Viewing a house - what to ask and look for

RetroBob

Whilst this is not directly "money saving", knowing what to look for in a house will I'm hoping this will help people (including me) get appropriate value for money and possibly save some cash by taking potential issues into account when making an offer. So, with that in mind...

I am/will be FTB and want to start looking within the next month. When I do it, I want to do it right from the word go (I'm pretty thorough) so through trawling various sites I've put a list together for your perusal and feedback...

Other than finding a place to rent at uni, and then my current place, I am a complete novice at this whole business so please feel free to suggest other questions, improvements etc., thanks in advance for any advice you can give, I will not be offended at criticism.
Edit: some items updated
House Viewing Checklist

Address:
Advertised price:

Ask Seller

General

• Why are you selling? What's your situation, chain etc?
  
• How long has it been on the market?
• Freehold/Leasehold?
• Is the property in a conservation area or a listed building and could this restrict any future alterations
• What is included in the sale - land, garage, furniture, fittings, etc.?
• What are the local amenities like, shops, hospitals, leisure facilities, etc.?
• What are the neighbours like?
  
• What parking is there?
  

Structural/Decoration

• When was it built?
• Has the property been altered in any way, do you have planning permission? (will need this confirmed later in process)
• Outside – Check for cracks, state of roof, missing slates/tiles and any bowing or sagging. And chimney – good state of repair?
• Is there any damp? Structural problems?
• Does the property need updating
• When were rooms last redecorated?
  
• Does the property have cavity wall insulation
• If there is a loft, has this been insulated? If so, how long ago?
• Double glazed throughout?

Bills & Maintenance

• Full central heating? How old is the system? Gas or Elec? Where is control? Check fuse box/wiring in good condition.
• How much is Council Tax (+ band)
• Maintenance/parking fee? What are average costs of other utility bills such as electricity, gas, water (water meter?)
• Where is the boiler? If gas when was it last serviced, when was it installed?
  
• How is water heated, water tank or combi boiler?

Ask Yourself / Investigate

• Are the rooms big enough for your needs - furniture etc
• Sign of subsidence (e.g. major cracks in the walls or the doors sticking)
• What are views like?
• Is there a smell of damp or any other sign such as the walls feeling damp, the wallpaper peeling/paint bubbling, watermarks or mould. Check skirting board.
• Do the window frames have cracking paint? (If you can press your finger easily into the wood it's rotten)
• Has the room recently been decorated, if so, why (a problem might lie underneath)
• How much storage space is there? Enough for your current/future needs?
• Number of power points in each room, how old do they look?
• Does it feel like it could be your home? Do you like the house?!
  
• Nearby main roads, or pubs, clubs or restaurants - they can be handy, but also noisy>
• Nearby railway lines - or overhead flight paths?
• The aspect of the house - does it get enough light?
• Is the property well maintained?
• How good or near is the public transport?
• What is local area like, state of houses, sense of community?
• Are the local schools good?
• Are there any known plans for development in the area?
• How much did they buy it for?
• What is the crime level like in the area? Compare to current area to get a realistic idea.
  

hethmar

Gawd, I think Id be suicidal if I were the seller To be honest a lot of those would be covered in the details and your solicitor would check on planning and developments. All good questions and sensible, though I think Id baulk at asking how much they paid for it.

Good luck

Oh, add to your list - visit at various times of day/night/weekend to see if there are any problems with parking/noise/kids hanging about and so on.

Oh and ask what their situation is - have they found a property, is it in a chain.

RetroBob

The planning one could be softened - do you have planning permission on your extension/conservatory etc. It's not an easy ride, and would be gradually worked into the conversation rather than some kind of interview/Jack Bauer interrogation; but I don't want to waste my time, or indeed the sellers time by finding out something way down the line that I could have taken care of first thing.

The how much did you buy it for is a check to see how straight vendor/EA are being with me as provided it's a relatively recent sale I can find out online.

SuzySu

TBH if there were a problem (eg with neighbours, enough light, crime level) you would possibly not get an altogether truthful answer. Who is going to fess up and say "yes, the neighbours are noisy/awful/messy/rude" or "the house always seems dark" or "there was a mugging down the road last week"??

