I don’t know what accounts for your one experience but it isn’t what other people experience, some even make fully adult ferals inside cats, I think the adult feral that lives in his pet house in my tiny enclosed front porch with 2 strays, both with their own houses, could be brought inside easily if I chose to but I prefer them living around the front door.
If you are talking about damaging furniture, that is a possibility that any cat owner has to face in training.
It’s not just the one ‘former’ feral I have. I live in more of a country environment and constantly have ferals and even their kittens trying to muscle their way inside. They are all extremely quiet (now mews, etc.) because of the surrounding coyotes. Not friendly, just pushy.