100 Things To Look For/Consider When Visiting Properties You May Buy

AdrianW2

googler wrote: »

Do you REALLY think there's the possibility that the cistern flush isn't working, and that the owners may have been throwing buckets of water in the pan for days, weeks or months?

Moved into our house last week. Toilet doesn't flush.

I don't understand it either, the previous occupants must have been throwing buckets of water into the pan or using the bath. It's a pain to fix (I haven't yet) because you have to drain the water and unstick corroded bolts, and when you've just moved in you need water.

Same with my parents in law's house, two of the three toilets weren't working.

jenny74

barnaby-bear wrote: »

Single fitted oven - sign of a cheap fix-em-up

That's a bit of a generalisation! I had a single gas oven fitted into my kitchen when I had a new kitchen about 5 years ago... It was most certainly NOT cheap!!! With hindsight, I would choose a double oven, but at the time, this was the only built in gas oven I could get, and at the time, I only wanted gas. Having cooked quite a lot at my SILs house using her double electric oven, I'd be happy with electric now.

Single fitted oven doesn't always = cheap!!

AdrianW2

googler wrote: »

Outside - take a compass to check N/S/E/W orientation

If you don't have a compass, Sky dishes are oriented roughly 35 (in the East) to 42 (in the West) degrees east of due south and so point south-south-east.

charlie61_2

terricfan wrote: »

Broadband availability!!

More accurately, whether the house is on a BT landline so you can get ADSL from anywhere, or a Virgin/whatever landline which might tie you to that provider or mean you have to pay a fair amount to switch back to BT.

Yes, I'm geeky enough that broadband would break a house deal.

(Flushing toilets I can do without)

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has been asking sellers about broadband availability. It would break a house deal for me too :T I don't feel such a numpty now, thanks

benjo

number of rooms...perhaps just as important is the overall size square footage available.

Outside the house - is the property on a private road or adopted street? if it is on a private road, what are the conditions of maintainance, public liability insurance?

danielanthony

siliconbits wrote: »

Before

1. Surveyor
2. Solicitor
3. Conveyancing

I am going house hunting this weekend with my missus, according to this I should have a surveyor and solicitor sorted, how can this be right if I dont know which house I want to buy?

Apologies for my ignorance but FTB here

DKLS

Have the neighbours got kids,/How many kids in the area, handy to know if you do have kids or are a child hater and want to avoid them like the plague.

googler

danielanthony wrote: »

I am going house hunting this weekend with my missus, according to this I should have a surveyor and solicitor sorted, how can this be right if I dont know which house I want to buy?

Apologies for my ignorance but FTB here

You can hire a solicitor and have him/her 'ready' to act on your behalf when you find the house you like. No harm in being ready, and it'll enable you to act quicker.

Not too convinced you need a surveyor lined up in the same way though.

superfran_uk

Agree with the above. Also solicitor and conveyancing are the same thing!

terricfan

Flooding risk? More precisely, both the property's height above sea level but also its position in terms of localised flooding. Is the house at the bottom of a hill or at the point of a street where the rain water will naturally flow towards you and perhaps into your driveway if it's below the level of the street.

Maybe even take a bucket of water and pour on to the side of the road to see whether the flow passes your property safely or tends to overspill down your driveway.......