These estate agent messy home horror stories aren't for the faint of heart

All real estate agents have been there. You schedule an appointment, arrive bright and early with high hopes, and knock on the door. And then you come face-to-face with a property that’s more “haunted house” than “home sweet home”. Sure, some dust here and there can be overlooked, but you’ve likely encountered a fair share of unruly pet messes, bizarre collections, and surfaces that look like they’ve never seen a sponge. The public recently got a taste of a messy home horror story that will have many agents saying “been there, seen that”.

The viral messy home that had TikTok talking

When TikToker @gomom174 was browsing properties to let in Midrand on a property portal, he stumbled upon a Carlswald apartment that left him speechless. The kitchen was a disaster zone, with unwashed dishes piled high, drawers and cupboards flung open, and appliances and utensils strewn across every surface. The open-plan lounge was overflowing with unwashed laundry, discarded shoes, and a chaotic tangle of electronics. The rest of the living spaces were barely better, with a crooked mat in the bathroom and haphazardly made beds. “As a real estate agent, how do you think of even posting this?” he wondered.

While audiences were shocked by the state of the home, real estate agents are often placed in difficult positions when listing a property. In some cases, it can be challenging to broach the topic with the owners or get difficult tenants to clean up their act. Prop Data’s September poll found that messy homes are common throughout the industry; 91.4% of estate agents said they encountered a truly messy home while on the job. 

Estate agents share their messy home experiences

1. This eviction became a literal mess

“The tenants were evicted and refused to move. They started cooking on gas burners and were not washing dishes. All the rooms were full of plastic bags with clothes and dirt. The bathrooms weren't cleaned for months. Above this, the house was infested with cockroaches.” 

— Gareth Ruiters, Jawitz Eshowe

2. The dust bunnies were big enough to charge rent

“The home hadn’t been vacuumed for years and there were food wrappers and leftovers in the lounge. In the kitchen, there was old oil in the stove on a pot that had been burnt black. Not a single kitchen counter was empty. The beds and bedroom floor were covered in clothes. The place smelt terrible and they wanted 30% more than market value for the area.”

— Anonymous

3. The baa-ffling choice had a happy ending

“The residents were hoarders who allowed a sheep or two to sleep in the house. There was pretty much no space to walk. Thankfully, even though it was a house in a small town, I was able to sell it within a month.”

— Francois Brunsdon, Huizemark Uitenhage/Despatch

4. Like walking into a slumber party

“There were unmade beds and unwashed dishes. But, people were walking around in pyjamas. To top it all, a lady was still in bed with the blankets drawn over her as if we could not see her whilst taking photos for the listing.”

— Anonymous

5. Dirty tricks to dodge moving

“The tenant obviously didn't want to move, So they left a massive pile of dishes in the kitchen, scattered leftover food on the counter, and dumped clothing from the cupboards everywhere. To add to this picture, there were several ‘presents’ from the dogs on the lawn as well. A for effort!”

— Craig Millar, Tyson Properties Howick & Midlands

6. It was a home out of an episode of Hoarders

“There were boxes and nick-nacks everywhere with little pathways in between. I had to assist in getting the house sorted out before the sale. That ended in finding soiled adult diapers in between the boxes.

— Anonymous

7. Whatever you do, don’t look in the pool 

“The tenants vacated during lockdown. There was not one key in any door, the main en suite door was kicked in, and there was a mound of rubbish thrown outside the gate causing a rat infestation. The residents had revved their motorbikes in the garage, leaving black exhaust soot on the walls. The worst part was the pool which was radioactive green soup.”

— Lynn Giles, Century 21 Paarl

8. Unexpected accessories in the shower

“There were sex toys in the shower and unmade beds. In the living room, there was laundry in a basket — I could not tell if it had clean or dirty clothing. When I tried to take photos outside, I found the lawn had a week’s worth of brown landmines. They didn't even clean up after their dogs.”

— Anonymous

9. This home went to the dogs

“There was dog poo throughout the interior of the house as well as wet sheets of newspaper. To top it off, the bed in the master bedroom had a mommy dog and quite a few puppies on it. The owner proudly boasted that the puppies were born on the bed and had lived their short but messy lives there.”

— Errol Boxall, Wakefields Amanzimtoti

10. Bring a hazmat suit when you visit

“On the first visit I could not imagine taking photos of the property for valuation purposes, never mind images for marketing. There was dust and cobwebs everywhere. The bedroom carpets looked like they had never been cleaned. There was grime on the kitchen stove, workspace, window sills, floor, and around the cupboards and sink. 

“Until the property sold two months later, no tidying up or cleaning took place. Before the key handover, I rented a skip and hired casual workers to remove rubbish from the house and storage sheds to at least present the new owners with a rubbishless house. I even found rotting food in the oven after they moved out.”

— Anonymous

11. Cluttered beyond absolute belief

“This standalone home had a double garage full of stuff from the floor to the roof. One of the bedrooms was being used as storage space for an adult child not living on the premises. I was not even able to see this room as the door could not open because of all the clutter. As you can imagine, the resulting listing was not impressive.”

— Lawrence Toendepi, LJT Properties

12. Close call with a laundry avalanche

“​​The house was in Meyerspark in Pretoria. Its veranda had an eight-seater table stacked with unwashed clothing about a meter high. When I opened the shower in the bedroom, filthy washing was stacked to the top and tumbled out. I left.” 

— Anonymous

13. The shag throws with a dirty, sticky secret

“The home had beautiful furniture covered by all manner of shaggy throws. When we lifted the throws, things fell out of them — bits of paper, possibly skin, and maybe some snollies (boogers) too. We felt we needed to wash our hands after shooting each room.”

— Allie Reid, Tyson Properties Gauteng 

14. If the walls could talk, they’d say “run!”

“The home was a deceased estate in which the surviving family members stayed. The ceiling was rotten because of a leaking roof and 90% of the windows had broken frames and missing panes. The pool had all sorts of organisms enjoying the almost black algae in there. I don’t know how anyone could stay an hour inside let alone live there every day.”

— Anonymous

15. The smell hit you as soon as you walked in

“The client smoked dagga in the house and didn’t even bother to remove the residue or open the windows for the smell to go away. There were also dishes and laundry all over the place.”

— Masego Mano, Tyson Properties Pretoria New East 

16. The house had squeaky little guests

“As you entered, cobwebs hit you in the face. Mice were creeping out of holes in some rooms. One room was so full you could not even step into it. The kitchen counter spaces were all piled high with dirty dishes, and you had to tip-toe through the garden because of all the dog poo.”

— Anonymous

17. There was a fungus among us

“The mould was hanging from the ceiling in each and every room in strings. The smell was so bad that one of our agents ran out to get sick.”

— Anonymous

18. A legacy left in tatters

“It was a deceased estate property. One of the daughters came in and unpacked the contents from movable furniture and dumped it onto the floor. She stole the furniture and most of the valuables. There was just paperwork and unwanted belongings all over the place.”

— Anonymous

It’s all in a day's work

Despite the occasional horror story, being an estate agent is a career with far more ups than downs. Every day brings the chance to help people buy, sell, rent, or let out property and achieve their real estate dreams. There’s great satisfaction in guiding clients through these big life moments, and the job comes with the added perks of flexible hours, unlimited earning potential, and a rewarding sense of accomplishment. So while you may encounter some unexpected messes along the way, they’re just a small part of an exciting, fulfilling journey in real estate.