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Original poster

People being rude and hostile when viewing our house.

29 replies

hiddenhome · 30/10/2014 13:39

Our house flooded in 2012. It's been renovated and is in good condition, redecorated throughout and is vacant possession. It's totally clean and a gardener has been tidying the garden every two weeks.

We're asking around £20,000 below the asking price of other post flood properties in the area.

The last two people that came round to see it have been horrible. Quite rude and hostile. Obviously, I know people might be put off by the fact that it flooded, but why be like this? It's as if they resent us for putting it on the market Confused

Is this normal behaviour for people who come to view houses? My last house went quickly, so only two people viewed it.

The bloke who saw it yesterday more or less called us liars when we said we had a burglar alarm but had never been burgled. He said that everyone who has an alarm has been burgled and said he'd take a chainsaw to the specimen tree in the front garden.

Is there really any need for such an attitude?

OP posts:
LouiseBrooks · 30/10/2014 13:43

No there isn't, it's just bloody rude.

I'd get the agent to show them around instead of doing it yourself. When I sold my flat I didn't want to meet prospective buyers in case I didn't like them and didn't want them to have it.

LIZS · 30/10/2014 13:43

Go out and make the agent do the viewings.

Selks · 30/10/2014 13:48

I experienced this when selling my house a few years back - viewers failing to control their children (even when asked) who were opening cupboards and poking around where they shouldn't, hostile attitudes such as insisting that the floor was on a slope and getting quite rude when I said it wasn't (it really wasn't), sarky comments about the décor in front of me and so on. I was pretty surprised, and lost my cool a bit with one bloke. I told him that he was in my house and please show some respect.

I had decided to do my own viewings after losing faith in the estate agents viewings following a load of dog muck getting trodden through the house and someone seemingly reading my mail!

enWoooquethesythebearingwizard · 30/10/2014 13:50

No need at all.

FWIW how stupid is the comment about the burglar alarm?
Security is just a fact of modern day life and you very often get a discount off your household insurance if you have an alarm. Some companies even insist as a condition of insurance regardless of crime statistics. We're obliged to set ours not only when we're out but also overnight and we're not in a crime ridden area by a long stretch. It helps keep the premium down though.

Original poster
hiddenhome · 30/10/2014 13:52

We're with Express Estate Agency who don't conduct viewings. We're changing to a local once shortly and they'll do the viewings then.

I've had a bad month and my depression has flared due to what the bloke was like yesterday Sad I'm usually quite stable, but he was just so awful. I lost pets in that flood, and a lot of personal items, I don't want my fucking nose rubbed in it.

OP posts:
specialsubject · 30/10/2014 13:58

if he buys the place he can saw down whatever trees he likes. That's not a rude comment, although it is a bit unnecessary.

but you do need some vague rapport with your buyers.

Original poster
hiddenhome · 30/10/2014 14:02

I know he can get rid of the tree, that's okay, but it was the way he said it. He was just very arrogant and unpleasant.

OP posts:
TheFantasticFixit · 30/10/2014 14:09

Oh hidden. It's so hard to emotionally detach. Would it be a possibility to stop viewings perhaps until the new agent takes over? Or could a friend help with showing people around?

suethebastards · 30/10/2014 14:09

I'm coming from the other side of this, currently looking around houses to buy. I hate it so much when we're being shown around by the vendor rather than an agent. DH and I want to be able to talk openly and honestly about the house (i.e. maybe it's too small, maybe we think the living room is decorated horribly, maybe we think its overpriced, maybe it stinks of dog etc.) without risking insulting someone!

Selks Sarah Beeny always says you need to detach yourself from the house you're selling and not see it as your home any more.

Original poster
hiddenhome · 30/10/2014 14:12

Oh, yes, I understand the need to detach. It doesn't feel like my home and we've redecorated to make it neutral etc. I just don't like people being rude and horrible.

OP posts:
Original poster
hiddenhome · 30/10/2014 14:14

We house hunted at the beginning of this year, but we weren't unpleasant to the house owners. We were polite and made all the right noises. We could be truthful to each other and the agent, but it's still the owner's space and you should at least be respectful.

