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?

You shouldn’t have to ask; of course everyone should take their shoes off as a
matter of course. Your house sounds gross covered in all sorts of bacteria from outside. I hope you don’t have crawling children

I've genuinely never asked or been asked. It's just the norm with everyone I know below the age of 60 or so. Everyone has a shoe rack by the door. Guests automatically take off shoes and leave them there! I do accept that older people maybe don't do it as standard. At my dad's house he'll often say "oh don't worry, just leave them on" but he takes his off at mine without me ever asking.

What would you do if a wheelchair user came to view the property?
Could be a bit tricky to ask them to wait outside whilst someone else viewed the house for them.

They'd not get through the front door because of the steps. They'd not get up stairs because of the steps. They wouldn't get in the downstairs bathroom because it's tiny and the door is a tight 90 degree angle.

I think it's fair to say that someone in a wheelchair wouldn't come to view the house as all that is clear from the pictures!

Bit of a strawman argument going on there!

@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.

Yep perfectly normal. I visit peoples' homes in my job and always ask if they want shoes off, I also carry some of those plastic shoe covers as an alternative. I'd say it's 50-50.

We have a box of the plastic shoe covers by the door at home. Less than a tenner on Ebay!

But most visitors offer to take their shoes off anyway.

Even "tradesmen" either bring their own shoe covers or happily use ours. Recent workmen have been a couple of lads fitting a carpet, Virgin media fitting wifi, a plumber, and a couple of lads delivering a bed. All except the plumber brought their own shoe covers and popped them on at the door without us even asking, and the plumber popped on a pair of our shoe covers, no problem.

If you think the shoe issue is bad, my DH once did a dump in the toilet of a house we were viewing. He took aaaages, whilst me and the vendor made small talk. I was mortified.

It's really rude to insist on this. It would put me off buying the house having to deal with sellers like this.

Doesn't take much to put you off then does it.

Considering how hard it is to find somewhere, I'm amazed anyone would be so precious that something as little as this would stop them looking

Except of course for all the normal people who do expect people to remove their shoes. Like more than half of the world.

They all think you are rather uncouth and somewhat revolting for wearing shoes in your unclean house.

I guess we judge others on what we are and know. I'm sorry you have scabby feet. Many of us don't.

@Itsrainingten I guess we judge others on what we are and know. I'm sorry you have scabby feet. Many of us don't.

I don't, as it happens. But if I did it wouldn't matter because I don't remove my shoes when visiting friends. They are far too classy to even ask. My shoes are clean. We all have door mats. And cleaners.

@CwmYoy you've tagged me on a post that wasn't mine. But thank you for letting me know how very posh you are. What with you and all your friends having cleaners. How lovely.

You're welcome.

@museumum

i know your post on here was quite a while ago, but I'm curious how long you kept the carpets for when you bought the house?

were they worth being so previous about!?