Don't make yourself at home before you buy

Carol Tallon Talking Property: When viewing properties for sale, it is important not to leave your manners at the door

Homeowners are allowing strangers to walk through their home. This is a huge infringement of their privacy and that of their family. The least that they can expect from potential buyers is basic etiquette.

Last week, a story about an estate agent in Britain getting fired after stealing chocolate from a tenant’s flat went viral. The agent in question was caught grabbing the chocolate and stuffing it into his pocket on a ‘nanny cam’ while showing the property to potential new tenants. The video was shown to his employer, to local police and then to the world via YouTube.

The video was treated as a joke, with ...