OP posts:
suethebastards · 30/10/2014 14:14

hiddenhome Because some people are twats. Vendor viewings are horrible for vendors and buyers- just masses of awkwardness!

Original poster
hiddenhome · 30/10/2014 14:19

I suppose.

I don't plan on going to any more viewings. Dh can do them until the new agents take over.

OP posts:
ExsqueezeMe · 30/10/2014 14:21

Sounds awful OP. We had about 30 people look round our old house and not a single one was rude, so I think you've been spectacularly unlucky there. Hopefully it won't happy again.

When we were looking round houses I preferred it when the vendor did the viewing because we could ask questions. When the estate agents did it they were usually clueless.

We saved discussions about the decor etc for when we got home.

burnishedsilver · 30/10/2014 14:49

People do it thinking if they seem disinterested you'll accept a lower offer.

I went to a second viewing with my sister of a house she really wanted and eventually bought. I was shocked at her at the viewing. She was negative to the point of extreme rudeness. I knew that she actually loved the house. The owner would have thought she hated it. The agent wasn't phased. I gather he's heard it all before.

rockpinkpumpkin · 30/10/2014 14:59

I had the dad of a couple who were having a second viewing of my house go tramping about in the loft to shout "this is a steel framed house! don't touch it with a bargepole!" down the stairs to everyone assembled, including the shocked estate agent.
The utter wanker was so incredibly wrong, the house was a normal house. He'd mistaken the steel roof trusses for steel frames, as found in 1950's pre-fab concrete poured buildings!
The buyers reduced their offer by £10,000, and I was forced to sell it at that price due to bank foreclosing.... but if I see that Dad ever again I will have to restrain myself from verbal abuse!
I wish I'd thrown him out of the house.

VivaLeBeaver · 30/10/2014 15:02

The last house we bought I hated the decor and the fitted wardrobes. But I never said a word as I didnt want the woman showing us round to think I was being critical of her taste.

Looks like I'm too polite and I should have slagged off the green and orange wallpaper in order to get discount. Grin

Some peop,e are twats OP, don't take it personally.

LouiseBrooks · 30/10/2014 17:11

Incidentally, the couple who bought the house next door to me told the vendors that they loved it, didn't think they'd change a thing etc. Once they were in they ripped out the kitchen, bathroom, a wall upstairs and redecorated all of it. They were just tactful

VivaLeBeaver · 30/10/2014 17:19

The woman who lived here before me is our post woman. She delivered a parcel the week after we moved in and I was blatantly ripping wallpaper off the hall walls. Grin

juneau · 30/10/2014 17:23

We told the couple we bought our house from that we'd 'change a few things' and then we knocked it down Grin

specialsubject · 30/10/2014 17:52
Smile

but once it is yours, it is yours to do that kind of thing.

thesaurusgirl · 30/10/2014 18:25

Why are you doing the viewings? Your estate agents ought to be doing them - that's why you're paying them silly money!

I detested being shown around by vendors, though my problem was excessive politeness. I felt I had to be positive about a property to avoid hurting the vendors' feelings, but that then translated to the estate agent having to let them down gently because they'd got all their hopes up.

enWoooquethesythebearingwizard · 30/10/2014 19:43

Why are you doing the viewings? Your estate agents ought to be doing them - that's why you're paying them silly money!

Explained up above.

thesaurusgirl · 30/10/2014 19:47

Sorry hiddenhome I should have RTFT Blush.

Could you get a friend to do the viewings for you?

MissWing · 01/11/2014 14:28

I'm also in favour of the vendor being present. Means you can answer questions on the spot. When we sold ours, I showed viewers from room to room, answering questions, pointing out what work had been done, what had guarantees etc then I left them to wander around by themselves (I may not have left them alone if I wasn't sure but they all seemed very nice). The house sold quickly.

Sorry you had such a beastly experience OP. How horrible to be called a liar in your own home. You seem to be feeling vulnerable about the flood. Think you are wise to leave it to someone else now.