First ever house viewing, how do I avoid making it obvious I know nothing?

[justshruggingreally]

Off to look at a house nearby with DP today, we currently rent. We decided to look a while ago then this property came up, it fits all our wants (on paper at least).

I wish we'd been round a few crap houses already because I'm worried it's going to be blindly obvious we've never done this before... I've been reading a library book on house buying but it wasn't great, and I've got a list of questions together after asking friends and also Money Saving Expert.

Does anyone have any tips for approaching this viewing? Is it better to keep our cards close to our chest in terms of our financial situation/how much we do or don't like the place? Or am I overthinking it?

Also, our plan was to have a decent look round and if we do like it, to arrange a second viewing where we go through the smaller details, trying taps and testing hot water, etc. Is this standard behaviour?

Finally, the house has been on the market for about 6 weeks. Would this suggest it's not being fought over or is housebuying so slow that they could be fielding lots of interest but none have been finalised?

Apologies for so many questions, I'm so keen to do this right. Thanks for reading!

My experience is first viewings are quite informal. I just use them to get a feel for the place, look around the area, look at the roof and electric sockets, smell for damp and try the taps. If I am interested I will try and find out why vendor selling, what sort of price they are looking for, and let EA know my position. I would be honest and say I am interested, need to discuss/think about it, not for me etc at end of viewing. I would then make a list of things to check for a second viewing.

I find I'm always a bit 'overwhelmed' with a completely new house to assess on a first viewing I forget to check for a lot, but always come away with a feeling of maybe yes or definitely no.

6 weeks is pretty standard and doesn't mean much

You don't talk finance with the owners at this point, this is about the house. Plan for two viewings is good but I suggest these thoughts:

• drive and walk by at different times. Pub? School ( litter, traffic) neighbour noise or mess? Barking dogs?
• which way does it face? ( map). Sun? Overlooked?
• check for general standards, space, does layout work for you.
• ask why they are moving
• how old is boiler? Any local flooding? New developments not yet in planning system?

Examples I came across included windows too low to see out without bending, a screwdriver jammed in a heating valve ( what else is bodged?) Garden on a steep slope, messy cat lady next door , nearby go kart track ( didn't even view that one!).

Nowhere is perfect but think what works for you. Good luck!

Ah, thank you so much! Loads of useful advice What does looking at electrical sockets involve? Just seeing where they are in the rooms?

I used to live down the road which is helpful as I feel like I have a good idea of what the area is like, went for a cheeky drive by yesterday afternoon but if today goes well will definitely head over mid-evening to make sure the cul de sac bit near the house isn't a dodgy spot...

Number of electrical sockets and where they are placed. If very few then you might be looking at a rewire...
Boiler age and placement also useful to know.
Our first house had boiler in attic and very very old so we were able to negotiate cost of that off asking price as needed replacing. Check all double glazed windows intact and not blown.
Look beyond the decor. Imagine it as a white canvas

You wouldn't usually be looking at a rewire to add some additional socket points, any electrician could do it quite easily.

Everyone looks round for the first time, just wander round, have a feel for the place, see if you like it. That's really what a first viewing is all about. Don't over stress it.

Do people really "try the taps"?!

Don't jump up and down with excitement saying 'I want it!' like I did with my first house. Had to pay full asking price

Just nod and 'mmmm', don't give anything away!

Parking, visit after tea when everyone is home and see how much parking is available or where CFN may be parking.

On a first viewing my instinct is, does this feel right? Nothing more, after that I would look into the rest. If you don't like the feel of the house and can't imagine yourself living there, who cares how many electric sockets are in the kitchen.

You could post the link on here and lots of us that have moved or spent years doing up crap houses can give our opinion on what to ask or look for.

On the first viewing you don't have to say much. But look look look at everything. Be nosy, poke around, look behind doors, look for the attic and how you get into it. Look for shabbiness. Look for darkness. Look at how much kitchen surfaces there are. Look at how old/shabby the bathroom suite is. Look at whether the showers are electric or boiler.

Going in think about what you really need to have. Do you need a second reception room? Do you need a utility room? Do you need a lot of light? Do you need somewhere you could turn into a playroom? Do you need a big bathroom or will a small one be fine? Do you need an ensuite?

And go around ticking those needs off silently in your head.

If the house doesn't tick them, then you won't want a second viewing.

And if it's a dud, tell the agent it's not right for you because XYZ. Everyone appreciates knowing. I viewed a glorious house but it once we arrived the walls were really low and the road surprisingly busy and the cars seemed fast. We immediately knew it wasn't suitable for small kids as we'd have to build up that wall pretty high which would cost a lot. We told the agent there and then and he said he appreciated it.

On a more intuitive note, as you approach the property try to imagine you're going home, does that feel good to you. You enter the house on a wet day, heavy bags, get off your coat and shoes, does it feel like a nice and welcoming space to be? Would you like to have your friends and family around? What's the layout like? do you have to go through rooms to get to rooms, or could you head straight for the kitchen to dump your stuff. What's the outlook like from all the rooms, the light? Is the space big enough for you to be comfortable and will you like the house equally as much during summer and winter.

All these are things that you usually absorb without thinking too much about it, or compromise a lot because you're not overly invested and know you'll be moving on.

I'd also concentrate on how well maintained it looks, the paintwork, the pointing in the brickwork, the window frames, gutters, drainpipes, driveway and patio if they have them and all that kind of thing. Look to make sure nothing's obviously bodged.

