Questions that all FTB's should ask when viewing a property

zippygeorgeandben

Hello all you lovely lovely people,

Now I've buttered you up with the above opening line I just wanted to ask you all one question which I think will help FTB's (like myself) when we plunge into the housing market (and no, this isn't a question about falling house prices...!)

There are many questions that FTB's should ask an EA or the sellers when viewing/purchasing a property but sometimes the questions are so bleeding obvious it is easy to forget them and it can all seem rather daunting when viewing properties

I've read so many great posts on MSE (it must be the best site around!) that I've started a notebook of questions to ask EA's/sellors when I finally go looking at properties with my partner.

So far I've only got 4 questiosn but I'm hoping that this thread will grow and grow and people will post what questions they think a FTB should ask regarding property, obviously these apply to other buyers as well but they probably know the routine by now!

This is what I've got so far
1) How long has it been on the market?
2) What is the seller's position? i.e. quick sale, just been divorced etc
3) Are there any developments/changes planned within the immediate area we need to be aware of? i.e. major link roads.
4) How many sq. feet/metres is a particular room? This can be used as a bargaining chip then as it's an unusual question (I think?)

Looking forward to the responses from all you lovely lovely people.

Ben

PS You see i started with a compliment and ended with one as well! :T

carly

Ask about the neighbours.
Do they have barking dogs, do lots of noisy DIY at weekends, mend cars on their drive, have parties regularly, etc etc etc
its amazing how these things could spoil your enjoyment of a property if you like a quiet life

zippygeorgeandben

Brilliant Carly. Thanks for that.

That's what I like about renting at the moment, if I have problems with neighbours, I could just move out no problem!

Ben

tbs624

Ben - if you're planning on turning this into a Wiki, or similar, like the recent one for renters its probably best to check with the MSE admin people first and flag up your intention early in the thread. Check out the 2nd point under the blue headed bar over there to your right and then scroll down to very bottom of the page & read through "full Ts&Cs"

Richard_Webster

I did post this before and got told off for an indirect reference to my website (since removed.). If you are persistent with a bit of Googling you can find the webpage if you really want to, but if not here is an extract of advice about what buyers should consider when dealing with sellers:

2. Will there be difficulties related to the Sellers?

Sometimes you will have to weigh factors about the property itself with questions about possible delays and changes of mind. If possible, try to get to talk to the sellers themselves at some point, rather than doing everything through the estate agents. Issues to consider and ask about are:

• Why are the sellers moving? Is it a clear reason like a job move or a bigger house for growing family? If so they will perhaps be more motivated to see things happen.
• If they are buying something else, are they being realistic about what they are looking for?
• If there is more than one person involved, are they both agreeing in what they say to you? If not then they may never agree about what they want to buy, or may change their minds about selling at all later on down the track!
• Following the last point, if there is a divorce or a separation involved, have all the financial arrangements REALLY been agreed and finalised?
• If they have found a property to buy, how long is the chain above them?
• Are they, or someone in the chain above, buying a new property that is still being built? There could be a long wait for completion until it is finished.
• If you need to complete by a certain date and that might mean the sellers will have to move out into rented accommodation or with family, remember that until Exchange of Contracts there is no binding commitment, so you can only go on your assessment of how personally morally committed they are. DO NOT accept what the estate agents say about this. How do you know the sellers weren't caught at an unguarded moment and when asked, said that maybe, perhaps, if it really came to it, they might be able to go and stay with family...? Make sure you talk to the sellers themselves and get them to think through what is involved in e.g. moving out to rented or family without proceeding on a purchase, so they don't say later that they didn't realise how difficult it would be....

Is that any help?

And...visit the area at different times of the week/times of day and even knock on neighbours' doors to ask about the property or on some pretext - may tell you something about the neighbours!

Look over garden fences to neighbours' gardens - if they are very untidy this might tell you something, or even worse you might find something like a pile of scaffolding poles with the neighbour being a scaffolding contractor who loads his truck at 5.30 am every morning!

dander

I always thinking asking a seller straight to their face "why are you moving?" - it gives you a chance to study their response for any signs that they don't like the house for some reason. Equally, ask how long they've been there, if they're moving soon after buying I'd wonder why.

mlz1413

Ask what businesses there are in the area, what hours they are open and what impact it has on the area.

When I bought a house back in 1991, I thought the new building 1 door away was 4 flats - wrong! A sign went up 2 weeks after moving in, 'health and fitness club'. You would be amazed at the amount of people who drive to keep fit centres and this one was in the middle of a residental one way street, parking became a nightmare all day and up until 10pm at night!

Also if buying a flat, how many years on lease, how much to extend lease, how much ground rent & management fees are, is the equalization fund good, is the management company any good.

SquatNow

How about "will you take a fiver?"