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Original poster

Viewing properties with vendors there

22 replies

Mendi · 28/05/2013 13:25

I've just viewed my first property. EA met me outside and said the vendors were in. Ok, I thought. But it was really weird! Mother and one child were watching TV in living room, another child was in bedroom with dirty plate containing remnants of cooked breakfast in front of her on the bed. Kitchen had dirty plates in sink and - I found when I leaned on it to write notes - oily work surfaces.

The combination of the detritus and the family being there made me just feel desperate to get it over with and leave. I honestly couldn't say whether I liked the house or not, I just wanted to get out of their space.

Whenever my house is viewed, I go out with the DC whether I want to or not, and stuff everything into cupboards and drawers leave it all clean and tidy. Am I wasting my time? Is it actually normal practice to leave it as is and stay there?

OP posts:

FatimaLovesBread · 28/05/2013 13:28

We're they definitely the vendors and not tenants who didn't want the house to sell or something like that?

Whenever I've viewed the house it's always been tidied up and the family have either been out or they've showed us round

Bowlersarm · 28/05/2013 13:28

I think it varies. Some vendors want to be there for viewings. Some want to be out.

I prefer to be out myself. Although I can understand if a property has been on the market for a long time then the owners are more likely to not keep rushing out when people view, it just becomes part of their lives to have people look around.

MirandaWest · 28/05/2013 13:30

I was generally there at viewings because the estate agent generally couldn't be but it was always clean and tidy.

EasterHoliday · 28/05/2013 13:32

I doubt we'd have bought our current house if the vendor hadn't been home. THe estate agent sent us with the Saturday junior office assistant who didn't know anything. The seller was charming, helpful, friendly and then disappeared discretely. Helped that she was a complete clean freak and the place was spotless of course.
I hope she got a discount on the fees!

BranchingOut · 28/05/2013 13:32

That is a bit off-putting, but then again, does it really matter? All you are looking at is the house, not the lifestyle they are living.

Try looking up at the ceilings to get a sense of room size, if you find yourself getting put off by the present set-up.

I have done lots of viewings and the important thing is just to carry on as if none of that stuff is there - on our present house we couldn't even walk into most of the rooms as it was owned by a hoarder when we viewed it six years ago. It looks quite different now!

Original poster

Mendi · 28/05/2013 13:33

Owner occupiers and house only just onto market. EA said they are going into rented so presumably they need the money.

Perhaps depressed about it if that's the case, is all I can think.

Also whole house had strong cigarette smoke smell. Does that go when the smoker leaves, or do you have to change carpets etc?

OP posts:

Labootin · 28/05/2013 13:38

A dirty house would put me off .. Yy I know you can clean it but I'd be wondering about general maintenance of the property if they can't be arsed to wipe a kitchen counter.

I've always done viewings (but we sold to the first viewer were keen to sell and the house was immaculate so it wasn't that arduous )

If you LOVE the house then it shouldn't matter, but if it was a choice of two similar properties rightly or wrongly I'd go for the one smelling of pledge.

Labootin · 28/05/2013 13:41

I'd replace smokey carpets (actually I hate carpets so I'd ditch them altogether) you can try anything from woo bicarbonate of soda and lavender oil to a professional steamer I don't think anything gets it properly out (bitter landlord experience)

TippiShagpile · 28/05/2013 13:42

I suspect they don't actually want to move but are being forced to - money worries/perhaps they're splitting up etc.

You're doing it right imho - get out and let the agent do their job.

specialsubject · 28/05/2013 13:53

the smoke reek will take a long time to clear, and you'll also have to wash all the painted surfaces with sugar soap before decorating. The tar leaves a greasy film on everything.

budget for replacing all fabrics - you can get the worst of it out of the carpets with bicarb but it never really goes.

MadBusLady · 28/05/2013 14:05

I love viewing houses like that, because I know other people will get put off and there'll be less competition. But for selling, I think you're doing it right.

tootiredtothink · 28/05/2013 20:16

vendors were in when we viewed our house. Teenager in bed, washing up piled high, family very obviously not happy at being disturbed . Put me off straight away as couldn't relax enough to look past everything.