And the neighbours. We once saw a great house but the neighbours gave a bad vibe. Nope.

Do people really "try the taps"?!

Of course you do. Maybe not on the first visit but you want to be sure that everything is as it seems (says someone who, years ago, bought a house with a non-working shower).

OP, don't forget that if you do not buy this house then you will be looking at others, possibly with the same agent. As well as them selling to you, you need to sell yourself (without overdoing it) to them as serious buyers. But don't discuss finances with them - they will only try to flog you a mortgage.

I'd only look at things that would influence your decision - either the decision whether to buy or the decision of how much to offer. So we didn't try out all of the showers in every house we looked at because we'd replace a shower if the house we wanted needed it.

Im scribbling furiously, thank you all!

I flushed the toilet in one attic room - I didn't know much about mascerators, and I'm glad I flushed it, because it was still making a racket 10m later!

There's lots you can do without even viewing to help evaluate a property. I had a checklist of my existing rooms, cupboards, spaces, and what I'd like to use them for/gain when buying. If I couldn't realistically do it in the new house, that was a problem.

We spent about 20-30m viewing the first four houses we looked at, and didn't ask many questions. We spent 40m at the one we bought, then over an hour the second time (but we had a really good rapport with the buyers and just ended up chatting tbh).

The first house we ever viewed was perfect on paper. I spent a lot of time looking at floor plans and picturing where everything would go. I could picture us living there, pottering about in the south facing garden etc However, when we stepped inside, it just felt small. Narrow hallway, small rooms, no room to extend. After that, I had a much more open mind when viewing. We only viewed each house once, apart from one that was over budget and contract dependant due to price, and the one before the one we eventually bought. That was because I wanted my parents to see it, and Im glad they did as they then told us about our house.
I generally looked around at room size and if there was potential. Have in mind things you would love to see or be able to put in and things that are a no no. One house had no direct access to the back garden as you would have to go through a garage. This was an issue as we wanted to turn any garage into a wheelchair accessible bedroom for our dd. I always thought north facing gardens were my big NO, but my garden is north west facing and I would say it gets more sun than our previous south west facing one.
We only viewed the house we bought once and put in a full asking price offer the next day. The reason for this was all the previous houses we'd seen were more money and much smaller. This one already had an extension and so much potential.
There are things I wish this house had (ensuite for us would be nice) but there is so much more I like about it. Plus we have fab neighbours.
Enjoy your viewings, even of any horrible places (we saw one, it was eww!) and don't feel rushed into anything.

I would agree ignore decor, it can be changed.

Look also at floor plans, they give room dimensions. This is really important. Often estate agent pics can make rooms look way bigger than they are, so a visit causes a disappointing surprise.

You will generally know at your first visit if you don't like it. I rejected one empty house because it felt as though I was being watched all the time, really spooky, so I couldn't imagine being there alone, in the dark...
If you decide it may be for you, a second visit is the time to check taps, check that some idiot hasn't painted the windows shut (guess how I know that), check the boiler (age? well maintained?), check inside cupboards for hidden damp or cracks. I also check the condition of the roof using binoculars. May sound excessive, but I have been caught out before. Don't be too enthusiastic if you love it, keep your eyes, ears and nose open, but your mouth shut.

Yes, you don't need to spill out your thoughts or give too much away.

A good idea to rough out some ideas on paper about things you really don't want to compromise on, but agree to be flexible for the otherwise right house. Don't get too hung up if you have a huge dining table or fridge or something and it won't fit, things like that shouldn't be a deal breaker if everything else fits the bill.

Oh, one thing I will say about floor plans is they really aren't accurate. Ours made certain room layouts look possible when they aren't. One also showed a step in the outline, which wasn't there!

Check the doors - we've managed to buy a flat where the bedroom door doesn't shut 🙄 other than that I don't think it really matters - just have a casual look around to see if you like it. Don't gush but don't act like they're trying to trick you lol

Agree wholeheartedly with all the above advice and wish I'd had the sense to think of these things before buying our first house!

Me and DH bought our first house a couple of months ago, and while everything in general is fine there are some niggles that we didn't even think to look at on viewings. For example our dining room door doesn't shut, and there is only one double electric socket in the master bedroom. All things that can be fixed, but definitely things I should have looked closer at in retrospect.

Good luck!

Having moved last year after 17 years in old house I have to say Rightmove is your best friend. For me I almost know as soon as I drive up. Area is key for me. You also get a feeling.

In our last house which was rather quirky some people fell over themselves to rave about the large garden and woods. Other people said very little. The offer we got was only 5% less than asking price was from someone who didn't say much.

What I did find was that anyone who said or didn't say much (but was interested) organised a 2nd viewing very quickly.

Some people think by not saying anything they can get a better price.

If you like it do say its nice - doesn't mean you are committed to anything at this early stage

Thanks again for all the advice. The viewing was this afternoon - felt like we went in better prepared thanks to you lot. It's not the one, got a whiff of damp walking in and again on the stairs, it's been renovated to buy-to-let standards (exactly what we're buying to escape!) and the 'back patio' was essentially some steps.

I'm actually slightly relieved that we don't love the first house we see, id rather feel that we had a proper look around.

One last question, to avoid starting a new thread- from the cellar we could see the water pipes under the ground floor, they were plastic changing to copper just before going up through the floorboards. Is this standard or a cheeky shortcut to save money? I haven't seen it before but I've also mostly lived in old houses that the landlords neglect, ha...

Here's a pic...