SupaMiniCupa

I'm off to view a house in the morning, first time I've ever been to see one with the (possible) intention of buying.

I've got all the stuff from the Estate Agency. What questions should I ask the owners tomorrow?

It's just me going to start with, but if I like the place, I'll go back for a second viewing with some backup.

Any help appreciated!

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Ask what the neighbours are like (if not detached)! There is nothing worse than having noisy neighbours. I used to be bombarded with Westlife played loudly and repetitively during the day by our old neighbours then the other side would listen to the telly all evening at full volume both downstairs and upstairs . If the house doesn't have a drive find out what parking is like in the evenings, in fact take a drive down the street at various times of day and night.

Edited to ad watch for signs of lying

davegtt

Check all the electrics are working.

Ask what council tax band the house is in and what they pay.

Ask what the average bills cost for water/elecy/gas etc.

Make sure the boiler works for the heating

MattN

The first viewing is all about how you feel about the place, location etc. Don't get cuaght up in what to ask etc. Just see if it feels right. If it does arrange a second viewing and take a list of questions, some of which may only become apparant after seeing the place for the first time.

Dream Weaver

As Matt says, you'll either love it or hate it straight away, so have a god look round.

If you like it, go for a second viewing and make sure it meets your needs. This is the time to get more details, check on neighbours, parking, central heating, electrics etc

philc

keep a tick list of your minimum requirements as it's often easy to get side-tracked and forget what you're looking for, eg:

single garage
central heating - gas
3 bedroom
sep lounge / diner
min. garden size
easy access to transport / schools
etc

Tiggs

if its only a first viewing you should do this:

(and this assumes you have allready done a drive by - unless its miles away dont waste someones time by viewing when you may hate it the second you pull up)

Arrive, ring bell....say "hi...i'm here to view the house...do you want to show me round or shall i just mooch around on my own" and thats it.

you just need a feel...who cares about the tax rate at this stage.....you will know if its for you within 30 secs and then its all about the second viewing with partner and your sensible head on.

oh...and sound keen and be nice, if you buy from them they are more likley to sell if they think you are a good bloke that wont screw around.

T

ps- if they open the door and you know its not right....leave then. I must have walked away from 20+ houses over the years when they open the door and you know its not for you.......dont waste their time by being polite if you dont like it.

David Lock

It is strange but if it is for you you will feel that in less than a minute. And it's usually the female that decides!!

Agree that you need to avoid the detailed questions but if there are things important to you then ask away - like local schools and transport. If it's cloudy ask where the sun is as a lounge on North wall is no fun.

Nothing wrong with taking a check list and ticking off. Note these days sellers and agents need to be truthful. If someone says neighbours are great but it turns out they are the reason vendor is selling then you have comeback.

Best of luck! dl

David Lock

Edited to add. From the seller's point of view the worst thing you can say is: "Yeah we like the house. Actually our's isn't on the market yet but it will be soon and we know it will sell quickly".

MY00PPP

drive past at different time of the day (without becoming a stalker of courses).... monday on the way to work, friday night and saturday afternoon.... good way to tell 1) what the neighbours get up to (if anvil is working on his 3L granada on next doors drive) and 2) problems with parking street parties or hoards of asbo happy kids on bikes.

TopBanana

Just do a quick viewing first. If you don't like it, don't waste their time trying to be polite. If you do, come back with your missus / mum!

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

Would agree with the posts above - have a quick look and if you like it and are thinking seriously about buying it, then try and find more details about what it is like to live there. Haning around in the evening, especially on a Friday or Saturday can let you know a lot about what an area is like.

Last thing you want is to buy the house and then find you're next door to the local pikeys or an old deaf couple who have the TV on full blast all night.

Often a good tell tale sign is to look at the neighbours gardens - if they are well kept and neat, it normally points to someone who takes pride in their house and is generally a decent person - if the garden is full of rusting washing machines, and old Capri on bricks and a couple of stained mattresses, you know to run as fast as you can.

Once you are seriously interested then ask more specific questions like have there been any disputes with the neighbours, what has been done to the house and when ( e.g. if it had a new boiler 6 months ago ).

