Final viewing before or after exchange?

[Beaumon]

Just a quick question - hopefully exchanging on house next week some time, then completing the week after. It's been a few months since I've seen the house, and it seems like it would be a good idea to see it again before everything is finalised, to check that nothing has drastically changed.

Do people usually do this? If so, should I ask to see it before or after exchange?

Any thoughts welcome, thank you.

It's very normal to request a viewing prior to exchange to make sure everything is in order. Vendors just have to sell it to you in the condition it was at exchange so makes sense to have a good check through. Not a lot of incentive to let you in after and little comeback

Before exchange. You're committed once you exchange contracts and it could be very costly to pull out of the purchase once you reach that stage.

My recent purchasers came round four times before exchange. They were excited, wanted to measure for sofas, brought round parents and children. I was nervous that they would find something to put them off, but everything was fine. I think I visited my new house three times, but it was a new build. I'd definitely have another look and say you want to see it your furniture fits.

You do realise that exchange is the important bit, where you legally commit yourself? Completion is just a matter of putting a date on it.
View before exchange.

Thanks all, that's really helpful. That's what I had thought, just wanted to run it past someone else. I'll get the viewing booked in now.

As a seller, I would be nervous of letting buyers into the house immediately before we exchanged. I absolutely wouldn't want them pulling out or any CFery lowering their offer after going through months of conveyancing,

After exchange, no problem. Bring your family, your measuring tape etc

I do understand that p.o.v @Pipsquiggle but as PP have pointed out this is my last chance to check everything works and is still as it was when my offer was accepted many months ago. I'm not looking to gouge money off last minute, though I appreciate they don't know that. It's a bit of fixer-upper anyway, so as long as it's not on fire or knee deep in water I will probably be happy 🙂

@Pipsquiggle but for all the buyers know you've damaged the worktops, broken the shower screen and a few windows, spilt superglue on the carpet and had a wild party. Understandably people want to check that's not the case before they sign on the dotted line.

If a seller wouldn't let me check I'd be highly suspicious and likely pull out.

You will usually insure only from exchange, so a pre-exchange visit is fairly usual, especially if it's been a long time since you had your first and only viewing, and/or there have been any difficulties with the vendors about anything.

@Pipsquiggle we've all been there having a pre exchange wobble. But if they're that type they'll do it anyway. I had a cash buyer try and stitch me up earlier in the year. They did this by saying they wouldn't have a survey and then doing a valuation last minute which was dodgy nonsense. They simply refused to exchange without. It only went ahead as planned as I simply refused to budge. I had the trump card of being completing unable to take any less.

Yes definitely go back before exchange. My brother wasn’t advised to do this. Originally saw the house once due to Covid etc in the summer, survey all looked okay. When he got the keys in December the house was full of damp and mould which had obviously been covered up in the summer viewing!

Before and be wary of any seller that tries to put you off. But again before you complete.
you can tell a lot by how a home is maintained in what can be months between exchange and completion in a long chain.
I had movers who felt so sorry for us, they went for lunch because they were ahead of schedule rather than finish early for the day because “it would give us a chance to clean up “ before they unloaded our things.

if anyone ever suggests this to you on moving day, a) explore if they can do temporary storage and b) book a hotel and a fumigator !

We didn't do this personally, but if you are wanting to then it needs to be before exchange, as if they have drastically changed something your not happy with, it will be too late after exchange to do it without losing your deposit......

Wish we'd done this before exchange, moved in to find a leaky boiler that had clearly been dripping for a while.

Edited to add: also no power in the kitchen because they'd unhooked their spa and left a cut cable end wrapped in tape outside the house.

Definitely view if you can!

Before exchange definitely.

If I was a seller I wouldn’t allow a viewing after exchange because I’d see it as extra stress to get the house ready when it’s not needed because the deal is pretty much done.

Also if you see something you don’t like after exchange then nothing you can do other than pull out and lose your deposit.

We went back before exchange. Just to check some small things!

Before exchanging - we didn’t, was a divorce situation and one of them trashed the house. Moved in to no electricity or heating / hot water. Worst day of my life (we love the house now though)