Behind closed doors…
Posted: 28th November 2007
Topics: Glow-worm
Looking around prospective houses can be one of the most stressful times – yes, you enjoy a good nose around to see how other people live, but underlined is the immense pressure to find a new nesting place to hopefully spend many happy years.
That experience can be seriously hindered by the strangest occurrences. Recent research commissioned by Glow-worm revealed that 67% of people have actually wanted to leave a property because of the temperature. Extreme hot and cold temperatures can certainly be off putting and raise all sorts of questions for the potential buyer. But apart from this, it can also force people to make snap decisions about whether they like or dislike a house – if a home’s not warm and inviting then it may be difficult to buy into the idea of that property being your dream home.
This led us to thinking about what other things people may have been put off by looking round other people’s houses. Have you heard, seen or smelt something unsavoury which totally put you off buying or even finishing a viewing?
We want to know about your experiences so please get in touch and tell us your tales about people living disgracefully! Beyond the basic presentation hints and tips – people who ought to know better and who are actually putting people off from buying their houses.
6 comments
Comment By: steve
Posted: 01st December 2007
We once viewed a house in Southampton that was owned by a football fanatic who was totally absorbed in televised match during the whole viewing. We had our toddler daughter with us at the time and as we came back downstairs after looking around, a goal was scored and the seller let out an almighty roar of triumph. Our 2 year old daughter was so terrified at the sudden noise that she burst into tears.
Back to topComment By: Lindsey
Posted: 03rd December 2007
When I bought my first house I was surprised to find a note from the previous owner. It said that he hoped that I had as many happy times there as he had and wished me luck. It wasn’t until a month later that my next door neighbour informed me that he had to sell the house and moved because he was getting divorced and years later his wife was tragically murdered!
Back to topComment By: Lindsey
Posted: 03rd December 2007
On moving into my first house I was surprised to see that a set of ladders had been stored in the airing cupboard. Believing they must be for the loft I had a look. Up there was a chair with an ashtray full of cigarette ends and a stash of pornography. Obviously the previous owner went into the loft for some ‘personal time’. Needless to say I wasn’t amused.
Back to topComment By: Richard
Posted: 03rd December 2007
On viewing a house we were very impressed with everything that we saw and knew that we would like to put in an offer. When we went into the lounge we were suprised to see the owners wife sat on the sofa in tears. As we left he explained that she was having second thoughts about putting it on the market. Three weeks later a bidding war started between three interested parties and the house was sold for a far higher price than it was originally marketed at. Perhaps that gave her something to smile about?
Back to topComment By: Lucy
Posted: 03rd December 2007
One time when I was viewing a house, a woman had baked fresh bread and left it out in the kitchen to fill the house with a ‘comfort smell’, think she had been watching too many ‘tips on selling your house’ programmes, it was hard viewing the house without giggling!
Back to topComment By: steve
Posted: 03rd December 2007
It wasn’t until we’d moved into our house in Hedge End in Hampshire and got chatting to the neighbours that it transpired that the husband of the previous owner had tried to strangle her in our master bedroom and the police had been called. I never felt quite the same about the house after that and we moved shortly afterwards.
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