Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

things to look out for when viewing a house

63 replies

comeondover · 05/04/2025 12:55

Check if your phone has reception there. Turn on the taps to see what the water pressure's like. How overlooked is the garden? What else?

OP posts:
cakeandteaandcake · 05/04/2025 12:59

How many electrical sockets are there in each room and where are they? Is there space for a dishwasher, if that matters to you?

CatrinVennastin · 05/04/2025 13:09

Try and suss out the neighbours…

what is the parking like if there’s no driveway.

Friend has just moved due to neighbours who were very noisy and had six cars to a four person household!

TranceNation · 05/04/2025 13:15

Yep your neighbours are going to dictate how happy life is going to be there. Check to see if they are owner occupied or if they are rented. Perhaps a drive by spot check on a weekend and weekday evening to see if they are playing loud music etc in the evenings.

AdaColeman · 05/04/2025 13:16

Cracks in outside walls which have caused bricks to split in half are more serious than cracks which only follow the line of the mortar.

If there are any nearby businesses, try visiting at different days and times of the day so you can see and hear how the businesses might impact you. For instance a workshop might be quiet on a Sunday when you view but noisy on a weekday.

DilemmaDelilah · 05/04/2025 13:19

Look at the state of the roof and the gutters. If it's been raining, see how well the water drains away, are there any puddles? Does the garden get any sun? If so, what time of day. Is there double glazing - what state is it in?

Just a few things... I can think of a lot of other things I would be looking for.

JBJ · 05/04/2025 13:22

Check the toilet flushes, the bath isn’t patched up and the shower works! Also that things on the kitchen worktop aren’t covering up a huge burn hole and the staircase isn’t held together by the badly fitted laminate flooring! Can you tell my house was an absolute delight when I first moved in? 🤣

Main thing I would check for, other than things previously mentioned by PP, is storage potential, as I’m hugely lacking in that and have had to be very creative at fitting in cupboards and shelving.

CoastalCalm · 05/04/2025 13:24

In reality you’re not going to be able to check everything , I’d focus on double glazing units to see if any are blown , the decorative order , water pressure , central heating system & boiler , sockets in rooms and space for laundry / dishwasher appliances

Original poster
comeondover · 05/04/2025 13:35

Thanks all, am taking notes. A dishwasher is a non-negotiable for me, @cakeandteaandcake

How can you tell if double-glazing has blown, @CoastalCalm ?

OP posts:
C8H10N4O2 · 05/04/2025 13:47

comeondover · 05/04/2025 13:35

Thanks all, am taking notes. A dishwasher is a non-negotiable for me, @cakeandteaandcake

How can you tell if double-glazing has blown, @CoastalCalm ?

You may see signs of condensation within the sealed unit. They don't last forever but its fairly easy to replace individual sealed units and the cost is obviously a lot less than replacing the whole window.

I had a small/medium sized sealed unit replaced not that long ago and the unit itself was about £50 plus fitting charge which will be area dependent.

Gundogday · 05/04/2025 13:53

Visit the house at different times of the day, to check for noise, parking issues etc.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 05/04/2025 13:59

If your house fronts onto a pavement - can people look in and see you if you are sitting down? My house is raised above the level of the road so nobody (except for my friend on her horse) can see in through the windows, and she can only see me if I'm standing up. My daughter's house is level with the pavement and on the route to a local supermarket, so she's had to work out curtains/shutters so that people can't see her lying on the sofa to watch Bargain Hunt.

Original poster
comeondover · 05/04/2025 14:43

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 05/04/2025 13:59

If your house fronts onto a pavement - can people look in and see you if you are sitting down? My house is raised above the level of the road so nobody (except for my friend on her horse) can see in through the windows, and she can only see me if I'm standing up. My daughter's house is level with the pavement and on the route to a local supermarket, so she's had to work out curtains/shutters so that people can't see her lying on the sofa to watch Bargain Hunt.

Yes, it would seriously interfere with the downtime to be gawked at by passersby!

OP posts:
GnomeDePlume · 05/04/2025 15:01

Look up.

Outside look at the roof line and if there is a chimney how secure it looks.

Inside look at ceilings, checking for damp marks and any signs of damage.

Look at walls.

Outside look for damaged bricks. Look at the damp proof course, is it being bridged anywhere resulting in damp seeping up.

Look at the electrical fuse box, is it old, new or somewhere in between. It should have a sticker on it saying when it was installed. Check numbers and positions of sockets.

