FTBS - How many viewings before finding property?

moneyistooshorttomention

I wouldn't say its pointless personally.

I know my own method boils down first and foremost to:
- first time "Which are the best roads I can afford?"

and the second time to "Which are MY roads?"

After narrowing down to best or (this time) MY roads then there simply isn't many houses left to choose from - as there will only be a certain number of houses up for sale at any given time in "best possible" or "MY" roads - hence the not needing to see many houses at all in order to choose. I just take it that "Whats the point of looking at even a positively lovely house if its in a road I don't personally want?" as I'd only get frustrated at wishing I could physically pick the house up and plonk it in the roads I have decided are Search Territory for me.

I'm quite definitely an advocate of the "worst house, best road" school of thought personally.

phoebe1989seb

As FTBs I think we looked at around five or six. Since then (a further five moves), I don't believe we've ever looked at more than six - usually because what we're looking for (a characterful project house) is in very short supply. Even when we've been searching across several counties we've never found that many we'd want to view. Last time (2011) we viewed five, three of which we offered on

lessonlearned

This is one of those "How long is a piece of string" questions...

You know you've seen enough when you've found the one you want.

Of course if you lose it then unfortunately it's back to square one.

It is a good idea to view a selection based around your price bracket and criteria. This then gives you a better idea of what is or is not "good value".

It can also be a good to get ideas of how to rejig a layout, what decorative finishes work best etc.

Last Saturday I viewed four "bog standard" 2 up 2 down Victorian terraced properties with my son. Each one had been changed internally over the years and the re-jigged layouts were all completely different.

It gave my son a better understanding about which kind of layout would work best for him.

We didn't find "The One" - we have another 4 booked for next weekend.

I_have_spoken

we're not particularly picky people!

Have you got a list of must haves, nice to have and definite no-nos and know the location(s) you would consider?

ajayre

US - about 50
UK - about 20

Andy

onlyroz

I think I saw about 20. I nearly bought one but pulled out after the owner became difficult. I put in an offer on another which got turned down. The house we eventually bought had been on the market for about a year - it's main downside was that it had a jungle for a garden and no carpets, but we loved it immediately. We've been here for six years and are currently extending it so that we can stay here for at least another ten.

Davesnave

My FTB house was the only one I viewed and I viewed it once.

It went to sealed bids in a matter of days and by the end of the week it was all over, bar the legal stuff.

I knew what I wanted. Although other houses came up, I only looked from the outside at those, then decided I'd just wait.

This was all a long, long time ago in an economic landscape far from here!

Davesnave

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Now wondering why some people look at 50 or more properties.....anyone who looks at LOADS of properties care to share why they looked at so many please?:)

Yes, we were looking to move to a completely different area, so we needed to become familiar with that and what it could offer in our price range. It was a good way to meet people and hear their opinions. People offer all sorts of info, often without realising.

We were also looking at types of property completely new to us. Did we want 20 acres or 2? Would it be better to buy a large house with little land, a smaller house with more, or two average-ish houses and rent one out? We looked at all the permutations.

Where we were looking, there was much "hopeful" marketing, so we found research confusing. By the time we were able to buy we were confident, so we only viewed a handful of properties in six months.

Then, out of the blue, we bought a house somewhere else altogether!:rotfl:

Ivana_Tinkle

I've always tried to view everything in my price range that meets all my "essential" criteria (in terms of location, number of bedrooms etc). I've never seen the point in trying to narrow down the selection too much just based on Rightmove listings as some agents are so clueless. My last 3 houses had terrible Rightmove listings and photos, so languished on the market for ages and I think I got a bargain. If I'd done a shortlist of, say, 10 to view, I don't think any of them would have made it.

As a FTB, I think I only viewed 3 flats, because there weren't any others I could afford. Last time, it was 50+ houses, but I am never, ever moving again so it was worth it!

moneyistooshorttomention

Some agents are indeed hopeless at marketing places - or at least merit a "could do with improvement". This time around I felt though that months of viewing absolutely vast amounts of property online and knowing very precisely what my requirements are next time round meant I could rule out the vast majority of houses without having to go and look at them in person. That - and I'm so focused on "area first, house second" in my viewing considerations. I'd take a very "old-fashioned" house in correct location way ahead of a perfect/downright lovely one in worse location personally.

Just as well I took that viewpoint in the event - as I came out of the houses I didn't intend to buy feeling really bad about the pleading "PLEASE buy my house" look that was always there in the vendors eyes (apart from the one whose house I did decide on - who couldn't get the grin off his face from the second I turned up for a second viewing....). Fingers crossed he still has the smile on his face - though I've been waiting for the last couple of weeks to be able to "firm up the offer" on his place (ie courtesy of my buyer arriving on the scene).

I just couldn't do it personally to view someones house if I didn't think there was a real possibility I might like to buy it...as I just couldn't face raising the hopes unnecessarily of all those people who didn't have a realistic chance of selling their house to me anyway. I just know that I always regard every single viewer of mine as "They must have liked it online and be seriously considering it and only want to see it with their own eyes and, if they think its good enough, will put in an offer...." and the ones who don't seem to have considered it thoroughly in advance are a real disappointment (as I made sure there are good photos of every bit of the house and a plan online to make sure that every viewer is a Highly Likely - as they can see so clearly what the house is like before coming). I hate finding a viewer has only been sussing out my house layout to see if they might like it - as I expect them to have decided that online and whether they would keep it/change it or wouldn't want a house with that layout in the first place before even ringing my EA.