questions to ask vendor on first viewing?

sammyw

Hi,
Just starting to look for our first home. We have been to see 2 houses so far.
What sort of questions do we need to be asking - I think we've got most of them covered, but would be interested to see what everyone else looks for/asks about on a first viewing.
We are hoping to buy in the area where we rent so we don't need to know about the neighbourhood as such.
Is there a list on here already? I've found advice for when you've got an offer accepted, but not really any advice on the search process other than check right move and zoopla.
Any suggestions?

go_cat

Neighbours , area, local schools, why they are moving would be my first questions. A lot of vendors offer information without being asked aswell

Gra76

I always ask the following:

Which council tax band is the property in?
What is the average gas/electric bill like?
Are there any problems with neighbours?
Are there any problems with the property, even minor ones?
If it's got a decent sized back garden with fences around it, who is responsible for the maintenance of them?
Have the vendors carried out any work on the house themselves while they've lived there?

I'm sure there's plenty more (and chances are you won't always get honest replies to the above questions anyway) but those are some of the ones that have been fired at me and that I've used during viewings.

beedeedee

Are there any kids or dogs nearby - this can be a blessing or a curse!

sammyw

Thanks for your replies - one house we've seen has a conservatory and extra ground floor room built on, what should we be checking about these sorts of additions? Do we just wait and rely on the survey to pick up any potential problems/issues with building condition?
Also, how do you tell the difference between mould from badly vented rooms and a serious damp problem?

getmore4less

make a list of dealbreakers and get out as soon as you know this is NOT the place.

house layout, garden, access, parking, location.
maintenance.(whats needs doing and costs)
problems especialy neighbours
value.
timescales

BertieUK

Conservatories can be very hot in summer time if they are facing south, ours is facing north and we have put shading film onto the southern side of the Conservatory roof glass to cut out the intense glare and uv rays at it makes a vast difference.

The film can be easily removed if required.

moneyistooshorttomention

Re mould v. damp - from what I have noticed the difference seems to lie in:

Condensation from poor ventilation = odd black "dots" in a small group on the wall or edge of ceiling or possibly a bit "yellowish" on walls with a bit of furniture in front of them

"Proper" damp = you'll see strips of wallpaper hanging off the walls (for other reasons than their kids being allowed to be vandals) or find bits of plaster coming up in little bubbles or "chips" from top layer of plaster coming off in your hand as you rub the wall.

Thats just my layperson's take on how to tell the difference. I guess another clue would be if the windows are a bit difficult to open, then that means the vendor probably hasnt opened them very often and therefore that would seem to indicate condensation, rather than "proper" damp.

Re neighbours - I tend to think that its not particularly helpful to ask about neighbours. Someone who knows that they arent a troublesome person themselves (ie they keep the house up/are quiet/etc) will be determined not to be penalised for any bad neighbours they have and will therefore avoid the question/lie anyway so as not to suffer because of something thats not their fault and not under their control. On the other hand - even if you then got a long spiel about just how wonderful the neighbours are/always there in "times of trouble" etc that wonderful neighbour could move or die anyway and you find you've got the Neighbours From Hell moving in.

getmore4less

sammyw wrote: »

Thanks for your replies - one house we've seen has a conservatory and extra ground floor room built on, what should we be checking about these sorts of additions? Do we just wait and rely on the survey to pick up any potential problems/issues with building condition?
Also, how do you tell the difference between mould from badly vented rooms and a serious damp problem?

Learn to look for obvious things that might be dealbreaker

Second viewing for the detail look.

Roof, gutters downpipes (inside the loft on second view)
windows, check they all open second viewing.
Doors do they open/close and do they rattle(very anoying)
all toilets flush and refill(noisy?) all taps work good flow.
pipe runs how long to get hot water to a tap.
any showers have proper plumbing.
All cabinets that have pipes looking for signs of unattended leaks.
check plumbing for isolation valves older properties won't so changing taps etc. gets harder.
Any recent decoration might be hiding something
floors any creaking

Electrics, check consumer unit(trips or fuses), all lights, and sockets(are there enough)

Ariel points

outside clear space at damp course level any slopes towards house drainage around garden patios will they flood when it rains

damp why, poor insulation, heating, leaks(see above) drying clothes in house, check extractors all work. if isloated to just a bathroom probably condensation from shower/baths in other rooms look harder.

Pennywise

sammyw wrote: »

Do we just wait and rely on the survey to pick up any potential problems/issues with building condition?

NEVER "just wait and rely on...." whether it's the survey or your solicitors or whoever. If there's something worrying you then tell your surveyor/solicitor specifically so that they can look into it properly.

A surveyor "should" pick up most important things, but you'd need to check exactly what the survey covers (i.e. understand the different types of survey), and there's no harm in pointing out anything specific - sometimes they can miss things - or even if it's not a problem they can put your mind at rest.

Same, and probably more important with solicitors. Remember they won't visit your property so won't know anything about it other than the EA sale particulars and the deeds/conveyancing paperwork etc. If they don't know that it's had an extension, alteration, etc., then they won't know to check for planning regulations, building regulations, guarantees, etc. OK, they "should" be told by the vendors solicitor, but they'll only work with what the vendor has told them. If there has been some building work that's not been disclosed by the vendor, it may be blindingly obvious to you as you've viewed it, but your solicitor is working blind. So, again, best to tell your solicitor everything you can about it so that they know to be on the look-out for anything relevant in the paperwork (or more importantly, know to ask for things that aren't disclosed to them by the seller).

Yes, I know, if things go wrong, you can sue the surveyor/solicitor, etc., but it's a lot quicker, cheaper, easier and less stressful, to be pro-active yourself to prevent things going wrong in the first place.

ognum

Always look up! You would be surprised to know how many people don't!

Than way you will see leaks, cracks etc.

Ask how long the heating system has been in, same for electrics updates.