by a prospective buyer (they had put in an offer and came back for another viewing). I was wearing vaguely faux snakeskin shoes and she thought they were unlucky - Chinese heritage.

It was unlucky for me as they changed their minds two weeks before exchange.

I always take my shoes off when viewing a house, it's basic manners! I wear socks with crocs normally! Not stylish but easy!

I don’t know what’s worse - bare feet with all their stink (and bare feet do smell even if their owners can’t smell it themselves), fungus, shedding skin cells, verrucas, bacteria and sweaty footprints on the tiles/wooden floor or shoes with dust/dirt.
Both equally gross but I think I’d prefer the dust from shoes than horrible bare feet.

The ideal solution would be socks.

I've always taken my shoes off for viewings, it's expected so I just wear socks or bring them if it's hot and wearing sandals.

Agreed

Oh I am with you OP
I'm autistic and I hate going to shoes off houses when I don't know in advance
I hate the feeling of walking in bare feet.. sensory hell and If so much as a crumb sticks to one of my feet
I just can't
Need to know in advance so I can bring socks

They definitely should, we had new stair carpet fitted before the house went on the market and the estate agent let someone walk something all over it, fortunately we had the photos that said agent had taken to market the house showing the clean new carpet but it was still as faff to sort and very annoying.

We spent over a year looking for a house. Maybe viewed 35-40. I'd say the majority asked for shoes off. They were mostly country properties. I always had socks on