With the owner's permission turn on hot and cold taps and flush a toilet. How long does it take hot water to come through, what's the water pressure like, how long does the cistern take to refill.

Obviously a surveyor does much more but if you do these checks you may save the price of a survey. Unless of course you are looking for a doer upper then just assume the worst.

Pancakeflipper · 05/04/2025 15:03

Where are the sockets - how many a d ate they in 'sensible places'.

Where can the hoover, ironing board be homed and good places to dry washing inside.

WhichOneIsPosher · 05/04/2025 15:40

Make sure that if the house has had any walls knocked through, there is a beam in place to support the floor above so it's not likely to fall down into the room below (speaks from bitter experience here)

YogaLite · 05/04/2025 15:46

Which way the garden is facing
Any mobile masts, pylons or electrical substations in very close proximity.
Who owns which fences.

cakeandteaandcake · 05/04/2025 15:59

GnomeDePlume · 05/04/2025 15:01

Look up.

Outside look at the roof line and if there is a chimney how secure it looks.

Inside look at ceilings, checking for damp marks and any signs of damage.

Look at walls.

Outside look for damaged bricks. Look at the damp proof course, is it being bridged anywhere resulting in damp seeping up.

Look at the electrical fuse box, is it old, new or somewhere in between. It should have a sticker on it saying when it was installed. Check numbers and positions of sockets.

With the owner's permission turn on hot and cold taps and flush a toilet. How long does it take hot water to come through, what's the water pressure like, how long does the cistern take to refill.

Obviously a surveyor does much more but if you do these checks you may save the price of a survey. Unless of course you are looking for a doer upper then just assume the worst.

You don’t need permission to try the taps and toilet! That’s really basic and reasonable during a viewing.

Firenzeflower · 05/04/2025 16:01

Make sure there is no shared access. No scared garden, drive or anything of the like.

GnomeDePlume · 05/04/2025 16:14

cakeandteaandcake · 05/04/2025 15:59

You don’t need permission to try the taps and toilet! That’s really basic and reasonable during a viewing.

Show quote history

It's always best to check. It is not uncommon to find that plumbing hasn't been fully finished.

clinellwipe · 05/04/2025 16:18

We bought our first home last summer and made a few rookie mistakes…

  1. it had a beautiful HUGE new kitchen. We very nearly didn’t ask if they had a dishwasher (assumed they did) but last minute asked… the seller said no but there is space set up for one and pointed to a cupboard unit next to the sink. We took her word for it… the reality was that no dishwasher would physically fit in there because of the way the kitchen had been built. Took a lot of money and time to install one

  2. there was only a single electrical plug socket in each room… bloody single!

  3. we donated our perfectly working washing machine to BHF charity shop as we were inheriting hers that was already installed… it was completely broken but obviously didn’t realise until we had already moved in.

Something we DID check was the water pressure. You always need to check that the shower isn’t a dribble of water

Original poster
comeondover · 05/04/2025 16:26

YogaLite · 05/04/2025 15:46

Which way the garden is facing
Any mobile masts, pylons or electrical substations in very close proximity.
Who owns which fences.

How close is too close? And are they all equally bad?

OP posts:
BrickHedgehog · 05/04/2025 16:28

Check access to the garden , my parents bought a lovely semi detached house and didn’t realise until they moved in that you can’t get round the back without going through the house .

Lazycatsitsonthemat · 05/04/2025 16:31

comeondover · 05/04/2025 13:35

Thanks all, am taking notes. A dishwasher is a non-negotiable for me, @cakeandteaandcake

How can you tell if double-glazing has blown, @CoastalCalm ?

There is a cloudy condensation like thing between the panes.
Check which way the house faces ,how much light and sun the garden gets. How old are kitchen appliances? How old is the shower etc? Any signs of damp/mildew/poor ventilation. Who owns perimeter fences. Overhanging trees . Look at the neighbours houses and drives and their cars. Are they well maintained? How much traffic do neighbouring roads get? Check if neighbours have annoying barky dogs.

Original poster
comeondover · 05/04/2025 16:31

I've just remembered another one. If you can, look inside the cistern. If it's mouldy, there's likely a bigger mould problem somewhere you can't see.

OP posts:
cunoyerjudowel · 05/04/2025 17:05

check out transport to schools and colleges - lots of places don’t actually get transport / no public transport- this means your school run will go on for 14 years