Viewing etiquette

kay0601

Hi everyone! Hoping for a wee bit of advice. I’m viewing my first ever property this weekend and I’m looking for hints and tips for what to do/ ask/ what not to do or say. Any advice greatly appreciated.

ReadingTim

It's customary to conduct the first viewing in the nude - this ensures both buyer and seller has nothing to hide. Literally.

Wyndham

Be polite, be nice. It's reasonable to ask questions, but also helpful if you know what you want to know before you go. Second viewings are common, and I've found that they are where my questions may get more specific, and perhaps a little more challenging.

You may need to see a few houses to work out what is (and isn't) important to you.

May also be worth trying to find out why they are moving, but they may not be too willing to impart this information. I tend to ask 'are you moving far?' as that is less confrontational than 'why are you moving?' If they are moving around the corner to a bigger house due to an expanding family, or moving a distance due to work commitments, then the house is probably fine.... if not... well, you may have a bit more digging to do!

davidmcn

Pretty normal to ask around how long they've been there, what they've done to the place, what the neighbours are like, what the neighbourhood is like in general. They'll probably tell you much of this anyway. I wouldn't expect much meaningful discussion about the price, they'll probably refer you to the agent for that, but you might get some idea of how much interest they've had and how keen they are to sell.

AdrianC

I prefer to do first viewings with the agent rather than the vendor, simply to save the problem of whether to lie or just be non-committal if I really don't like it...

On a first viewing, you're just seeing whether the house lives up to the promise, and whether you can see yourself living there. If you're at all seriously interested, you can have a second viewing, and that's when you can ask the stuff that's non-obvious.

Apart from that, it's just basic manners. Ask if they want you to take your shoes off, and either follow whoever around or ask if it's OK to just have a wander for yourself. If you want to have more time or a better look or think you're being waved past something, don't be afraid to ask.

Parkingfines

Also look behind things that look they have been placed there. That hide cracks etc. Not that I have ever done that

billy2shots

A bit late now having arranged the viewing but what I would always advise is doing as much homework as possible (I'm sure you did).

Looking on rightmove and all the details that are on there will rule out 99% of properties.

Check the area is where you want to move to.

Check local schools

Check floor plans for room layouts and sizes.

Check recently sold prices for comparable properties in the area.

Once 99% of houses have been ruled out, do a drive by if close to where you live or work. Ideally visit in the evening or weekend when most people are home. This will show parking issues and guide you how busy the road will be when people are not working.
This will rule out another 0.8% of places.

If all that stacks up then start viewing what's left.

We were looking for 2 months, searching rightmove etc 5 times s day, getting details sent through from agents every 5 minutes. Out of thousands of potential houses we viewed 4 before offering on one.

ACG

If you like, say you like.
But dont go round bouncing off the walls with excitement saying your sofa will look nice there - when it comes to negotiating you have shown your hand.

Offer to take your shoes off - especially if they do not have shoes on (wear matching socks :P).

Ask anything you think is important - crime, neighbours etc.

Do not trust a word of what the vendors or agents say. If it is not in writing, it could be a lie.

CarrieVS

Be polite and friendly. Seem interested, but not excessively excited (no need to make the agent or vendor think you love it so much you'll pay anything.) Ask if you should take your shoes off before walking on their carpet.

If pets are present, either quietly ignore them, or if you like the variety of animal on show, it's generally ok to greet them/ask their name, but don't make a big deal of it. Similarly with babies and toddlers.

If it's the vendor's home, then be mindful that it probably means a lot to them and consider whether they're going to be offended by any particular bits of feedback or intentions to make changes. (If you're looking at buying someone's investment property this doesn't apply so much.)

Some people will take you on a guided tour, in which case you may as well do the rooms in the order they suggest, as you'll be seeing them all anyway (if they were to skip over one, you should ask about it.) Others will sort of wave you through and follow your lead - just do each room in a sensible order.

Don't forget to see the outside spaces. Look at the condition of the outer walls, for cracks or other damage, and the roof, front and back (you need to get a little way back to see the roof. I normally check the front roof from the other side of the street, before I knock on the door. The best place to see the back roof may be the back garden, or somewhere outside the property.) If you can, have a discreet nosey over fences at the neighbours' gardens too.

Peek into built-in cupboards if possible - but if in doubt ask permission, as it could be a little bit intrusive.

Ask about anything that seems unusual or interesting.

Ask if the attic is boarded (assuming there is an attic) - I don't normally ask to see up there if they haven't offered, at least not on a first viewing, but I'm not saying you shouldn't.

Watch out for anything that smells funny. Cooking smells or dog smell are obviously not much to worry about - cigarette smoke, unless you smoke heavily too, might be more of an issue, and anything that could be damp is something to think about. (But don't confuse damp with un-aired rooms, especially in an empty property.) I viewed one recently where we smelled gas in the walk-in cupboard where the boiler was!

Try and turn on at least one tap upstairs, see what the water pressure is like.

lookstraightahead

Don't talk about price. Be polite about 'how' you look round as it's their home and it tends to make owners feel a bit vulnerable. But after the first viewing before the second/third ask everything from why they're moving, any problems with neighbours, any noise, any structural problems, definitely how old the boiler is and other expensive stuff.

Slithery

Take a bottle of bubbly with you, it's expected by all vendors.