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?

Why? Do you always rip out carpets straight away when you buy a new house?

Yes it's fine OP. We viewed lots of houses where we were asked to remove shoes. As pp said you could also get some shoe covers in case anyone can't/won't.

Yes, I hate all carpet.

Well no, it clearly isn't a "global standard" or there wouldn't be endless debate on mumsnet about it!

You obviously weren’t very serious about buying the house, if that’s all it took to put you off.

Get the shoe covers.

Viewed once and my shows were on and off to view garden/walk back through the house etc. Complete faff as they were lace up boots. I'd wear easier shoes next time.

Also, if you're selling the dirty carpet won't be your problem anymore. I've always had carpets professionally cleaned asap when I've moved.

This made me laugh as we were politely asked by to either take our shoes off or put on the supplied disposable shoe covers when going upstairs in the house we bought... which is 100% fine BUT... the carpets were disgusting upstairs! Honestly awful. Thin, ripped, absolutely covered in horrible stains.

I have no idea what they were protecting 😄

When viewing houses I always make sure I wear socks and remove my shoes (unless it's a renovation project).

@MrsClownland

Well no, it clearly isn't a "global standard" or there wouldn't be endless debate on mumsnet about it!
MN is overwhelmingly British. There are people from other countries but the vast majority are British and for some unfathomable reason, the Brits are split on shoes in houses. Most of the world's cultures removes their shoes.

Sounds good OP.

Id think it was really rude if people didn't take their shoes off, although I was brought up to have manners and always take my shoes off as soon as I came into someone's house!

If the homeowner said don't worry about it, then absolutely fine I could keep them on. But I'd assume always off unless stated otherwise.

But I would find it rude if you took your shoes off in my house - talk about making yourself at home!

You don’t want people to feel at home in your house? Anyway all you’d need to say is ‘oh, keep your shoes on’ and the guest will - makes no difference to them if you don't mind germy floors.

I don’t get this . I would be pleased it means people haven’t trampled mud / dirt through the house

I'm responding to the pp who said she took her shoes off as she had good manners. Good manners would surely mean doing what your host wants - so asking would be a better idea! I'm well aware there are entrenched views on both sides here, but I get a bit fed up with people who continue to insist their way is the only "polite" way, when that is clearly not the case.
There was a thread recently about whether it was good or bad manners to wave off a visitor in their car - for everyone who thought it was the polite thing to do, someone else thought it was really rude!

I always take my shoes off for viewings, aside from showing respect and the cleanliness side of things, you learn so much more about the property taking them off.

You can feel if the floors are uneven, where heating pipes run, if the underfloor heating works, gauge the quality of the installation of the flooring and whether it will be cold, warm or too hard to live with. So much info through your feet!

We did supply shoe covers when showing ours though as I know some people prefer to keep them on.

Very rude. Not a way to encourage buyers, some may just leave.

Good
Anyone who wants to give up on a house purchase for such a petty reason would have been a nightmare buyer anyway. Better to get rid right at the start than weeks down the line.

I've been to viewings where the seller was there & wanted shoes removed and ones where foot coverings were provided.
We are a shoes off household so I wouldn't be annoyed with someone wanting me to take my shoes off to go into their home, regardless of the reason!
I think shoe covers are a good idea.

No way do I think its rude but I could not want to view a house with high maintenance carpet so this would put me off. I wouldn't want to replace the carpets

But of course there would be other houses so I would quite move on, it would be sold anyway so no loss

@Itsrainingten Good
Anyone who wants to give up on a house purchase for such a petty reason would have been a nightmare buyer anyway. Better to get rid right at the start than weeks down the line.

Anyone petty enough to expect visitors to remove their shoes doesn't deserve to sell.

No one I know expects guests to walk around in bare scabby feet. Gross.

“It’s a global standard to take shoes off when visiting someone else’s house.” 🤗🌍 We need more of these global standards, there might be fewer wars.

These “shoes off” threads always make me laugh, I’m sure it’s a “mainly on Mumsnet” thing. I’d never even heard of this expectation until I saw Hyacinth Bucket on TV, and even now, I do a job where I visit lots of people at home; I would say it’s only about 1 in 10 houses where I am asked to take shoes off. I sometimes offer if I see lots of shoes by the door, but they often say it’s fine. I also bought and sold a few years ago, and nobody took shoes off in my old house, and it didn’t seem to be expected in any of the ones I visited.

Interesting. Why would the feet be either bare or scabby?
You sound absolutely ridiculous by the way.
Normal people would be happy to remove shoes if that's what someone wants in their house or leave them on if that's preferred.

@Itsrainingten Normal people would be happy to remove shoes if that's what someone wants in their house or leave them on if that's preferred.

But that's just not true. Normal people don't ask guests to take their shoes off.
What's ridiculous and rather silly is expecting adults to remove their shoes it's such bad manners to ask.

No one I know is ill-mannered enough to ask.

Shoes off or shoe covers 100%

Gross.