House viewings - what do you wear (light-hearted!)

[TheLette]

We are trying to buy a house in a posh bit of Surrey. Price tag for a 4 bed house is £££ and there is a LOT of demand. Crap places that would normally sit on the market for months are going in a flash.

Anyway we turn up to viewings looking respectable and clean but casual (jeans, casual coat, trainers etc). We bumped into another set of viewers who also looked casual but very moneyed (obvious designer handbag, jewellery on, expensive scarves etc).

So, is it the done thing to dress up for viewings or have we just encountered some weirdos?

My mother is a real estate investor of some sorts. She said she would wear her best dress when selling, and on the contrary she would wear the most stingy outfit when buying "so the ea knows [she] means business"

This makes sense! I don't know why I'd want to make myself look like I'm dripping in diamonds, surely the estate agent's eyes would flash dollar symbols ?

I'd wear trousers. I might want to look in the loft and I wouldn't want the person holding the ladder looking up my skirt.

Yep, aspirational when selling. Skint when buying

She said she would wear her best dress when selling, and on the contrary she would wear the most stingy outfit when buying "so the ea knows [she] means business"
Surely there's a fine line between looking like 'I mean business' and looking like 'I can't actually afford this'.
In the current market you have to look like a serious buyer rather than than someone who will overbid (to clear out the opposition) then drop the price because you don't have the funds.

@senua Ah, sorry I failed to mention that she isn't in the UK so it may work differently

Also, her main market is luxury flats, and she normally buys the nicest one in the block, bar the penthouse. Agents would assume you must have deep pocket when viewing those flats, so there is no point in dressing glamorously to be fleeced.

Conversely she would be very alluring when selling and when asked the reason for selling, she would say "I bought this for my daughter but she now decided to settle abroad" so that the buyer will think her price must be reasonable because she doesn't need money. She does that with the bank too, to increase her credit ratings

Shoes that are easy to take off and put back on whilst standing on one leg and socks with no holes… (house hunting in Surrey/Hampshire borders if that helps!)

I've definitely had a couple of vendors double take when I've arrived to look round their house- I look quite a bit younger than I am and I would be wearing jeans and a fleece. I also don't bring my husband. I've had 1 estate agent who didn't take me seriously, but you usually have to give an outline of your "position" to view the house so I know that they know that I'm good for it.
Also the estate agent has been surprised each time that I've wanted to see all the garden and any land, while I've been surprised that they aren't dressed to walk through woods with me to check for knotweed.
I think that it worries the vendors or agent at first but then my iron sense of self worth/entitlement convinces them that I'm a serious prospect :)

Not something that I have ever thought about OP 😂 but having said we sold a property many years ago, the viewers turned up in a wreck of a car, EA looked disgusted and said to DH so sorry to have wasted your time, in they come and DH said I knew they had money, he came home and said to me, they will buy it and they did, cash buyers, too. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

Mid range clothing, not tatty, not designer.
Shoes that can be slipped off if vendor requires it, or plastic overshoes.
DECENT SOCKS! (I viewed a house where Agent said we had to remove shoes and he was wearing socks with holes)
Avoid large handbags or bulky coats in case you sweep precious things off side tables.
Layers.... Some people vastly overheat their houses.

Fully charged phone for photos
Tape measure
Notebook and pen

Ah yes, taking shoes off at the door can catch you out and it's especially tricky if you want to get out as quickly as possible but you are lacing up your boots / hopping around trying to get tricky shoes on! I wouldn't worry about the other things too much, just wear what's comfortable and not too bulky.

I would dress as neutral as possible.
Jeans, navy cashmere jumper, minimal makeup and a bit of jewelry. And decent socks in case you have to take your shoes off.

@Okigen

My mother is a real estate investor of some sorts. She said she would wear her best dress when selling, and on the contrary she would wear the most stingy outfit when buying "so the ea knows [she] means business"

Yeah this. i left the chanel bags, expensive coat and big engagement ring at home. V understated: Jeans, top and dog walking coat with plain leather bag.

We said nothing/very little at viewings and kept poker faces.

If we liked it:
We asked the vendors positions
Stated our (strong) position. Exchanged with 50% deposit.
Explained we wanted a straightforward sale (we wouldn't mess about but expected them not to either)
Explained we wanted to buy and as we were viewing several we would be putting offers in on everything we liked on monday.
I would phone before 10 on monday and send a follow up email outlining offer in detail.

Worked well for us. I did find it funny as the EA was visibly shocked/surprised by both our appearance and personalities when he saw us for a second viewing

Some people dress upmarket every day. I think you should look decent and clean, but couldn't care less if you are in joggers or Chanel. I worked in Harvey Nicks and they always told us the very rich can often wear the tattiest clothes (especially if old family money). But I have been caught out with the take your shoes off business, and one agent wouldn't let us touch anything (Covid rather than being precious) which made me realise how much I do touch stuff (worktops, stair rail, door knobs).