I think a lot of buyers are a bit embaressed about asking lots of questions, but when you consider how much money you are spending, then do it - if the seller or agent are unwilling to answer or are evasive, then think twice about the house.

You wouldnt buy a second hand car without checking its service history, getting an AA report, kicking the tyres and having a test drive, so why spend 10 or 20 times more on a house and not do the same ?

Foot_Tapper

In addition to the above lolol....
ignore the general decor and colours
No one usually likes the same colour schemes, a red wall, green settee, ignore all that.
But do pay attention to the condition..look at the outside as you approach..
Have a glance at the roof for missing tiles
Look at the walls for crumbling bricks or missing pointing.
Look at walls for discolouration ( or green) point to damp proofing problems.
(oh and the neighbours gardens )

Internally again look for discoloured walls,
botched DIY (points to suspect maintenance)

jasey

Ask them if they paid to have the decoration done and if they got a refund - always impresses .

As stated - first viewing should be about emotional feel for the place - 2nd viewings are for the serious stuff.

If you like it - ask when you can come back (at a different time of day).

If you really like it ask them if they'll take 15% less than the asking price if you can deal by the end of next week.

Fat Boy

It's imperative that you take a long leisurely dump on the throne as you'll be spending a lot of time sat there if you buy the house.

I find pickled eggs, cabbage and a curry a useful primer

HTH

Drunken Bungle Whore

First of all expect to be disappointed - that way anything else is a very pleasant surprise! We saw dozens of houses that looked ideal from the estate agent details and were enormously let down by the real thing.

• Beware of estate agent pics taken from unusual angles - they're usually hiding something.
• Look at the room sizes and compare them to your own to get a real idea of size.
• Look up the property on Google Maps and check out the satellite pics (or Multimap and the arial pics)
• Check out the Planing Portal to see if anything major is planned nearby
• As already said - ignore decor, furniture, clutter, pet smells etc. If it's in a state then used that as a lever to get a good deal on the price (that's what we did - now we're getting a fab house and have budget to do it up just as we want - all just cosmetic. )
• When/ if you go back do so at a different time of day. We took a trip to our potential new place just last night to check out the commute from work, ensure the local pub was up to scratch (it was!) and take a walk around the place in the evening just to check it all out.
• Most of all enjoy being nosey - poke into cupboards and see how they live - I loved viewing houses it was so much fun!

Huw Jorgan

Fat Boy, you didn't view a house at the end of last week did you? Had a very irrate vendor on the phone last Saturday morning having come home to find thet the toilet had been used & not flushed. Viewer denies using toilet, negotiator says she doesn't recall viewer using bathroom & she also denies using it.

OP, agree with everything that has been said so far, first viewing is all about getting a feel for the place, second viewing is about asking questions.

richardg

good advice. everyone likes to make their own mark when they buy a new home, so the current colours are irrelevant. condition of decoration is a little more important than the colour scheme(s)

SupaMiniCupa

Thanks for the advice everyone. Just got back from the viewing, and was mightily impressed... To be the fair the bloke gave it more of a sales pitch and showed me round, rather than asking questions. All seems good so far, though obviously I'll do a bit more digging with some moral support on next viewing.

Ta!

davyboy

You'll miss stuff, but don't worry too much about that.

I once bought a house with a kichen that had no draws....and I veiwed twice!

Dave

Fat Boy

Huge - <shaggy on>It wasn't me <off>

mightyyid

One other thing (before and after) - check out www.ourproperty.co.uk - free to register and as long as you change the search dates back to 2000 it will provide all the prices the other houses sold for in the street. So you can see how often people have moved, what the prices were, whether the neighbours on either side are old, new or whatever... gives you a lot of information if you digest it and better than your own opinion (which can be clouded - no offence) but an objective viewpoint at the general state of the street.

Helps to see it from a different angle.

Andy

richs2891

Read the information that the Estate agents give you on the house so you dont look like a complete muppet and ask questions like does the house have a gas hob, gas cooker etc. When the leaflet clearly states its electric !
Just my 2 pence worth !

Richard