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Original poster

What puts you off when viewing a property?

126 replies

Sittingonasale · 06/06/2023 00:28

I find smells really off putting.
I viewed several properties last week and I was put off two straight away walking through the door.
I'm not against having pets indoors and have had my fair share in the past but both these houses stank of cat and dog.
We DID view properties which clearly had pets and they didn't smell at all.

I have very allergic children and one with asthma which probably doesn't help the way I feel but I just can't do smells including tobacco smoke ( I used to smoke!), strong smells of food or cheap, sweet air fresheners. I'm the same if I have a lift with someone in their car. 😤

Another thing I find really irritating on pictures or at viewings is a nearly empty toilet roll hanging off the holder or toilet lids open. 😆

OP posts:
Lighttodark · 06/06/2023 00:42

superficial cleanliness and decor with neglected dark dingy corners.

Madwife123 · 06/06/2023 00:45

The owners being present. I don’t know why but it makes me feel really awkward and I can’t see the house properly as I just feel uncomfortable the whole time.

honeyandfizz · 06/06/2023 05:26

Nothing really if i like the house and it is priced accordingly. I bought a complete wreck when I got divorced a few years ago. The EA wouldnt even go in the smell was so bad - mainly urine and tobacco and worrying brown stains up the wall. There was an open day and potential buyers were literally walking in and straight back out it was so bad and had a very oppressing feel about it as it had been neglected for many years. Yet it had the most amazing potential despite being smelly - massive west facing garden, huge rooms, tons of untouched features and best of all it was affordable on a lovely quiet road. Only one other person offered and I got it. My dc and I had to move in with my folks as it was inhabitable but once done was the nicest house I ever lived in.

Gryppch · 06/06/2023 05:55

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Unicorntastic · 06/06/2023 06:00

Blingy furniture, I know it doesn’t stay but it puts me off!

any house that’s been decorated to within an inch of its life, or overly modernised.

owners being present, go out FFS

lots of white vans parked in the street

being near a school

Notthisnotthat · 06/06/2023 06:00

I agree about the animal smells, so off putting. Nicotine stains and the smell of stale smoke. Owners doing the viewings.

PermanentTemporary · 06/06/2023 06:08

Damp.

I viewed a house on my street, 3 bedrooms and affordable for me which never happens, but as soon as I stepped into the house I knew why. There was even a dehumidifier in the hallway. Someone did buy it but I don't know what price and I think you would need effectively to rebuild it.

Bodged or weird DIY. The agent was honest about one house, they'd converted the garage to try and make a rental unit. The result wasn't very nice as it was too cold suggesting they'd skimped on it, but they'd been refused retrospective planning permission for the bathroom, and they'd then broken up the bathroom. There was something very disturbing about it.

NineOfNine · 06/06/2023 06:12

We viewed one where the owner had lit several decorative candles, and then gone out so the estate agent could do the viewing with us.

We arrived at the property just before the estate agent did. It was a lovely house, but all I could think about was the fire risk from leaving candles burning with no one in the house. The uncertainty of where we’d stand from a legal pov if the owner accidentally caused a house fire after contracts were signed and before completion put me right off.

C1N1C · 06/06/2023 06:32

We had a house viewing where the agent was showing us around and the owner was sitting in the living room in a blanket, smoking like a chimney.

40friedfish · 06/06/2023 06:40

Gosh I've seen some horrors over the years...smell is the main thing you can't get from written description, fags, dogs, pets, bins, cooked veg etc. Once bought a house from smokers & it took about 2 yrs to get rid of it completely. Owners, yep nothing worse than having the owner present, you can't get a proper look at anything nor have a proper discussion while still in the house.
Bought another house & discovered the garden to be full of dog shit, wouldn't have bought it if I'd checked the garden when viewing, a definite learning point. Weird decor/DIY it just makes you wonder about the hidden horrors you can't see. Spiral staircases and stairs with no handrail, definite no to them as well.

EVHead · 06/06/2023 06:52

That’s really interesting, so many people saying they don’t like the owners being present.

I much prefer the owners doing the viewing as they know the details of the house, which the EA people never do.

I’m put off by unfinished DIY, the place not being spotlessly clean, “quirky” features.

Freshair1 · 06/06/2023 06:54

Being followed by an agent constantly. I like to stand for a while in peace and really take in each room which you can't do with an agent... breathing, smiling and generally coming up with word salads.

Newmum738 · 06/06/2023 06:57

A new kitchen or bathroom that isn't to my taste (black, high gloss etc). It's expensive to change it and seems wasteful so that puts me off. Also lack of light and poor aspect - a Sunny garden is a must for me!

wildfirewonder · 06/06/2023 07:00

Pet smells are horrid, but even worse is pet smells layered up with air freshener.

Estate agents rushing you round - viewings need to be long enough to really take in the details.

Having to take shoes off. I live in a shoes off household but for viewings it is inappropriate.