Once I'd explained this to EA, they insisted we come for a second viewing. The same scene met us but this time she was vocal in trying to set the scene (imagine the kitchen clean, imagine the piano, 3pce suite, bookcase and table and chairs all gone from living room etc.) House had been on marktet for over year,think everyone had had enough .

flow4 · 28/05/2013 21:20

I'm surprised to hear vendors sometimes actually go out... I'm buying and have so far viewed about 25 houses. EAs only showed me round the 3-4 that were vacant; the owners (or twice, tenants) showed me round all the other times.

Original poster

Mendi · 28/05/2013 21:34

flow4 I'm shocked at that. What are those buyers paying their agents ££££ for?! I wouldn't mind doing viewings myself if a buyer wanted to come 'out of hours' but otherwise my view is that if buyers prefer the seller to be not there (at least for a first viewing), then I'll go out and let the EA do what I'm paying them for!

OP posts:

flow4 · 28/05/2013 21:56

I have often asked myself the same Q Mendi! Most vendors are very pleasant, but there have been some awkward convos... There are a lot of people out there who say they don't actually want to sell, but are being forced to for one reason or another... It makes me feel bad!

RCheshire · 28/05/2013 22:14

Always done my own viewings as I've used online agents and that's the price for saving a few grand.

Houses I've viewed have been a mix of owners or agents showing me round. Tbh it can work better either way - owners can be friendly and helpful or make you uncomfortable; agents can be slimy/smug or helpful and friendly.

My best was probably viewing a place with the owners where we couldn't view one of the bedrooms as one of her sons was in bed with a hangover... As it happens we offered on that one - you have to look at bricks & mortar, land and location - not decor, cleansliness and people

Jan49 · 29/05/2013 22:52

When we sold our house last year, a lot of the viewings were on Saturdays and we stayed out for the day whilst the EA did it all. But if the viewings were on weekdays, often in the evenings, the EA did it but with us there too. I'd just politely greet the viewers and let the EA get on with it. I often sat in the study at the computer as it felt like the best place but it felt awkward. But it would have felt even more awkward to hang around the local shops after they'd mostly closed in the evening not knowing what time viewers would finish.

We always left it clean and tidy but it isn't always possible, especially if you spend many months trying to sell.

I once bought a house where the teenage boy refused to let us view his bedroom on the second viewing as he was in it. I thought it was very rude and ridiculous that his parents didn't tell off, but we bought the house anyway.

Jan49 · 29/05/2013 22:55

I've just remembered, the most awkward viewing I ever did was a house that was being sold as the old couple could no longer cope and were going into care. They were there when we viewed. I felt like I was trampling on their lives. Horrible.

NotGoodNotBad · 29/05/2013 23:06

I hate vendors hanging round. I don't mind them being there to show me round, but if they're sitting on the sofa watching East Enders, or if there are teenagers lounging in their bedrooms I feel like I'm intruding and I can't have a proper look round.

munchkinmaster · 29/05/2013 23:13

When I sold my first flat years ago I was very aware that having three people in the flat (me, buyer, ea) would lead to lots of jostling and tripping over one another, showing up its bijou qualities.

So I would sit in my car outside if I was in. Would be harder to do that these days.

blueshoes · 29/05/2013 23:15

When we were selling our house, my dh preferred to show the buyers around. He is quite affable and talks a good game. We had young children and most of the prospective buyers had young children or were planning children so it is useful to tell them about nurseries, schools, amenities, all the things estate agents did not know about.

We tidied the house spotlessly clean and I would either take the dcs out or we would cram into a corner of the living room at look at an ipad or something to get out of their way. The viewers who eventually bought had a toddler who took to my dcs' toys and I amused her for a bit downstairs whilst her parents looked at the rest of the house.

blueshoes · 29/05/2013 23:16

I think it is a great selling point if you click with the vendors or can see yourselves living their lifestyle.

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