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Viewing a house the questions to ask?

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Going to view a house tomorrow, just wondering what the invaluable questions are to ask the vendor?

The house is currently in the process of being built and it just about up to 1st floor level.

Currently all I'm aware of in my naeivity is to ask if all the 'white goods' will be included (dish washer, cooker etc) and whether there is a preservation order on the trees in the garden as they will block out sunlight in the summer and it could be useful to have them cut down.

Help please.......

Thanks

Comments

  • LandyAndy
    LandyAndy Posts: 26,377 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    The warranty?
  • LydiaJ
    LydiaJ Posts: 8,083 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    When will they finish building it? When will they expect you to exchange contracts? If they want you to sign before they finish building (which they probably will) then what assurance do you have that they will actually finish on time? Do not exchange contracts on a property that may not be finished before your mortgage offer runs out - see many anguished threads on here from people who found they were tied into a contract with no means of getting a mortgage to fulfil it.

    Also (and less importantly) how much say do you get about the finish - colours etc? Is there a show house that they have already finished that you can see? In what ways is it different from the one you are considering buying? How big is the development going to be in total? How long would you be living in a building site for if you moved in once yours was complete?
    Do you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
    Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
    Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.
    :)
  • mbga9pgf
    mbga9pgf Posts: 3,224 Forumite
    Has the boiler got a service record?

    what paperwork do you have on the electrical system?

    Has the property had any issues with damp?

    What council tax band is it in?

    What are the neighbours like (in fact, I went round, knocked on their door and found out).

    How much was your gas bill over christmas?

    DO you have a chain?

    What is the lowest offer you will acccept (joking).

    A search on https://www.police.uk will indicate if you live around windsor castle or a crack den.
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    How much is social housing, which plots?

    If the trees are protected they'll already have individual tags on them, so you might like to look for yourself before asking questions.

    Are there any rules/regulations, such as not being able to park a commercial vehicle on the road, or not being allowed to have a garden shed.
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    If it's a one-off project by a small builder, look at the local council's website (planning portal), and consult the planning application for the site.

    Does the planning app correspond to what you see?

    Were there any objections by the neighbours to the development?

    Are there any reserved matters on which the council has yet to pass judgement, and which may hold up the build?

    Did the builder have any difficulty gaining permission?

    etc.
  • Look at previous houses built by these people on a different site...
    Go round late at night evening, say a Fri PM and see how it is. It could be a full on disco!
    Feb 2012 - onwards MF achieved
    September 2016 - Back into clearing a mortgage - Was due to be paid off in 32 years in March 2047 -
    April 2018 down to 28.00 months vs 30.04 months at normal payment.
    Predicted mortgage clearing 03/2047 - now looking at 02/2045

    Aims: 1) To pay off mortgage within 20 years - 2037
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Look at previous houses built by these people on a different site...


    Or, establish whether or not this is the vendor's first build.

    Is the vendor the builder? If not, establish who the vendor has hired for the build (if it's not displayed on-site). Have they had more than one builder?

    If it's a plot sub-divided from someone's garden, is the vendor the owner of the house with the rest of the garden? How do you feel about being their neighbour? If there's any dispute over the build, how will this affect your relationship with them later?

    What's the construction type of the house? Are they building it brick-and-block style, double-skinned cavity walls, or is it a timber-framed kit build? Are you particular about which type it is?

    Do you get to customise the internals, such as bathroom suites, style of bathroom, kitchen appliances, layout in the kitchen, do you want any customised electrics - specialist AV installation, cabling for audio or video feeds in most rooms, will the builder be running satellite cable in the walls, or will you have to do this later, etc? There's no point in them plastering everything up, only for you to rip it out in the first few months to install your wall-mount TV....

    If there's a garage, do you want power, light, water supplies in there? Do you get an option of a powered garage door?

    I could go on all day, but there's too much to type .....
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Do you get any choice of window design? Can you choose/are you bothered if certain windows are left-handed or right-handed opening?

    So many questions to ask...
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