10 of the Weirdest House Hunting Stories in the UK

Thousands of Britons go on property viewings to find a home to rent or buy every day. But, just because this is a normal thing to do, it doesn’t mean it always goes well. Here are ten of the weirdest house hunting stories in the UK…

Propertymark has compiled a list of some of the strangest and outright creepy things that have happened to those house hunting in the UK:

1. One unlucky viewer stumbled upon so-called Strange Chloe as they were being shown around a rental flat by the landlord. When they reached the bedroom, a hand allegedly emerged from under the bed, gesturing for the potential tenants to join them. The landlord’s response? “Not again, Chloe!”
   

   10 of the Weirdest House Hunting Stories in the UK

2. Another prospective tenant had to negotiate a flat viewing while the current tenant was smoking a spliff on the sofa.
3. As a nation, we love our pets, but one renter found himself preparing his dog for an interview with the landlord before he was allowed to take the property.
4. While dogs and cats are firm favourites, some people choose to keep other exotic pets. A group of students viewing a property in Leeds saw that there was a large open cage in the corner of the living room. With no obvious signs of a dog and unsure what lived in the cage, they continued with the viewing before a giant bat-like creature called a sugar glider swooped in on them – a swift exit was made!
5. One house hunter got more than she bargained for when she walked in on the current tenants getting amorous in the bedroom during a viewing.
6. Another reported that there was a pole-dancing pole in the bedroom of a house they were looking to buy. As it wasn’t part of their search criteria, they moved on.
7. When you’re viewing a property to rent, it’s always a good idea to chat to the existing tenants to get a feel for the property and local area. But one renter found themselves in a long conversation about psychic phenomena and telepathically communicating with animals when they tried to ask about the local schools.
8. It’s always advised that home sellers de-personalise their properties before marketing them, as this allows potential buyers to get an idea of how their belongings will fit into the home. However, this advice isn’t always taken – one viewer was faced with naked oil paintings of the owner on every wall in every room.
9. Just when one prospective buyer was telling the agent how impressed they were with what they had seen of the house so far, they were horrified to discover what they thought was a large collection of condiment sets in the kitchen was in fact a collection of sex toys.
10. One viewer got a scare when they opened the bathroom door to find a life-size mannequin standing next to the toilet!

The Chief Executive of NAEA Propertymark, Mark Hayward, and the Chief Executive of ARLA Propertymark, David Cox, say: “House viewings ultimately determine whether or not somebody wants to buy or rent a property, so they need to be able to feel like it could be their home. We hear bizarre experiences from potential buyers and renters all the time – and while they’re amusing, they’re easily avoidable.

“Little things like making sure pets are under control, existing tenants or owners are prepared for the viewing, and the property is looking clean and presentable will help viewers to see the property for what it is, without all the weird add-ons.”

Have you got any weird house hunting stories? Let us know!