Annoying things people do when viewing

[IamwhoIsayIam]

We are trying to purchase but my husband drives me nuts everytime we view somewhere! He walks round knocking on the walls, saying "hhmm solid" and points out tiny areas of damp and insists I take photos of everything! He knows nothing about houses, it is the equivalent of being a tyre kicker.

To cheer me up what is the most annoying things house viewers do? Vendor or viewer perspective!

Viewers that have no intention to buy or haven’t looked floor plan drive me bonkers.
After spending hours cleaning and getting house sorted. Viewing on our first house we sold ‘it’s perfect but I need a house with a garage’ why view a house without then?!
One guy viewed last house Saturday evening all afternoon sorting house, Dh took kids out the way. Guy looked around, asked questions how old the boiler, which fence, local schools then ended the 20 minute viewing by saying it’s absolutely perfect and I love it...shame I got turned down for a mortgage yesterday 😳😫

Young couple viewed our old house. They'd already put an offer in on the house round the corner which they were doing up and wanted to see how we had renovated ours

Having no money (no mortgage)

FTBs: champagne taste & beer budget

Expecting everything to be brand new (buy a new build or developer property then!)

@IamwhoIsayIam: this is normal surly, I look at floor plan first, then do a drive by: by the time if viewing I’m getting a feel/checking intangibles, but also mostly checking condition... I wouldn’t do that in front of owners though!

Surely not surly

We've always done our own viewings, and for me the most annoying are the people who go around with sour faces trying to find problems and generally being insulting, then make an offer later in the day.

I know they're doing it to improve their negotiating position, and that might work when being shown around by an agent, but it does not make me feel inclined to sell to them!

I agree that the most annoying thing is not reading the details first. Selling our last house this happened a lot as it was a lovely house but smaller upstairs than downstairs, and the third bedroom was tiny. So many viewings where they loved the downstairs but declared the third bedroom was too small. It was clearly on the plans that the room was something like 6' x 8', but I think they thought that would magically look bigger when they saw it.

@UnconsideredTrifles

We've always done our own viewings, and for me the most annoying are the people who go around with sour faces trying to find problems and generally being insulting, then make an offer later in the day.

I know they're doing it to improve their negotiating position, and that might work when being shown around by an agent, but it does not make me feel inclined to sell to them!

When we have done our own viewings, it's also annoying when they spend the whole time exclaiming how wonderful it all is and how it's all perfect, start talking about where they will put the furniture, how much their kids will love the whatever it is, etc. Then you never hear from them again.

I wonder if the people who view despite knowing there is no garage, small box bedroom, on a main road etc are doing so just in case the house and area more than make up for the one downside?

Some people look in kitchen cupboards or wardrobes or bathroom cabinets....I mean, how rude....they will be looking in the knicker drawer next!

The ones who turn out to be serial house viewers but who zero intention of actually buying anything are very annoying....it’s like viewing houses on a Saturday afternoon is just a a hobby.

If you have no finance or have already made an offer elsewhere, or wo t be in a position to move for 2 years, just keep quiet about it and make up an excuse....why advertise the fact you’re a total time waster. I would report such comments to the estate agent so they can help avoid them wasting other people’s time in future!

The buyer of the house we sold a few years ago “would have offered the asking price but the freezer door is broken so we’re offering £950 lower than the asking price”. The freezer door was broken because they quite inexplicably ripped it off its hinges when they were looking round. And then just left it lying innocently on the kitchen floor as if nothing had happened.

@CatkinToadflax thats shocking

I viewed places which ticked most boxes but missed key things I wanted. Buying is about compromise and viewing not perfect places means you can see if the positives out weigh the negatives. You don't know how something will feel until you're in it.

@muckandnettles Same! We had someone insist on viewing an hour after listing going live online (the same day pictures were taken so stuff was all over the place). I rushed round sorting everything out, she came and viewed, kept saying how much she loved it, she was definitely putting in an offer etc etc.
Later the same day I got the feedback - the drive isn't big enough for her. So basically she knew as soon as she arrived, so why the dozen 'I'm definitely putting in an offer today' statements?
We've been on the market for 10wks now and have had numerous overly positive viewings that turn to nothing.

[quote Notsurewhatsgoingon]@CatkinToadflax thats shocking[/quote]
Yes I know! but we were desperate to sell the house! Plus there’s a backstory that the person who ripped the freezer door off and then made an offer on the house was the darling, wonderful (I’m not being sarcastic) vet nurse who two weeks previously had put our very ill cat down and had her arm round me whilst I sobbed ugly tears all over her. So we decided to overlook the broken freezer door!

Most of the houses we viewed we knocked on walls to see if they were solid, we like open plan and all the houses we looked at needed work doing.

We viewed houses where it didn't match our full list of wants, if it matched most of them, people might have thought we were being negative in that way. However the one we bought doesn't have any space for a downstairs loo or an ensuite but had everything thing else we wanted so we put an offer in anyway (and then knocked a wall down on the day we moved in!)

The couple who said to me that they hated my furniture - I snapped back that they didn't have to like it as I was taking it with me....utter twats.

A very snooty and stuck up Brighton couple who told me they wouldn't dream of buying a house like this they just wanted to see what you'd get for this price outside Brighton.

The rude person who then used the rudeness as his excuse to put in a ridiculously low offer. He lost out to someone who put in an honest offer and negotiated sensibly. He matched the other offer, but we ignored it. Even if he had put in a higher offer, we wouldn’t have accepted it.

We had someone who seem to say in each room things like
"Are you leaving those bookcases?"
No, they are free standing pieces of furniture.
"Is that desk included?"
No, that's where I work from.
"Does it include the garden furniture?"
No, there is a garden where we're moving to.
"That mirror...?"
You can buy it if you want.
"No I don't like that much"

My friend had a couple turn up at her farmhouse conversion with muddy hiking boots and two small children who immediately ran off chasing each other into her living room! With its cream expensive carpets and Persian rugs. Where she has antiques. With their boots on. WTF were they thinking.

Spent three hours there. And were never seen or heard from again. Total ignorant muddy time wasters.

Some people look in kitchen cupboards or wardrobes or bathroom cabinets....I mean, how rude....they will be looking in the knicker drawer next!
If cupboards and cabinets are built in then they’re part of the house and of course I’m looking in them!

I hate being shown round by the vendor. There is always an emotional attachment and they get pissy when you’re discussing what you might like to do with the place once you’ve taken it off their hands.

@negomi90

I viewed places which ticked most boxes but missed key things I wanted. Buying is about compromise and viewing not perfect places means you can see if the positives out weigh the negatives. You don't know how something will feel until you're in it.

Agreed

The couple looking round our bog standard two bedroom terrace. “Mm there’s not much room in here.” Double bed, chest of drawers, dressing table and two cots for our twins. Yes, that will be why we are moving. Same couple in our toddler’s bedroom. “Well, I don’t like THAT.” Pointing snottily at the Thomas border (because we knew we were selling) bedspread and curtains. Another person, same house, “oh you can’t see the football ground from here.i wanted to be able to see it.” Walked out.

If I had some of these viewers as describe above - I would show them the door without any comment and tell the agent to screen anyone and
their manners first before agreeing to any viewing .