FTB questions

robedha1

Hi,
I've just got an AiP and need to start looking at houses. I'm quite nervous about it.
I've been looking at properties online and have found a few I want to look at although most of them are at the top end of my budget.
I was wondering if anyone has any helpful hints and tips on what to look out for when viewing a property.
I'm buying on my own, do you think I should take a relative or friend when viewing?
Also, has anyone put an offer in on the first one they viewed? I've seen a 2 bed house which I like the look of from the agents website, It's priced much lower than others in the area due to the fact that it need updating although from the pictures it does not seem too bad.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Excited13

I am also buying on my own and I took my mum to all bar one of the viewings and my sister to a few others. A second pair of eyes is definately a help so I would recommend. Having said that the property I didn't take my mum to the first viewing off is the house I'm now buying (she came to the second viewing).

I found the houses I loved on the internet I hated in reality and the ones I was only going to see for the sake of it were the ones which got onto my short list. My advice is see as many as you can even if you don't particularly like them on the internet.

grifferz

My partner and I are in the same position. Here's the sorts of things we try to ask/look for/keep in mind:

• Try to get an idea why the vendor is selling - can be a challenge as vendor may not be present, agent may not know or may not know so decide to make something up. The purpose being to gauge how quickly they need/want to get the property sold.
• Try to see past the vendor's decor as it's usually easy to change.
• A smart vendor will have decluttered but if they haven't, try to see past that too.
• Ask to see the boiler, ask for details about the kind of heating installed (is it gas, combi? water tank? immersion heater, etc). Ask when it was last serviced.
• Ask same about the electrics, ask to have a quick look at the consumer unit. Even if you have never done more than change a fuse in a plug, you will be able to see what sort of age it is from a quick look.
• Before your viewing you will have been able to see the EPC report. It's worth tracking down the full report if the agent has only provided an excerpt for download. You can download anyone's EPC from https://www.epcregister.com/reportSearchAddressByPostcode.html if you have their postcode and house number. You can probably work out the house number from streetview. If there's anything unusual in the EPC, ask them about it.
• Pay attention to the states of windows and window sills, look for excessive condensation.
• Feel the walls near windows, checking for damp. Be a bit suspicious of areas that have obviously been painted very very recently. Damp can often give off a musty smell as well.
• Do more than glance at the walls - if they are uneven it will give you some idea of the plasterwork underneath. A tap might tell you something about the plaster also.
• Try to get a look at the condition of the roof, look for loose tiles, excessive moss, damage to guttering, soffits, fascias etc.
• Ask if the loft is boarded. If it is, ask if there is access to pop your head in. That will let you take a quick look at the condition of the inside of the roof as well. Look for what the insulation is like, if you can see any patches of sky (!), any telltale staining from previous damp etc.
• Check what the floorboards are like upstairs. If they are very bouncy there might be an issue.
• Consider the state of other properties in the street especially close neighbours.
• Visit the location at several different times of day to see how noisy it is, what sort of people hang around there etc.
• Have a chat to someone who lives nearby but not a direct neighbour to ask what the neighbourhood is like.
• For leasehold properties you need to ask about the length of lease, ground rent, service charge, any odd restrictions in the lease (no pets, no subletting) and so on.

Probably more things I have forgotten right now.

It can't hurt to take a friend. They will spot things that you didn't and have a different take on the property, guaranteed.

If you really think that you've found the ideal property within the first few places that you see then maybe it could be a good idea to make an offer. Personally however we have decided we want to view in person a good range of properties before making an offer on anything, unless we see something that totally blows us away.

As a result, to date we have seen four different places, two of them were "maybes", one of those is now sold. So if we later decide that place was "the one" then we've missed out on it. We weren't blown away though, so I think we're doing the right thing. You may feel differently.

robedha1

This is the house I'm interested in viewing.

http:// www. zoopla. co.uk/for-sale/details/27536269?search_identifier=4db24f933903159404832822761ffe00

It's £15-20k less than others in the area and seems to be bigger too.

Any opinions on it?

Thanks in advance

Can't post links as I'm a new user. Sorry

Excited13

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/27536269?search_identifier=4db24f93390315940483282 2761ffe00

I don't know the area so can't comment on prices etc. Strangely it's not on Rightmove though. Probably worth a look as that's the only way you can realyy decide.

Mozzanov

I don't know the prices for that area, but a guy I used to work with lives there and he loves Blaydon. But I would also recommend looking at police.uk if you haven't. Everywhere has a bit these days, but look back over a few months for where you want to live - violent crime, criminal damage and arson, burglary, etc. You can see the "outcomes", too. I guess it's what you feel comfortable with. Have a look around at night too. There's one area I won't live as it has "criminal damage and arson" on every street, every month (or so it seemed), but the area I do want has a bit of crime, but during some months there's none on that street, so overall I feel OK about it.

