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?

We were asked at the house we are in now. We were a bit hmm but did it anyway. It would have been easier to wear shoe covers, and if we are ever in the position to buy again I'd probably get some for us to take with us. It didn't put us off viewing.

But I wasn’t offended. I just declined and went home.

I also decline coffee as I don’t like it. I’m not offended by coffee.

Yes, I walk around at home with shoes on. If you hoover regularly it’s not a big deal.

I’m not going to make myself uncomfortable to please other people. I didn’t demand to view it regardless. I just went home.

No one was hurt. No one day was ‘offended’. I didn’t slag them off. It was two people with differing opinions, and that’s okay.

Everyone who viewed mine asked about shoes. I'd already got those blue shoe covers just in case.

Every house I viewed I asked if I should remove my shoes.

To me the thought of outdoor shoes in my house is awful. People have walked on pavements where people have spat and animals (and possibly even people) have toileted - not a chance do I want those shoes on my carpets!

Quick update ...

First viewers were unlacing their shoes as I opened the front door. I offered shoe covers which they gratefully accepted.

Second viewers, I welcomed them in and asked if they minded using shoe covers. The panicker in me went to provide a hefty explanation but I stopped myself and they happily took them, wore them throughout and took them with them 'in case they're needed again'.

Third lot I just said hi, come in and they saw them on the table and took a pair.

No issues, noone thinking I'm rude, noone (vocally) judging my use of plastic, noone so far complaining about cream carpets. Wonderful stuff.

Thanks again everyone for the feedback!

Never been asked at a house viewing to remove my shoes nor been offered covers, I've never asked people to taken them off either despite being a shoes off household

I've done this on multiple viewings, esp when there is light covered carpet. We didn't have any carpet in our old house but made all the viewers take off their shoes, never had any pushback and had loads of viewings and offers.

Tbh, I don't understand why people wear shoes in their homes, it's gross and unsanitary, esp with carpets and esp considering the fact that we live in a country where it always rains so muddy shoes are usually the case.

I have literally never heard of that and viewed loads of houses, never ever even once seen an estate agent without shoes either.

Its a bit bat shit in all honesty.

Every single viewing I've been on has been shoes off, and everyone the EA has shown round mine has been asked by the EA (without me even mentioning it) to take shoes off too.
Doesn't seem to be considered "batshit" around here. It's just standard.

We're in the process of buying and selling at the moment and the EAs are very strict about it. We went round the house we are buying with the builder and architect we are using and she basically told them off when they didn't immediately take their shoes off! The house is vacant possession and we'll be ripping the floors up anyway, but generally I think it's considerate if someone is living in the house.

My feet are clean. But I don't want to walk on a carpet in bare feet that has also been walked on by a bunch of strangers in their bare feet, which probably weren't so clean. The insides of my shoes are clean, carpets that I see really are not, before you even start thinking about other people's foot sweat, fungal infection etc. I dont want to put my clean feet on someone else's dirty carpet.

That said, OP seems to have come to a good solution of shoe covers, which I think is a fabulous compromise.

It's completely normal to take off the shoes before entering the house, to me it shows respect and also shows your personal standard of hygiene. It also shows the owner looks after the house. That was my first request to my agent when my house was put on the market. It would piss me off massively if the agent takes the viewers walk around my house with their shoes on. I also provided the shoes cover as well but most viewers did have their shoes off.

I'd think it was odd and kind of silly of the owner to fret about a cream carpet that most buyers would plan to have in a skip before they even moved their furniture in.

If the carpets wouldn't cope with shoes, I'd be taking them out if I bought the house, so I'd have to factor that in to any offer. I can't stand impractical floors (whether slippy, uneven, or not hardwearing enough).

People with manners tend to do that. Clean carpets do usually bring out good manners in people.

I never remove shoes unless in the home of known and trusted person. Neither would I wear shoe covers.
If I am not allowed to take shoes off or wear shoe covers when I am doing home visits for work (and I am not allowed), no way am I going to make myself less safe when I am visiting your home in my own time.
I do not want want to be stepping on your used syringes, in your kids wee, on your squashed food or even on your discarded bits of Lego.

Blimey @Mebebecat your friends must be pretty gross if that's what you're at risk of when you go round people's houses.
Can't say I've ever in my life been in a house where I'd be worried about any of those things. I have had an instance of someone walking fox shit into my carpet though.

It’s completely standard stuff. You take off your shoes basic respect for the home you’re in.

Have never been asked to remove, or have removed, shoes when viewing a house. Or asked anyone viewing mine. It definitely not a universal thing.

I can't walk barefoot and really don't want to be telling strangers about my medical health. If you want a shoes off house then the polite way to go about it is to provide either shoe covers or a basket of washable slippers, of course either of these need to be next to a chair so that people can sit to change. To expect people to walk around your house barefoot is beyond rude

It's definitely a global standard to remove your shoes off before entering the house. It would be disrespectful if you keep your shoes on when you are in someone else home. You wear your shoes out, you remove your shoes and change it to slippers when you are in your own house, that's the modern standard commonly.

I think it's utterly mental to decline taking your shoes off. How bizarre. (unless you cant for medical reasons OBVIOUSLY).

YY to asking for shoes off or blue shoe covers...anyone who has a problem is clearly insane with nothing better to do. You wouldn't want to enter into a lengthy, stressful legal transaction with such nutters anyway.

Yeah. It's like demanding people don't smoke in your house. Ruuuuuude 🙄

Yep. Anyone who would decide not to buy your house because you didn't want people traipsing through - especially when it might take quite a few viewings before you sell - is likely to be the kind of difficult arse who'd end up messing up the whole sale for some crazy pedantic reason anyway. No thinks.
(Obviously not including medical reasons)

Everyone who comes into the house removes their shoes now. All tradesmen, visitors, friends, relatives. We are white British/European, as are all the above. I think it's the norm these days. I would expect buyers to remove shoes, I have a mat by the door for shoes, so it's a prompt.

Really, tje first thing to go would be a cream carpet!