Shoes off for a viewing?

[HollyLollyMolly]

My house went on the market today and I have a couple of viewings booked in for tomorrow.

I have cream carpet throughout my house, that I've kept immaculate with a strict shoes off in the house rule.

Would I be unreasonable to ask people viewing the house to remove their shoes?

@WatchOutMissMarpleIsAbout

Depends on the culture doesn’t it whether dirty and disrespectful?

In mine it’s seen as rude and disrespectful to walk barefoot or even to be wearing slippers when people visit! It has to be shoes.
What culture is this.

@WatchOutMissMarpleIsAbout
I see it's Greek Cypriots.

So peculiar. Greeks and Turkish and across the water in Syria they tend to remove shoes. I wonder why Greek Cypriots don't

Is there a story to this? Some historic thing?

You hold a view opposite of much of the world. Particularly parts of the world where cleanliness is insiders paramount like Japan and Korea. Its peculiar that outside dirt and filth from road pollution, public toilets, animals etc walked into your house is considered preferable to you over socked feet.

And selfish and entitled. And completely ignorant.

Did you expect to walk around a house with shoes on? That's both dirty and disrespectful. People work hard to keep their houses clean, and spend good money on carpets and rugs. No way would I allow a stranger to walk around my house with shoes on.

Why does it matter? Seller wanted shoes off, viewer didn't, so she didn't view. It's of no consequence to anyone else really. It's only rude and/or disrespectful if you argue with the homeowner about it.

They really were that filthy. The water was black and the carpets a completely different colour once he was done.

YANBU Shoe covers. Bare feet in summer is not good.
Cant believes some people view houses in shoes! How rude.

I thought it was fairly normal to wear indoor slippers in places like Japan and Korea. Bare feet makes no sense hygienically. Indoor slippers, fine, that's what we do in our home, as it happens. But since it's not usual in the UK to carry your slippers with you, surely shoe covers or shoes on is better hygienically than bare feet.

I don’t know
but it’s a good point. I know a couple of mainland Turkish people and I’m trying to remember what they do when they come to me but we tend to go out.

It’s one of the reasons I insisted on no carpet downstairs so I can mop disinfect

But it’s no different from being in your own home - you wouldn’t wear DM’s to walk around your home?

Every house we've viewed we've been asked by the agent to remove shoes. Also the agent marketing ours has asked every viewer to remove. It's standard round here. We didn't tell the agent to ask people to.
I think it's probably just to avoid the agent having to deal with angry sellers after their carpets get ruined.
Suits me though. I'd much rather people didn't wear their disgusting outside shoes all round my house.
Anyone who decides they don't want to view because they don't want to take off their shoes would probably have been a pain in the arse buyer anyway so we'll rid.

This is so bizarre 😄 Why so offended? Would you walk your dirty shoes around the house once you’d bought it? Surely not. Why would you want viewers walking dirt around on carpets which are potentially yours?

Are you honestly saying that your feet, which hopefully get a wash at least every 24 hours, are dirtier than the soles of your shoes?

Please put a chair by the entry way. Slipping on shoe covers or unlacing shoes is a balancing issue for some.

But fine to request it happens.

I was just mulling this over while watching Location, Location, Location last night.
Kirsty and Phil and their viewees never seem to take their shoes off.

Shoe covers!

I'd get shoe covers. It's the norm when visiting brand new houses so I can't see why it'd be an issue when viewing someone' already owned home.

Would you accept shoe covers?

Where do shoes off people ask their viewers to take off shoes? Outside? Then do they leave their shoes outside in the rain?
Easiest thing by far is those shoe covers and reuse by washing them. I do this with plastic bags.

I think that is principally because nobody wants to see people on TV in their stockinged feet, much like nobody would dream of taking their shoes off in the office. It’s more akin to a work environment. Also on the programme there will also be camera operators, sound men, lighting etc and it’s dangerous to have shoes off when equipment is being lugged about, so health and safety reasons. I’m sure they just agree to make sure shoes are as clean as possible and foot any cleaning bills afterwards.

I just leave them in the porch or hallway. Same as if you're visiting friends or family

Shoe covers are the least inconvenient for your potential buyers, and so that's what you should do.

I put a little basket next to the front door with some shoe covers in it. Most people take their shoes off if the estate agent does. This was after a girl from London showed up with muddy DMs and walked all over my new cream carpet. I was so annoyed!

These mucky London types eh?

I've never offered, or been asked to remove my shoes when viewing a house. Nor did I expect it when people came round to view mine.

Some people expect this, others don't.

My sister always asks us to remove our shoes in her very grubby house - we refuse as our socks are more likely to end up dirtier than they were when we entered.