If you're viewing homes this weekend, flush the toilet - but don't use it

If you're viewing homes this weekend, flush the toilet - but don't use it

The weekend is upon us and if you have planned to attend a few show days as you search for your dream home, do not be rude - or shy.

Too many buyers walk away from home viewings without having asked the right questions or checked the right features, so to avoid needing to go back, know what you need to look at.

Sometimes, people feel shy when viewing homes and think they just need to walk around and smile, viewing only with their eyes, but this is not the case; if you are seriously looking to buy the property, you have a right to be fully aware of its condition.

Of course, the home still belongs to someone else and those who live within it deserve a certain level of privacy, so there is a limit to what is acceptable.

To help you carry out your home viewings as politely as possible, here is a list of dos and don'ts that estate agents say you should follow. It is just etiquette.

What you should do:

Ask relevant questions about the home and neighbourhood
Be on time for the viewing
Turn the taps on to check the water flow and pressure
Flush the toilet to check the water flow and pressure
Be open to taking your shoes off if the homeowner's culture requires it
Open wardrobes
Open kitchen cabinets
Open bedroom doors
Open bathroom doors
Open grocery cupboards
Open linen cupboards
Open dishwasher doors (if it is staying with the house)
Open fridge and freezer doors (If they are staying with the house)
Washing machine and tumble drier doors, if they are staying with the house
What you should not do:

Do not open dressing table drawers
Do not open bedside table drawers and cupboards
Do not open medicine cabinets
Do not lie on the beds or sit on the couches
Bring an entourage of people - keep it to a small group of 2 or 3
Do not make negative comments about the house, in case the homeowner hears
Do not use the toilet, unless it is an emergency (but even then, try not to)
Do not bring food into the house
Do not bring pets with
Do not bring your children, unless it is the final viewing
Do not cancel at the last minute
Do not stay too long, a good time is 30 minutes
Do not pretend you are ready to buy a home if you are not