HarpyValley · 06/06/2023 07:09

Damp - lived in a house with damp, it was a nightmare.

Stairs rising straight out of a room rather than a hallway - really limits furniture configuration and feels weirdly oppressive to me, especially if the stairs have open treads (I don’t know why the latter bothers me so much, it’s not a problem in an office or public building environment but it makes me feel physically uncomfortable in a house).

Front doors opening straight into the street - I have pets and need an “airlock”, even if that’s just a tiny lobby, to minimise the chances of escapes and have somewhere to dry wet paws etc.

romatheroamer · 06/06/2023 07:10

I agree about shoes...it's a pain.
Don't really like it when vendors are present. I remember two occasions when they thought viewing equals sale.
Total lack of bookshelves or any sort of shelf really in reception rooms.

Imogensmumma · 06/06/2023 07:10

Lack of natural light and kitchen cabinets that are different colours… drives me crazy especially as I know I will have to pay to change them asap

TheKobayashiMaru · 06/06/2023 07:15

I'm with you on the smells. I love dogs but I went into this one property and it stank of dog. Also the smell of smoking, hard to get rid of it.

Also I don't like a full house when I visit, I want to feel free to look around rather than finding someone in each room.

JaninaDuszejko · 06/06/2023 07:21

Agree about the animal smells, there's no excuse. I've been in houses with pets that smell fine and other that honk to high heaven.

I've only ever been shown round a house by an EA when it has been a probate sale. It's normal in our town to get the owners showing us round. That said, being told his life story by the owner, that included him buying that house when he got divorced and then selling it to go and look after his ex wife who was now dying. It felt like such a sad house and put us off.

Houses that have been done up by developers. They always do things on the cheap and cover up rather than fix issues. Much rather buy a house that might be a bit unfashionable but that has been well cared for.

PermanentTemporary · 06/06/2023 07:21

Agree with the length of time it takes to get rid of smoke smells. I owned a house for 2 years which had been owned by smokers and the understairs cupboard still smelled of cigarettes when I moved out. Also they bloody well took the curtain poles when they moved out [not over it]

CheeseTouch · 06/06/2023 07:23

honeyandfizz · 06/06/2023 05:26

Nothing really if i like the house and it is priced accordingly. I bought a complete wreck when I got divorced a few years ago. The EA wouldnt even go in the smell was so bad - mainly urine and tobacco and worrying brown stains up the wall. There was an open day and potential buyers were literally walking in and straight back out it was so bad and had a very oppressing feel about it as it had been neglected for many years. Yet it had the most amazing potential despite being smelly - massive west facing garden, huge rooms, tons of untouched features and best of all it was affordable on a lovely quiet road. Only one other person offered and I got it. My dc and I had to move in with my folks as it was inhabitable but once done was the nicest house I ever lived in.

Same.

It’s things that aren’t possible to change that put me off - by a busy road, overpriced for what it is, overlooked and not possible to remedy.

Whenwillglorioussummercome · 06/06/2023 07:32

Definitely agree with a developer’s Homes Under the Hammer job. Bland, cheap materials, no personality, and you know that you’ll find shortcuts if you start looking.

I once viewed a gorgeous house that had been inherited by a group of fairly elderly siblings. I think they’d been badly advised as they’d taken this large Victorian house, in a fairly trendy bit of London, and done it up like it was going for rental. Think absolutely basic B&Q kitchen and a bathroom that looked institutional with blue lino on the floor, and a single bathroom at that for five bedrooms. The agent was going out of his mind as they were insisting on asking price because it was fully refurbished whereas everyone he was showing round told him they’d need to price in the cost of new kitchen and bathrooms.

Smell of smoke. It really does take a huge amount of work to get rid of it.

WonderingWanda · 06/06/2023 07:33

NineOfNine · 06/06/2023 06:12

We viewed one where the owner had lit several decorative candles, and then gone out so the estate agent could do the viewing with us.

We arrived at the property just before the estate agent did. It was a lovely house, but all I could think about was the fire risk from leaving candles burning with no one in the house. The uncertainty of where we’d stand from a legal pov if the owner accidentally caused a house fire after contracts were signed and before completion put me right off.

You should get buildings insurance from date of exchange and let them know when both exchange and completion have occurred.

ScarRegrets · 06/06/2023 07:35

Definitely smells and general cleanliness.

Being overlooked, or squashed in with tall buildings around. I need the outlook to be nice and open.

Lack of parking.

Neighbouring houses looking very neglected or unloved.

I think it's more about the surrounding area for me.

CrispsnDips · 06/06/2023 07:39

I hate smells…

We once viewed (what could have been) a gorgeous Victorian terrace but all of the lovely features had been removed: fireplaces, cornices, etc. The sash cord windows had been replaced with top openers and it would have been so pricey to get everything reinstated. The kitchen was a pale blue high gloss style, not matching the era of the house. Such a shame, talk about ruining a house.