What questions to ask?

kezzygirl

We are viewing a property on Saturday as first time buyers, kind of feel as though we don't know what we are doing(!)....can anyone suggest what we need to be asking the estate agent about the property? It is on a private road and I have started a separate thread discussing that, I have asked over the phone about the heating system (it is an electric boiler, 10 years old, but they have stated it is 97% energy efficient?I always thought electric was more expensive?) It has some panel heaters but also some normal radiators.

I plan to knock on the neighbours door at some point to ask about the road maintenance etc. Here is a link to the house http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-59255512.html

It has been advertised since april this year and they have reportedly had one sale which fell through. thanks in advance

troffasky

kezzygirl wrote: »

it is an electric boiler, 10 years old, but they have stated it is 97% energy efficient?I always thought electric was more expensive?

If 97% of the electricity it consumes is turned in to usable heat, then that's quite efficient isn't it? Electricity is more expensive than gas [about 4x], so it will be more expensive to run. So it is both efficient and expensive.

If you have a ready supply of cheap electricity [eg solar panels] then you'd definitely be using electricity in preference to gas.

Why is 97% only "quite" efficient? An electrically-powered heat pump can yield 3x the amount of heat it consumes in electricity - that is efficient.

JoJo1978

https://hoa.org.uk/advice/guides-for-homeowners/i-am-buying/top-tips-clever-questions-to-ask-the-estate-agent/

This will give you some ideas

G_M

duplicate thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5749329

Now vote n this thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5749194

kezzygirl

G_M wrote: »

duplicate thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5749329

Now vote n this thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5749194

How is it a duplicate thread when i am asking separately about the implications of having a house on a private road? This thread is asking for advice about what questions to ask when viewing a house with a view to buying it

G_M

voted yet?

kezzygirl

We have looked around the outside, the garden needs a lot of work, fence panels bent over and broken, conifer trees very tall and loom over the house, garden completly uneven, noticed a crack on the inside pane of the double glazed window, the back door moves from the frame back and forth slightly when you shake the handle and there is a visible crack up the wall in one of the rooms......what could this be? the house is only 10 years old.

lincroft1710

What's the history of the property as in its 10 year life it doesn't appear to have been looked after. Cracks can be caused by something quite normal such as settlement or something much worse such as subsidence.

kezzygirl

lincroft1710 wrote: »

What's the history of the property as in its 10 year life it doesn't appear to have been looked after. Cracks can be caused by something quite normal such as settlement or something much worse such as subsidence.

The estate agent said on the phone that the person built it and rented it out since it was built. the tenants have moved out and the person is now selling it. I will discuss this further with him tomorrow, but the outside is very neglected, one of the pipes outside is showing out of the mud/weedy grass as the garden appears so uneven

sulphate

General questions...

why are the vendors moving
how long have they lived here
what kind of interest have you had in the property so far
has the property been extended

A lot is property specific. So with this one, you might want to ask how long it's been empty for, what is the situation (probate sale? or moved into rented? etc), if there is a management company and what does that mean for you (you might have to pay a fee).

lincroft1710

Which would explain the recently fitted carpet. Perhaps I am being unnecessarily over cautious or even illogical, but something about the place would make me personally put it on the reject pile.