Viewing first house tomorrow

campbell19925

Hi everyone,

I am going to view 2 houses tomorrow and I am seriously interested in one of them. I have never bought a property before and I will be buying alone (although living with partner & baby) I will be viewing alone and I will be viewing with the vendor.

I am a complete newbie and I am wondering if anyone can provide me with some questions to ask that are really important?

Few I've come across so far are; Does it have double glazing? What are the neighbours like? Something about the boiler?

If anyone can give me any tips that would be great.

Also, the estate agents I have organised it through have set me up with a mortgage adviser straight after the viewing, I don't know if this is normal?

If anyone wants to see pictures of the house I'm viewing and that would help I can send a link to rightmove, cheers.

Thank you in advance everyone.:beer:

BrownTrout

1. Cancel mortgage advisor after viewing. You are not doing any favours seeing him
2. Depending on house look behind stuff which looks like it has been placed there.....

cooltt

Yeah as BrownTrout says forget the mortgage advisor from EA they just want commission and will not be in the slightest bit interested in what YOU want or need. The estate agent works for the seller NEVER forget that no matter how nice they seem.

House tip:
Decide what is really important to you and go from there e.g.
I want a shower with decent water pressure so i would try the shower, is it electric or plumbed in?
I want plenty of outlets in the rooms so i would look for them
I want central heating and / or a wood burner
I don't want to be fixing roofs or walls as soon as i move in so i'll be looking closely at the inside and outside, door window frames etc
State of garden?
State of windows, doors, fittings

Just really take your time and browse with a mental list of must have and maybe live with etc.

Be polite ask questions.

melanzana

Is the area convenient for your needs?
Is there enough outside space for you
Is the street relatively well kept
Are neighbours gardens OK (no sofas in the front garden or cars on bricks, ha ha, and a reasonably maintained back garden, you can tell straightaway).
Is parking an issue (BIG RED FLAG)
Do you need to be close to a good school
What will your commute be like

If the house is relatively well maintained, a survey will throw up anything major. Redecoration is what everyone does in time anyway!

Scout out the road at night and weekends for anti social stuff, and noisy neighbours. Might sound extreme but this is going to be the biggest financial committment of your life so it is worth it.

Best of luck, it is so exciting to buy your first home.

campbell19925

Thanks.

They told me free, no obligation appointment so I don't see how it could hurt?

I want a bath but will definitely try the shower, that makes sense.

Another weird one, do they have to tell me the truth? The vendor could make stuff up I probably wouldn't even know. Is there someone you can hire to help you vett a property?

Also you said, a survey, what is that?

Robin9

Somethings will be obvious - double glazing, boiler.

Look beyond the decoration and their furniture .

As you've probably already found out - babies take up a lot of room.

Storage - built in wardrobes

cooltt

Don't be silly now you don't need to get anyone to "vet" a property because you're going to live there not them. Most things are taken care of during the survey etc which is generally where any big money concerns spring from but nothing beats being super diligent yourself based on your needs.

The "free" quote will hurt i guarantee it! Please take the advice on here do not entertain it.

p.s. Theres nothing stopping any vendor being economical with the truth.

Ms_Chocaholic

Is the house structurally how you want it in terms of the size of rooms etc as it's difficult to knock down walls etc whereas wallpaper/carpets are much easier to replace.


When I look at houses I also consider layout, I prefer those with a hallway and not having to walk through one room to get to another, ie not walk through the lounge to get to the kitchen from the front door/bedrooms.

kazwookie

Look at the windows, doors, any cracks in the walls, what is the drive / garage like, where is the bus stop / train station, nearest schools, layout of rooms, garden, fencing, ease of access into the garden etc.
Stand in garden and look up at roof any times missing
Look in loft
What shops //night clubs are in the area
What are the neighbours like / how long have they lived there
Any subsidence in the area
Any thing odd in the garden ie sub station / sub pumping station
Kitchen any sign of any leaks from washing machine / dishwasher as this may indicate the floors may need changing
Cracking floor boards
Gas bolier when was it last serviced
If near a river / stream when did the area last flood

Cakeguts

If you want off street parking check that there is a dropped kerb.

Slithery

campbell19925 wrote: »

Does it have double glazing?

Why ask? Surely it will be obvious from the viewing...