I think you have to be realistic and not go armed with that long list of questions. As hethmar said a lot of them would be covered in the EAs details (if they are any good). If you are really interested/bothered you could visit the area at different times of day to see for yourself.

poppysarah

Get the HIP before you view - it's got loads of info in.

hethmar

Sorry Rob, but Id be well upset if a ftb asked me how much id paid for my house. You can always check it out online without actually putting the question to them. The EA wont tell you how much it was last sold for unless it was very recent and he wants to make a point that its a bargain. If someone bought it 20 years ago, its really not relevant. And whilst weve had alterations to the house over the years, I doubt Id be able to lay my hands on the consents for someone to inspect there and then.

HH62

hethmar wrote: »

Sorry Rob, but Id be well upset if a ftb asked me how much id paid for my house. You can always check it out online without actually putting the question to them. The EA wont tell you how much it was last sold for unless it was very recent and he wants to make a point that its a bargain. If someone bought it 20 years ago, its really not relevant.

##

I would too...I'm an old 'un and the young 'uns need to realise that it's only been very recently that this sort of info about house prices has been widely available. Even up to a few years ago EA's simply wouldn't disclose that sort of information and you couldn't just tap on your keyboard to access it either....
Whilst I realise that young buyers and sellers may be very open about the price thing, it's worth remembering that us older sellers may not be quite so comfortable with this sort of discussion. Just check it online instead.

flea72

i would never tell someone what i paid for my house - yes its up to them if they want to view it online, but personally i dont see why, what i paid for my house is of interest to a buyer, nor any bearing on what i sell it for

Tbh, with a list like that, i very much doubt you will ever find a property that comes up to your standards, and as a seller, i dont think i would accept your offer (unless desperate) as you would strike me as being a bit OTT, and the sale would be a nightmare to go through with.

I dont think the location of the fuse box is something most people concern themselves with on a first visit, also the reason most people have decorated recently is because they are 'trying to sell their house'. Also noone would admit the real reason they are moving, espec if neighbour inspired, we can all come up with a feasible excuse.

Personally, i think you should be looking at new-build properties only, as that way you should be able to whittle your list down to about 2 questions, which would save yourself and any seller alot of time

Flea

MadMonkey

RetroBob wrote: »

• Why are you selling? If they are selling for a "bad" reason - i.e neighbour noise or similar they will not tell you !
• What are the local amenities like, shops, hospitals, leisure facilities, etc.?Again they will tell you what yo want to hear - not likely to say "actually we are moving because the local ameneties are horrendous !!
• What are the neighbours like? ditto they will not reveal that next door plays bon jovi at 3am full blast - unless there is a dispute over it
• What is the crime level like in the area? (follow up online)surely no seller will admit to living in a crime ridden area ?
• What parking is there? Is it enough?Yes - it's plenty - would you admit there was not enough
• Is there any damp? Structural problems? Any work done to fix these in the past?seller will either not know or not tell you unless it's very obvious
• When were rooms last redecorated? If recently, why?if a viewer had asked me this i would tbh think they were maybe a bit disturbed
• Where is the boiler? If gas when was it last serviced, when was it installed? Any problems? Would you admit to any problems ?

In all honesty if you were a seller would you be brutally honest to all the questions you have listed ? I m not saying sellers con you but they will tell you what you want to hear in most instances.
A lot of the list is good but needs to be researched online rather than hoping a seller will say "oh actually i am selling because my next door neighbour is a crack dealer and the woman over the road runs a brothel which gets a bit noisy - i have just redecorated to hide the black damp patches and so i could stick filler in the major cracks - the boiler bangs worse than the brothel but i am moving so won't get it fixed !!

]

cte1111

I think the main question that you've missed off, is whether you actually like the house. Most people choose houses on whether they've 'fallen' for them on some level, and I think it is a pretty good criteria. The rest should come later, maybe on a second viewing, after throughly reviewing the HIP and any other info that you can get from the EA.

I don't think there's anything wrong with asking why they are selling, as it helps to know how the chain is likely to go etc.

HH62

MadMonkey wrote: »

In all honesty if you were a seller would you be brutally honest to all the questions you have listed ? I m not saying sellers con you but they will tell you what you want to hear in most instances.

]

Having bought myself within the last 6 months this is absolutely true. I asked a clear question: 'does this room get direct sunlight?' (I suspected it was north facing but having forgotten to take my compass or plan of the night sky with me to the viewing I wasn't sure...).
Vendor 'ooooh yes you get the sun on here almost all day long summer and winter'.
6 months later that room has yet to see any sunlight at all and my neighbour told me 'I like the position of your house but Mrs X always told me it gets no sun at all on the side'
Caveat emptor. Most of what you need to know when buying a house can only come from your own investigation... apart from stuctural issues of course.