What Do We Look For When.....

Hi
You have received some very good advice, I would recommend to check the area you are going to look first, check if they are preschools/schools even if you don't have children of school age,as it is important once you decide to sell the property, check if the post office,banks,shops,public transport is accessible ,check environmental issues, such as the previous land use,any rubbish disposal sites ,hazardous materials storage facilities,flooding history,etc .
Also check the social make up of the area.it is important to know what kind of people are most likely to live there.There are websites,like upmystreet.co.uk where you can find
Loads of information.
Once you are happy with the area,drive around in different times of day/late evening, check how the properties are looked after,if there are any signs of vandalism, boarded windows ,noise, litter on the streets,etc.If there is quite few boards for sale,and not so many for lettings, it is a good sign.
Now if you are happy with the area,go to all the estate agents who are listing (you can take their numbers of the boards for sale),and from local paper,and register with them.
Explain in great detail what you are looking for,as a first time buyer you will be contacted first with new properties on the market.Make sure you have a proposed mortgage offer ,and proof of deposit,to be in the best position to have your offer accepted.
When you view the house for the first time,check it from the outside first,for any signs of structural problems,check cracks ,mainly in the windows/door corners, and around the edges of the walls.
Check he roof for any missing tiles,plants growing,or signs of problems,sometimes replacement tiles are too heavy,and they cause problems if the roof was not supported .
Check for any signs of problems with guttering.
Once inside, have a look at the ceilings, and imagine your furniture fitting in,as you will see the size of the room better,check the walls for damp,electrical fittings,heating and hot water boiler,check the windows,watch out for signs of mould,bad smells,etc.Do not get distracted by clutter,decor,furniture.
Check the position of the garden,south ,south west and west facing gardens will have the most lihght.If you feel comfortable ,and the house seems in a good condition,ask a few questions about the area,next door people,how long they owned the house,why are they moving,and what is their position-you don't want to be stuck in a long chain.
The second viewing shows you are interested,and this is the time to ask about council tax,water,electricity,gas rates/average bills.any reported problems,check what in the house will need to be done,for example replacing central heating would cost about £4000 for a 3 bed house,£4000 for the kitchen,£2500 to replace a bathroom,£2000 to redecorate,£2000 to have new flooring,£2000 for a damp course,much more if there is damp,as the walls would have to be stripped and replastered,about £4000 for PVC windows,double that for wooden.Rewiring would be about £3000.
If any of those are outdated,you should reduce the asking price -you can always ask a trade person to come and give you an estimate.
Be careful about asbestos,especialy if there is artex on the walls,and the more obvious places would be under stairs,facias,fireplaces,roof.Always ask if there are any problems
With the next door people,it is illegal for the vendor to withhold this information from you,and if in doubt,contact the local council,if there were any reports.
Also,ask if there are any convenats,and if there is a history of structural problems/repairs.
Certain constructions of the building are very hard to mortgage,the estate agents will be aware of this.
I hope you will not fel intimidated, once you know what you have to be careful about,it will be fun to look for a new home,you can always ask an experienced friend,or a tradesman to come and view with you.
When you are prepared to make an offer,use the fact that you are a first time buyer,and can complete within 6-8 weeks,this often gets a lower offer accepted.There are websites where you can check how much other houses in the postcode sold for,have a look at the ones sold in the last 6 months,and
make a slightly lower offer than the average selling price of simmilar properties.Do not rush ith another offer,if rejected,unless it is a highly desirable property.Good luck!!