First time buyer, looking for any advice

Rosepod5

Really do appreciate everyone’s advise and personal experiences. In response to some questions.
Currently looking around Leicestershire area to get closer to work.
The estate agent turned the water off and drained it via the taps in the property so I could not check the water pressure or shower.
Could not see much visible on the boiler itself but will if I go for a further visit to check the door I will insist on details for the boiler/service.
The house is about 15 years old so the sockets all look modern and consumer unit looks ok.
I’m trying to not rush into it, it’s very hard once your ready to buy. You just want your home now but I’m going to be patient.
Apparently early in the year the full asking price was agreed on the property but fell through which is why it’s been on so long.
The house has been sitting empty since that time.

AvoidTheLemon

A house is only worth what someone is willing to pay for. You can look at sold prices on Rightmove for similar properties (house type, tenure, etc)

Doors/windows - if there are any faults you could ask that these are repaired as part of your offer and exchange only once this is done
Water - as previously asked, what water?
Heating - this is a sign that condensation damp is an issue or it is poorly insulated if the agent has put it on just for the viewing. It may be that the vendor has the heating left on to prevent condensation damp building up. Ventilation and heating both affect damp in an unoccupied property. A good survey could provide an insight - briefly having the heating on before a survey wouldn't significantly affect moisture readings.

Boiler - you'd need to ask a boiler engineer to take a look (a survey wouldn't cover this as they are not specialists in this area). Again you could ask for it to be serviced as part of your offer to confirm that it is in good/safe condition

Should you ask for information? Yes.. you don't have to commit to purchase just because you've seen it and you should want to know information about the property/asset you are buying. You are within your rights to ask questions and get the answers. They may genuinely not know some of the answers. If they are hiding answers then it suggests an issue. Alternatively, sometimes sellers wonder why you are asking questions that they didn't ask when they bought it.

If you really want to know about the properties condition and have a professional valuation you can get a Homebuyer Report or Building Survey with valuation. This will ensure you know of any potential issues before making any legal commitments to purchase and can either help you buy with confidence, renegotiate the price based on problems found or walk away. Avoid The Lemon provides quotes from independent chartered surveyors and I can advise you on surveying in more detail if you'd like.

As others have said December is traditionally quiet and the market picks up end of Jan/Feb so you may find other properties to compare with then.

Good luck with everything

ACG

Rosepod5 wrote: »

There just seems a lot of cosmetic work that would need doing and unsure whether I’m expecting too much for £220K.

Only you will know by the area, forget the street.

I moved house earlier this year. For £220k, I would expect a 3-4 bedroom house in a very good condition inside and out where I moved from.

For £220k I would expect a house owned by a 90 year old couple who had not touched the property in 20 years where I have moved to - ie it would need a new kitchen, bathrooms, windows, decorating, carpets etc.