Buying A Home
Linz-E
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Removing shoes for showing
We are expecting heavy rain here today and have a realtor coming to show our house this afternoon- I was thinking of leaving a little note on the lock box saying "A baby lives and plays here.... If it is raining, we kindly ask that you please wipe your feet on the mat or remove your shoes." We are a no shoes house, and while I understand it makes some people uncomfortable I think this request is reasonable based on the downpours we are supposed to be getting today. What do you think?
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Re: Removing shoes for showing
One place we looked at requested that all people coming to look at the house take off their shoes since they put in new carpet. It didn't bother me, but I grew up in a no-shoes house. I also felt really awkward and sort of bad in houses that I didn't take my shoes off in.
I think your request is reasonable.
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It always annoys me when people ask (or, in this case, leave a note) requesting that I remove my shoes. I'm an adult and I can determine whether or not wearing shoes is appropriate in a situation. I would get a mental impression of a seller who left a note like this that they were going to be uptight and difficult to deal with throughout the transaction. Most adults are going to know to wipe their feet on a mat or remove their shoes before tracking mud into a house. You don't want to annoy someone right off the bat when they come to look at your house. They want to picture themselves living there and not be subject to someone else's requests.
I grew up learning that it is a courtesy to remove your shoes at people's house. I always remove my shoes when visiting a house.
I've often thought that it was a common courtesy, but if I saw a sign telling me to remove my shoes- I'd feel a bit irritated, but ONLY because I always plan on removing them anyway.
Is there a way you can give a hint that shoes should be removed? Maybe have a shoe mat by the door or leave some of your shoes outside the house.
But, I really think it's fine if you have a sign put up- if people are going to "walk" from the house because of it- then those are the people you'd not want to deal with anyway. I'm sure potential buyers would appreciate knowing that their potential house is being taken care of.
The one and only time we were asked this, the toddler living there was going through chemotherapy and immunocompromised. We, of course, were happy to comply.
Ditto. Sometimes in the winter I was wearing my Uggs with no socks (which is how they are supposed to be worn!) and I feel weird even walking around someone elses house in socks. No way was I going barefoot.
In our area (maybe because we get so much rain?) virtually every house on the market has shoe covers. We had them when we showed our house (our realtor provided them) and never noticed dirt tracked in.
We are a no shoe house - I grew up in Hawaii and no one wears shoes in the house - it's just not done and it's rude to wear shoes in a guests home. We have some friends now in California who don't take their shoes off and I always feel bad wearing my shoes at their house...
We went to a couple open houses and they realtors provided booties and had a sign out. When we listed our place, I felt very strongly about no shoes (our baby plays on the floor too and we have dark wood floors that show dirt and I wanted them to look nice all throughout the open houses. Our realtors put up a little sign and they provided booties for guests. It was never a problem and I would never think twice if someone asked but maybe it's a regional thing...
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Buy some of those booties. We're a no shoe house, but we don't tell people to take them off b/c it bothers some people.
Some people are just stupid, and unfortunately you have to deal with their stupidity during the selling process. We had one person walk through the house with muddy shoes on. She left a trail of muddy prints from the front door, through the foyer, through the living room, through the dining room, to the back door and halfway back. Her Realtor called to ask if we had her cell phone (she'd dropped it in one of the bedrooms) as I was shampooing the carpets. I've never been so tempted in my life to destroy someone's property. I'm not talking a little dirt, I'm talking mud that allowed me to tell what type of shoe she was wearing.
From other showings, I had muddy prints on light switches, water splashed in the bathroom, and damp and dirty hand towels. Oh, and poop left in my master toilet b/c they didn't make sure everything went down.
I can commiserate with you, but I wouldn't put the sign up b/c some people will get all offended over it. And the ones that you are directing it at probably won't comply anyway. If they're smart and considerate enough to follow a sign on the door, they'd have been smart and considerate enough to take their muddy shoes off in the first place.
As a Realtor I have to say this is totally reasonable and most people are perfectly fine with it. If they are already home owners they understand not wanting your carpet messed up.
What you can do is get a box of disposable shoe covers that you can leave near the door when you have showings. This way if people dont want to take them off they can simply put this shower cap looking thing over their shoes very easily and toss it when they are done. Its a great alternative
We've been going to open houses and have had to remove our shoes at maybe 25% of them. I will say that I prefer to leave my shoes on, because I'm not going to be able to check out the garage, back yard, and any unfinished basement area without my shoes. So it may compromise how well people can see your house. But it's not the end of the world, and if I like a house enough, I'll make a point to see it all, even if I have to go back to those areas after I've put my shoes back on.
But your note wording is too long. "Kindly remove your shoes before entering" is plenty. The baby part is completely unnecessary and makes you sound a little uptight. Many people without babies don't want mud tracked through their houses either. And since you're a no-shoes household, I would leave the sign in place for all showings, thereby eliminating the need for the "if it is raining" part as well.
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"A baby lives and plays here.... If it is raining, we kindly ask that you please wipe your feet on the mat or remove your shoes."
lmfao.
Agreed. I hate taking off my shoes. I don't in my own home. There is nothing on my shoes that I bring in from outside that can't be cleaned up. You can put the sign up, but you are showing a house, and some people are going to ignore it. Now, if you have a showing and someone leaves a huge mess, then you can complain to the real estate agent. But other than that it's not worth your time and energy to get upset over something so small.
Ive seen a lot of responses here and as a Realtor I will say that it is pretty common. I hate taking off my shoes, because as most people said I am smart enough to know when I should or shouldnt wear them. The problem is that a lot of people are not that considerate and would not think twice about leaving them on even if they are wet or dirty. If you want people to take them off then leave the sign. Yes people will ignore it but most will obey.
I too would leave out the baby part.