What do you look at before viewing?

Procrastinator333

I aim to do a fair bit of research before deciding to view a property. Just curious what research others do before a viewing and if they think it was a good idea? I use the following before a viewing:

The bee - How long has it been on the market?
http://www.property-bee.com/

Google Maps (streetview) - What does the street look like? What does the neighbours house and garden look like?
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

How much did the current owner buy it for, or how much did similar properties go for and when?
http://www.houseprices.co.uk/
http://www.nethouseprices.com/

How many crimes have been recorded on that and the nearby roads and how does that compare to where I'm living at the moment.
http://www.police.uk/

A bit further down the line, I might also use something like this to find out the ages and length of time the neighbours have lived there for (if not found out while viewing).
http://www.192.com/people/

InkZ

Yeah that's about it. Oh, and photos of the house from the estate agent

Pupnik

If it is an area I am close to I go and scout out the area before the viewing. I look out for things like graffiti, empty/ derelict houses, any vandalism, whether residents trust the area enough to have things like pot plants/ garden gnomes/ hanging baskets or whatever else on the front of their house, and just generally get a feel for the street and surrounding streets. It is also good to pop along at a few times of day to get a good idea of where the light is at particular times of day and of course what the traffic is like.

hcb42

That is a bit more online research than I do, but then I havent bought for six years.

I go around and get a feel for the area, several times

I use Streetview and nethouseprices now though.

molit

I dont just drive by, I have a walk around the area. Also check out the local shop if there is one - the stock they have can tell you a lot about the area

Procrastinator333

Cheers, just wondered if there were any other nuggets of info I was neglecting, guess not...

go_cat

Definitely visit at commuting time to see how hard / easy it is to get out your road,

at night to check for anti social groups hanging around / nearby car parks that boy racers meet and rev their engines:)

Speak to the neighbours

Check for parking availability at various times of days esp if near a school /hospital/ large orgnaisation etc and on a weekend - if your drive gets blocked every day because someone parks there it may be irriating likewise if there is no drive and you wouldn't be able to park near your house

Guitar

Check out the local council website too, they'll often post potential redevelopment plans years in advance.

poppysarah

Council tax banding and whether it's up for change.

pill

Sometimes there is some useful information to be gained from:
http://www.upmystreet.com/

celyn90

We went for a walk around each area at different times of the day/evening
Looked at the neighbours houses, spoke to the neighbours if we saw them
Local council's planning website was really useful; pending planning apps
Tracks and rights of way, public spaces
Local amenities - in particular things that can (but might not) cause a disturbance like pubs
Bus routes
What the parking is like - do people park on the road/have garages
I pulled the details off the land registry for a couple of houses we looked at, as well as finding the original plans for the developments.
House prices in the area, historic and current. Fluctations in price for that particular house.
Crime figures and mentions in the local press

cel x