Any tips or pointers at a house viewing?

trailingspouse

Before you start looking, write a shopping list. Literally write down everything you want from a house. Do it before you look at anything - because if you find a lovely house you might be tempted to make an offer before realising that it doesn't actually have half the things you need.


Divide your list into 'must haves' and 'would be nices'


So - must have 3 bedrooms, would be nice to have 4. Must have a downstairs loo, would be nice to have an en suite. And so on. Think about everything - rooms, aspect, garden, neighbourhood, schools, distance from work, distance from motorway, distance from shops.

Then think about what you can change, what you can't change, and what you have no control over. You can change a kitchen (even if you can't afford to do it immediately), but you can't change a north-facing garden. You have no control over who your neighbours might be.



Then you can start looking at actual houses - and check them against your shopping list. If you find a house that is perfect apart from... then you can decide if you're prepared to compromise.


When I bought my current house, my shopping list said 'village or suburban' - but the house I found had all of my must haves (and quite a lot of my would be nices), apart from it's on a main road close to the town centre. That's my compromise.

getmore4less

Have a good look at the outside.

Where are the drains(for access and any plans to build).
damp proof course not bridged.
any patio/decking slopes the correct way.
location of trees and bushes.
State of all the woodwork, windows and roof.
Boundary fences and walls in decent condition.
Other side of the boundaries look OK as well they will be your neighbours
parking on the plot and around the street
(This can change over time, next door to us had two cars and spaces but now their kids are older they have 4, two are on the road)


Check the local planning and building regs for the street and surrounding area.

if it has the map interface that will be easy to do.

DigForVictory

pioneer22 wrote: »

We bought a new build as our first home but now we're looking to move.

Congratulations - all the advice on 'must' & 'nice' holds, but make your lists separately then discuss them, (after a nice meal?).

Check you are on the same page - I wanted a place "we could really make our own", my husband wanted a place "where the children would survive the winter". (I regard some building detritus in my cereal as normal, he does not - childhood influences...)

If you are even possibly contemplating a family, research school catchment areas both primary & secondary.

It doesn't matter if you both drive & there's a bus stop in line of sight, ask if the local public transport is reliable.

Do, please, talk to the neighbours if at all possible.

Do please ask before taking photos, & leave detailed tape measurements til a second visit.

I might not ask about the local doctors & dentists at a first visit, but I'd like to know on a second.

Without wanting to sop up too much of your & the vendors time, it might be interesting to visit the house separately. You get double the opportunity to find out things, different perspectives etc.

Do ask roughly what the running costs are for the current occupants. They may not have switched providers or fitted a recent boiler etc but it's a helpful starter for 10 if they're willing to answer.

Best of luck!

pioneer22

So we went its a probate house and needs a bit of work to bring it up to speed. Smelt musty and damp I did really like it though.

Biggest thing for me was next door they had a yappy chihuahua I don't think it shut up the whole time we were there.

getmore4less

For a probate property you need to do some more checks.

A bit like divorce properties you need all the interested parties to be motivated sellers.
if the asking price is competitive probably OK but if it needs a big discount there could be a sticky beneficiary holding out for more and can delay the process a lot.

Also there is a slight risk that there may be a beneficiary wanting to buy out and they are testing the market.

If not vacant will the occupants be moving out(sounds like yours is empty)


Do they have the grant yet.
if they have how long ago, Council tax kicks in at 6 months so helps motivation.
If not have they submitted yet.

desdemona01

‘Take photos of the rooms that show how the people live in it, not how an estate agent presented it by hiding everything in cupboards for a photo’

I wouldn’t be too pleased with potential buyers wandering around my house taking random photos! Possibly on a second viewing and certainly ask permission first. It is someone’s private residence after all!

pioneer22

getmore4less wrote: »

For a probate property you need to do some more checks.

A bit like divorce properties you need all the interested parties to be motivated sellers.
if the asking price is competitive probably OK but if it needs a big discount there could be a sticky beneficiary holding out for more and can delay the process a lot.

Also there is a slight risk that there may be a beneficiary wanting to buy out and they are testing the market.

If not vacant will the occupants be moving out(sounds like yours is empty)


Do they have the grant yet.
if they have how long ago, Council tax kicks in at 6 months so helps motivation.
If not have they submitted yet.

Yeah it's empty, I will find out. When you say sticky beneficiary you mean like a brother or sister who would get a piece?

Price is OK but does need some work, it's 4 bed but 4th bedroom is tiny. Bathroom is very small as well.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63242241.html

googler

desdemona01 wrote: »

I wouldn’t be too pleased with potential buyers wandering around my house taking random photos! Possibly on a second viewing and certainly ask permission first. It is someone’s private residence after all!

What's the difference between the EA/photographer taking staged photos, and viewers taking unstaged, apart from that you may have moved a few things in the meantime?

If there's anything personal that you don't want the world to see, you would have cleared it away for the listing photos, wouldn't you?

Smodlet

googler wrote: »

What's the difference between the EA/photographer taking staged photos, and viewers taking unstaged, apart from that you may have moved a few things in the meantime?

If there's anything personal that you don't want the world to see, you would have cleared it away for the listing photos, wouldn't you?

The difference is the EA is there at your behest. Maybe you have no problem with a bunch of randoms traipsing around your home snapping away like crazy; some of us have a different opinion and would consider it a violation of our privacy and damned rude. It's probably a generational thing, as so much seems to be when it comes good manners; they are a dying art, imho.

NeilCr

pioneer22 wrote: »

Yeah it's empty, I will find out. When you say sticky beneficiary you mean like a brother or sister who would get a piece?



https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63242241.html

Friend of mine inherited a property with their two siblings. All three were the executors, too

It took fifteen months to get the house sold as the siblings wanted more than my friend for the house. They were both comfortable, financially, as well. So in no hurry. In the end it sold for what my friend was suggesting all along!