I spent a lot of time researching prices - on that street and also one nearby - using Zoopla and OurProperty. I already knew it was overpriced, but this really gave me a better idea of how the prices have been over the past five years. Sometimes with Zoopla you can see the archived listing to get an idea of condition at the time of sale. (It really helped me to understand that the seller is wanting top of the range price applicable to a fully modernised three bedroom in that area, for a property that is two bedrooms and needs a lot of work.)

robedha1

Thanks Mozzanov.
The crime on that particular street seems to be virtually none existent and not too much for the surrounding area either. Better than where I live now, my car has been vandalised 3 times in 2 years. We suspect it's one of the neighbours for daring to park in front of his house.
I'm going to try to arrange a viewing on the house. Will I be able to take pictures while I'm there?

BitterAndTwisted

I can't see any reason why the agent wouldn't allow you to take some photos during a viewing as the property is obviously unoccupied. I'd be interested to know the reason. Probate sale? It looks likes someone's renovation project to me. I wonder when they bought it and for how much?

robedha1

The last time it was sold was 1998 according to Zoopla. I'm taking a guess that the current owners haven't changed much since then.

[Deleted User]

grifferz wrote: »

My partner and I are in the same position. Here's the sorts of things we try to ask/look for/keep in mind:

• Try to get an idea why the vendor is selling - can be a challenge as vendor may not be present, agent may not know or may not know so decide to make something up. The purpose being to gauge how quickly they need/want to get the property sold.
• Try to see past the vendor's decor as it's usually easy to change.
• A smart vendor will have decluttered but if they haven't, try to see past that too.
• Ask to see the boiler, ask for details about the kind of heating installed (is it gas, combi? water tank? immersion heater, etc). Ask when it was last serviced.
• Ask same about the electrics, ask to have a quick look at the consumer unit. Even if you have never done more than change a fuse in a plug, you will be able to see what sort of age it is from a quick look.
• Before your viewing you will have been able to see the EPC report. It's worth tracking down the full report if the agent has only provided an excerpt for download. You can download anyone's EPC from https://www.epcregister.com/reportSearchAddressByPostcode.html if you have their postcode and house number. You can probably work out the house number from streetview. If there's anything unusual in the EPC, ask them about it.
• Pay attention to the states of windows and window sills, look for excessive condensation.
• Feel the walls near windows, checking for damp. Be a bit suspicious of areas that have obviously been painted very very recently. Damp can often give off a musty smell as well.
• Do more than glance at the walls - if they are uneven it will give you some idea of the plasterwork underneath. A tap might tell you something about the plaster also.
• Try to get a look at the condition of the roof, look for loose tiles, excessive moss, damage to guttering, soffits, fascias etc.
• Ask if the loft is boarded. If it is, ask if there is access to pop your head in. That will let you take a quick look at the condition of the inside of the roof as well. Look for what the insulation is like, if you can see any patches of sky (!), any telltale staining from previous damp etc.
• Check what the floorboards are like upstairs. If they are very bouncy there might be an issue.
• Consider the state of other properties in the street especially close neighbours.
• Visit the location at several different times of day to see how noisy it is, what sort of people hang around there etc.
• Have a chat to someone who lives nearby but not a direct neighbour to ask what the neighbourhood is like.
• For leasehold properties you need to ask about the length of lease, ground rent, service charge, any odd restrictions in the lease (no pets, no subletting) and so on.

Probably more things I have forgotten right now.

It can't hurt to take a friend. They will spot things that you didn't and have a different take on the property, guaranteed.

If you really think that you've found the ideal property within the first few places that you see then maybe it could be a good idea to make an offer. Personally however we have decided we want to view in person a good range of properties before making an offer on anything, unless we see something that totally blows us away.

As a result, to date we have seen four different places, two of them were "maybes", one of those is now sold. So if we later decide that place was "the one" then we've missed out on it. We weren't blown away though, so I think we're doing the right thing. You may feel differently.

No where near the viewing stage yet, but I'll be keeping this list for when I get there - some great advice and pointers!

Thanks,

D9

Layla_T

You can take as many people with you as you like but in the end everyone has different taste and you're the one who'll be living there.

If you've just started looking and you don't really know what to expect you're going to need pointers on more than just viewing. The whole process is exhausting but if you're prepared and have the right advice you'll get through it. I've been working in property sales for years.
Happy to give you any advice you need, just message me, in the meantime here's some tips on viewing;

Ask plenty of questions, especially if youre meeting an agent ather than the vendor;
How long has the property been on the market?
Why are the vendors selling?
Do they have somewhere to go or are you likely to end up in a chain?
Has the price ever been reduced?
What's the council tax band?
What are the neighbours like?
Which way does the garden face?
How old is the boiler?!
What would the vendor be leaving in the property?
Has the vendor agreed an offer previously which fell through?
If so why did it fall through?