Viewing a House - Tips

dc197

Take a tape measure if you want to know how wide something is. Do not worry about feeling presumptuous. It is a huge expense and you should satisfy yourself.
We took an extra long measure to every house we viewed to measure the gardens.

Darksparkle

Look for what they are trying to hide!

I always ask to see the home report before seeing a property so would already know if there are any major repairs needed.

bigfreddiel

Take pictures, ask permission of course. I do this every time I move. fj

walwyn1978

Visit the area at different times of day, if you like it on first viewing - is it noisy at 9am/5pm/8pm or whatever?
Ask them 'why' they're selling up if the viewing is done by the vendor - may tell you something about the house or area. They may not, equally, but it's worth the question.
Dont be put off by dated decor - paint and wallpaper is easy to sort. Instead, look at the internal layout - is it how you'd want? If not that's more expensive to sort.

Mr.Generous

Not in any particular order but things that cost us money when we buy a wreck ... roof, boiler, sealed units, mains board, sloping floors, damp, state of the garden, kitchen and bathroom, doors, outbuildings use and condition, guttering, flooring. You get a pretty good idea anyway when you look round, but dont be fooled by nice stuff they will be taking with them. A lovely leather suite and dining table might be distracting you from the phosphate attack on the concrete floor and Japanese knot-weed in the garden.

Davesnave

My previous comment was only partially tongue-in-cheek.

The fact is, when you view, either the agent or the owner will probably keep you talking for much of the time, so it's hard to focus. It's therefore better if one of you decides to be the mouthpiece and the other one just looks...hard.

It's an art, looking past other people's furniture and colour schemes and seeing what's really there. Also, consider how the space might work for you, rather than them.

We used to take our daughter, who's visually astute. She would just act dumb, but very often, it was her who knew the answer to some vital thing we forgot to look for, or ask.

Remember, a first look is just that. Measuring and photos can come on the second visit, It's how you feel about the property and its setting which matters first.

There should be a third visit too in many cases; that's when you bring in someone experienced, trusted and blunt. You might not always welcome the extra input, but you'll know if it's right!