Hints and tips for a first viewing.

jojo80_2

Good evening,
I'm going to view a house tomorrow. Property looks great and the price is seriously reduced (was £150,000, reduced this week to £105,000- owner needs to sell asap). 150,000 is slightly overpriced, other similar properties are on for around 140. Either way, down to 105,000 is a cracking reduction. (3 bed house, decent area).

Anyway, what I'd like to know is can anyone give me a checklist of things I should look for (or look out for) when on a first viewing? I'm a first time buyer, it's the 3rd property I've looked at, but the first I would seriously consider, assuming it lives up to info as advertised.

Thanks in advance!

besonders1

• Pretend your not interested,
• Say you have others to look at
• Ask them why it is so dramatically reduced and how long it has been for sale
• Bring a printout of other houses selling in the area over the past 8 years https://www.houseprices.co.uk
• Offer a few days later but only offer 2004 prices or 40% lower
• If you are unsucessful - well there will be other houses coming soon -good luck!

jojo80_2

Thanks for those ideas.

scousethife

Check the rooms are as big as the blurb says.

Ask if the house has any problem- They HAVE to tell the truth

ASk if any neighbour problesm- they have to be truthfull about this too

Ask what work has been done on it lately (in the last year or so) it will give you an idea of if it has been looked after etc.

Ask why they are moving

If your about to lay 100 grand its okay to be nosey

mishmash

people have asked me;

What is the council tax band?, what are the heating electric costs like? How is the street for parking?

I think these are useful questions, they also ask what I will leave in the house, what the neighbours are like, are there children in the area (for thier little one to play with).

I think it is good to have a number of questions.

Mish

lostinrates

I've not pretended to not like anyone's house...I think its disengenuous...who'd believe you'd pay £100k (or whatever) for something you don't like or were not interested in, or have vaguely warmed to on a second viewing.

That said, although I've gone on to offer I haven't bought a house yet.

Hatster

People asked us
- what the neighbours were like (mainly their ages and if there were any kids)
- how much it cost to heat
- how often / late the buses went
- whether we'd used up our 'permitted development' for extensions already (not sure this is applicable in the same way any more)
- where the nearest playground was (family with kids)
- what the electricity, water, gas, council tax etc bills were

We asked
- almost nothing! We just wandered round and thought about whether we liked it.

mayzie

It may be helpful to go to rightmove.Go to the bottom of the page and see guides.Click on it .Then choose RM property guides:getting the most out of a viewing:viewing checklist. I think it best to build up a relationship with them if you like it but there is no need to go overboard!

jojo80_2

thanks- hadnt thought about council tax question, good point!

Altarf

jojo80 wrote: »

thanks- hadnt thought about council tax question, good point!

It is actually better to look at the VOA website where you can see the band and if there is an i next to it, which indicates that the property will be re-banded when it is sold (for example due to an extension).

If you are interested in the property, make sure that you visit the area at different times of the day, evening, morning, weekend, etc. For example parking may be dreadful in an evening, but fine during the day, or vice-versa if it is near a station and used by commuters.

Old_Git

I once lived in a house that went with the job.
There where wooden floors ( not laminated ) downstairs including the kitchen .
But when you opened the cupboard under the sink there was no floor ,just the foundations .Dont rely on a survey to pick up things like that .
After that I learnt it pays to be nosey.