Why is it customary to give a tour of a house?

[NeverlandClub23]

I recently went to a party at my boss' (the owner) house. It's huge. So as soon as we all get there he says he's going to take us all on a tour of the house. It lasted an hour! It was the most detailed tour I've ever been on. When I go to anyone's house all I care about is where the nearest bathroom is and it would creep me out to have everyone I work with traipsing through my bedroom.

Why do people do this? I thought it was a predominantly "Southern" thing but it's happened the last few houses I've gone over to (I don't consider where I live "Southern" or "Northern", more of a mixing bowl of the two ).

 

[Handbag Lady]

People are very nosy and most would try and look anyway.


My dear friends just bought their first house and it is a lovely old house. My husband is very interested in keeping period homes period, so they gave us a nice tour at their open house and very nicely allowed my husband to chime in with his opinion. They actually found his comments helpful so I was happy.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

People are very nosy and most would try and look anyway.

That's true! One of the women in this "tour" was opening up cabinets and looking in them!

 

[luvmy3]

I've been to a few homes and gotten the tour. A couple were brand new and close friends just excited about their new purchase. A couple were million dollar homes, and they were pretty much showing off although I have to admit they were very very nice homes

 

[1stluvispooh]

We built our house 3 years ago. Nothing special but when mostly family or a close friend who went through the building proses with me I asked if they wanted a tour. I have asked friends with new houses or impressive houses if they could give me a tour. I don't really think it's that big of a deal. The last "house tour" I was on the hostess just asked who else wanted to see the new finished basement. No big deal. Although it sounds like your boss made a big deal about it.

 

[Robinrs]

Wow, I've NEVER gotten a tour! Maybe I don't know the right (or WRONG) people!

 

[ChrizJen]

I think as a new owner, you're proud of your home, so you want to share it with your friends.
And I know that as a visitor to a new home, I'm always curious about the layout of the home. So I enjoy getting "the tour".

Now I have to say that I've never had a ONE HOUR tour! But we do tours here. I guess I never really put that much thought into it.

 

[kingcrab]

we dont offer tours of our home, but are always asked(mostly by female guests). My wife obliges those who ask.

 

[RadioNate]

I like seeing the homes of my friends.

And as a home owner I like showing my friends what I've done around the house if they haven't been there before.

We went to the home of an old friend over memorial day weekend so the kids could play for an hour or so and not only didn't she give us a tour, we weren't even asked in! I was sad she didn't want to 'show off' her new home to us.

Now, an hour seems excessive but maybe it was a REALLY BIG house???

 

[saratogadreamin09]

I think its polite but a hour is a VERY long tour

 

[mjkacmom]

My dad's tour is about 20 minutes, large 300 year old home, with some interesting features. Lots give tours here, but again, there are a lot of historic homes.

 

[tinatark]

we don't offer, but people usually ask and we show them around.

 

[terri01p]

Oh my goodness we just had this discussion. My parents every single time they have a visitor gives a tour of their home. My sister is the same way. Us on the other hand don't give any tours of our small home nobody wants to see this crap, trust me. I think people that think they have really nice stuff give tours those of us that live and let live don't.

 

[wall*e2008]

When a person comes to our home for the first time they always seem to ask us for a tour. I think one is just interested in the house layout. No biggy for me.

 

[Robinrs]

Showing your house and giving an hour long TOUR are completely different. I've shown my home to people many times but I would hardly call it a tour.... wt...?

 

[clarabelle]

I only gave "tours" when we first moved into our house.

If someone asked for one now -I would have to say no. My house is a mess!

 

[C.Ann]

Interesting.. Every time I have been in this type of situation, the host/hostess has said, "Would you like to see the rest of the house?".. Of course my response has been "yes" - assuming it would be rude to say "no" - but in other cases, I have been to brand new homes where the owners have never even mentioned a "tour"..

The length of the tour you were taken on would have driven me batty - LOL..

 

[Pin Wizard]

Show offs. I'm with you...show me where I'll be spending the evening and the nearest bathroom.

 

[OctMtnWoods]

I was at a bridal shower once in a house that was like a mansion compared to the houses that all of us lived in. I forgot how it started, but I think a lady or 2 went into the master bedroom or bathroom for some reason and came out telling everyone how HUGE HUGE HUGE the bathroom was. Seriously, the bathroom had a gym in it and it still wasn't anywhere near to even looking full. Ladies started sneaking in. The home owner eventually just caved and gave everyone a tour of the home.

If we show anyone our place, its usually to show them some work we've done ourselves, but that was more towards when we bought it and not so much anymore since we've been here a long time.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

It really was the longest tour ever. There were about 12 of us in the group herded around the house. They never had any kids but have couples and family friends visit them all of the time so they built a house with 5 master bedrooms. So we had to go to each room, get the history of what went into decorating that room, go to that room's bathroom, get the history of what went into decorating the bathroom, and so on. Then every hallway had oil paintings of themselves and their dog and we had to stop at each one and get the story of the oil painting. It was so weird/funny. (especially since they had people walking around serving alcohol and one of the wives got drunk and told the group that one of the beds looked like a good handcuff bed my very conservative boss and his wife didn't have a story for that!)