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Original poster

Is taking a toddler to a property viewing massively bad form?

47 replies

soundsystem · 05/04/2017 12:21

When we bought this house, we didn't have DC so it wasn't an issue. Now we have DD(2.5) and DS (10 weeks). Not worried about DS as he can be popped in a sling, but is taking DD with me really not on? She isn't particularly boisterous, and would stay with me and hold my hand as we go round, so won't be rummaging in people's drawers/getting sticky handprints on their freshly painted walls...

Where we're looking, it's open house for two hours on a Saturday and then offers on the Monday, so we have zero flexibility to arrange viewings when someone can watch her. Where possible, we'd leave her with a friend, but this won't always be doable (we have no family nearby and friends undertsandably do tend to have their own weekend plans.

What do you think? If you were selling would this annoy you, or would it not bother you?

(Note, we are looking at family-sezed houses in the catchment for a particular school, so I'd think vendors would be expecting buyers with pre-school aged children)

OP posts:

DancingLedge · 05/04/2017 17:06

I would see well behaved children as a huge plus- because so many houses in my area have been sold to older couples and singles, and I would so much prefer to sell the house I've brought my family up in to another family.

Gubbins · 06/04/2017 05:57

We did all our house hunting with toddlers. It never crossed my mind not to take them. There was one house where I never got to see much more than the staircase as dd2 was a bit obsessed at the time, insisting on climbing up and down. A better viewing was the one where the owner's own kids were watching CBeebies in the sitting room and mine were invited to join them.

Titsdown · 06/04/2017 06:09

Yes. We took our 2yo and 10wo househunting.

The toddler was an (uncharacteristically) model child.

The baby did a big sick all down me and had to mop a bit off the carpet.

We didn't even buy that house in the end.

picklemepopcorn · 06/04/2017 06:26

You might want to take it in turns to look around slowly without her- so go round once all together, then go back and ask questions, really look hard, while the other one waits with/focuses on DD so she doesn't get bored.

Bluntness100 · 06/04/2017 06:29

I would expect kids as well and when our daughter was that age we bought and took her. It would never occur to me either not to. I can't even think why you wouldn't. It's a house viewing not a funeral.

TurquoiseDress · 06/04/2017 10:09

Not at all OP

We have taken our LO to nearly all our viewings- we can't always arrange for them to be with family etc.

If it's just you on your own, it can be difficulty to concentrate on everything- best if you can go with another adult so you can take it in turns to watch out for toddler

RubyWinterstorm · 06/04/2017 12:11

I took my toddler along. He played with the cat in a particular house we liked, and told me "mummy mummy can we please buy this house? This the house you talk about all the time with daddy?" And to the seller:" We have a book of this house, my mum looks at it all the time".... the seller was delighted

and yes, we bought the house.

LapinR0se · 06/04/2017 12:16

a goat
Howling with laughter

CountMagnus · 06/04/2017 12:45

I know someone who looked around an old cottage and there was a goat in the living room. Makes toddlers seem quite tame after that.

thethoughtfox · 06/04/2017 15:44

It's hard work to properly look at the house when you have one eye on a bouncy toddler.

OlennasWimple · 06/04/2017 15:47

It's fine to take them, just remember that you won't be able to get as good a handle on the detail of the property when you are also looking after a LO, so you would probably want to go back for a second viewing without them if possible

meshletterholder · 06/04/2017 16:10

we had many people bring their children. one toddler used our loo on the first viewing and used our toilet again on the second viewing. personally, i thought the toilet using on both viewings a bit weird but i can't get annoyed about it. you'd have thought the parents would have asked child to try before the went to a stranger's house.

witwootoodleoo · 06/04/2017 16:19

I've sold three houses in the last eight years and wouldn't have batted an eyelid at people bringing their kids. I actually can't even remember if anyone did, but I wouldn't have cared as long as they were under control :)

TheCrowFromBelow · 06/04/2017 16:24

DS2 got caught short and helped himself to the fruitbowl
We ended up offering on that house, he obviously felt at home!

M5tothesouthwest · 06/04/2017 16:24

It's fine until toddler child needs to use their loo and of course it will be a 'code brown'

Floggingmolly · 06/04/2017 16:34

Mmm, I wouldn't have been very impressed about kids tucking into the fruit bowl . How long was he unsupervised for, Crow?
I was annoyed enough to find the toyboxes ransacked in the kids rooms; not because a child playing with toys is any particular harm in itself, but I think it's a damn cheek to leave your toddler playing in a strange room like it's a fecking crèche while you wander round the rest of someone's home in peace.
And yours got stuck into into the fruit bowl! Honestly...

JaneEyre70 · 06/04/2017 16:35

I'd take them but I'd ask the EA to check with the vendor first that it is OK. If it's a family home they probably won't mind but if it's an older couple for example with tons of knick knacks and ornaments they may not be so happy. Toddlers can be a nightmare to watch in a strange environment.

I took ours for viewings when we were looking as DH was always at work but I could tell once that the vendor wasn't happy about it. So I always got the EA to double check after that.

mummytime · 07/04/2017 09:40

I always took my DC to viewings when little, but we also kept them under control (at least in the house - a bit of running around in the garden was okay). It is important to me that my children like the house too, after all they will be living there, and may pick up on something I haven't spotted.

If someone wouldn't let children view (and there was one odd guy in my town like this, who became "well known" for this) then unless I was desperate and it was amazing/a bargain I wouldn't bother; as they will probably be a pain during the rest of the house purchase too.

Kiroro · 07/04/2017 10:10

It's hard work to properly look at the house when you have one eye on a bouncy toddler
Not all toddler's are 'bouncy' - many can hold hands and look nicely.

DS2 got caught short and helped himself to the fruitbow

Uh... yeah. Don't let your toddler touch or grab stuff on a house viewing!

HerculesMulligan · 07/04/2017 10:18

We viewed a house last weekend with 3yo DS in tow. There was a train track left out in the sitting room and DS happened to have a train in his pocket, so one of us stayed in there with DS while he zoomed his train around their track for 5 mins and then swapped so we could both look round. It did make me think that if I'm ever trying to sell a house likely to appeal to a young family, I'll leave an appropriate toy out with a note to say their children are welcome to play with it.

GU24Mum · 07/04/2017 10:34

I can't see a problem with that at all. I wouldn't take a person/animal if it would be badly behaved but that applies to a dog, child, mother-in-law, OH (!) etc - otherwise no need to leave some of the family behind.

Chipsahoy · 07/04/2017 17:58

While viewing the house we now live in, by then three yr old, came in, took off his shoes and got snuggled up on their recliner chair. Luckily they thought him adorable.

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