🏡 First time buyer - Tips please for first ever viewing of a property

[PurplePanda1]

I’ve booked to view my first ever property tomorrow as a prospective first time buyer and I would appreciate it if you could please give me some tips on what questions to ask and things to be aware of.

Thank you

I have bought twice. In both cases didn't look at too many places (perhaps 8-10) and knew as we walked round if the place would work for us or not.
Questions only came after that, it was more if the place met our basic requirements and if it felt "right".
Keep an open mind, the second place we bought has a funny layout and not what we were looking for but it suits us and actually both decided it was the place for us before we even went upstairs....

Yeah we’ve always gone with vibe and our guts. If it doesn’t feel right there’s no point asking questions.

I guess ask the obvious eg if there’s any shared responsibilities eg maintaining a driveway if a flat for example, freehold vs leasehold etc. But there’s a lot to be said for buying a simple property - for me if there were loads of unclear things leading me to ask loads of questions, that’s a red flag and I CBA.

Good luck!

Think about what it'll be like to actually live there, in practical terms. For example things like where will you park? If you're watching telly, where is the loo? Is there enough room or have they made it look bigger than it actually is? A friend put really thin wardrobes in her flat and a 3/4 size bed to make it look bigger!

Is there enough storage space for your clothes and stuff? What is the length of the lease if it's leasehold? How much work is there to do?

Have there been any disputes with the neighbours? Is the garden big enough for you? Good luck.

I went with my gut. I felt in love with the property at first sight. However the estate agent was pleased I had seen a couple of other properties as he knew I was serious. Then I was informed there were 3 bids and asked to submit the highest and final offer. I was gutted to learn I was outbid. Five weeks later that person pulled out and the seller accepted my offer. I am still so happy with the place 2 years after moving in. I never found out why the other person pulled out

Don't look at the current owner's furniture and decor. The former won't be there when you move in and the latter can be changed.
If a property is cluttered the look at the ceilings for an idea of room sizes.
Take a compass with you to establish orientation of the property.

Ask what they are including in the sale. Will they include the shed?
On the other hand you don't want to be paying a mortgage for a fridge!

Look carefully at the neighbours and the surrounding area. Maybe even knock on a door or two and ask if people like living there. Go and see it at different times of day.

First visit is just a general feel - does the flow work right, can you see past their furniture and decor , are the room sizes what you expected from the plans , does everything look basically well
Maintained

Questions come later on a second visit

Things I wish I'd known when I was a FTB (and also when I was a FT renter too as it was similarly unpleasant.)

The estate agents will lie. (My best friend heard their agent lying on the Ring camera as they were showing someone around her property while she was out)

They are working for the seller and don't give shit about the buyers getting something decent/getting a good deal.

Don't feel you need to try to impress the agents, or put up with something you're not happy with in a property.

They will make up other viewings/deadlines etc to try and get you to close.

I feel they really play on FTB and it's very unpleasant.

If you really like it on viewing and think it might be a possible - ie don't bother if you realise it won't work for you - ask to "borrow" the loo and try the flush and taps to check for water flow rate, and how long it takes for the water to heat up. Ask how old the boiler is. Look inside built-in cupboards like airing cupboard or understairs cupboard (ask first in a "do you mind..?" way but the vendor shouldn't try to stop you). Note if it smells fresh or a bit damp. See if you can see the number of electrical sockets and if they look recent - some people put furniture in front of them so if you can't see any, I'd ask. Also have a quick look in the loft (again, if you really like the house) if they don't mind. You could also ask when items were installed. You're unlikely to get an exact year but a rough idea is OK.

Assume that if you can see any shoddy workmanship or lack of maintenance on the fabric of the building, there will be a shit-ton of dodgy work that will need addressing by the next owner. (Bitter, moi?)

I would add check how much light there is. You don’t want a house that is dark cos of its orientation or big buildings or trees blocking light into the house. Go for a walk around the neighbourhood and see if the houses are well kept with no rubbish around.

My top tip is not to behave like a houseguest. You don’t need to ask to ‘borrow the loo’ as a PP absurdly suggested - it is completely and utterly reasonable to turn on taps and flush toilets in a property you are considering purchasing. You also don’t need to ask before opening cupboards.

Other misc thoughts:

However much you love a property on first viewing, go back for a second look (with a few days in between). You will see it differently and notice things you didn’t see the first time.

Consider what is at the front and back, where windows are etc and if this works for you.

I regretted not checking how many sockets were in the kitchen and where they were.

Always try to see the bigger picture, as whatever is going inside the house can be changed/fixed, but what's going on outside is another story - neighbours, crime in the area, the speed limits, surrounding development plans, school catchments.

If you love the property and want to buy it, don't show it on your face.

The estate agents work for the seller and not in your interests.

Don't make an offer until the next day at the earliest.

Try to strike agood deal in case BoE doesn't cut in June.

I've always done everything on first visit. For me, second is for measuring up.
Perhaps it depends where you live - not many suitable properties available here,so I tend to snap them up.

• Use compass on your phone - main living spaces ideally south or west facing for maximum light.
• If you like the property, come back at different times of day to observe the surrounding - observe rush hour traffic (maybe sit in your car) and school run time in the mornings.
• If there’s a pub or cafe - spend time there, get chatting to locals for insider info - positive and negative points.

If its a flat, ask about freehold or leasehold
I agree with trying not to judge/care about the current curtains, furniture, carpets etc. They can all be changed
Our current home is in a cul de sac, so a very quiet road, only local traffic. We hadn't considered how much quieter and peaceful such a street would be.

Thank you all, these tips are really helpful.

Firstly, you want to be viewing multiple properties. Our first weekend of viewings resulted in 6 properties, we made an offer the following week.

Its since fallen through so I'm back on the hunt again.

1. Ring AND Email the estate agent for viewings.
2. Do your research and cut out properties that don't have the energy rating/location/access/space etc that are your must-haves
3. Get a solicitor if you don't already have one. You'll need this if you want to make offers.

When viewing properties:

1. Bring a printout of the properties with their details from the listing.
2. Work top to bottom. Roof is the most expensive thing to work on, look for dips and broken/damaged slates.
3. Look around windows, ceilings and corners for signs of damp or rot. These things don't often show in pictures.
4. Bring a notebook of questions such as leasehold or freehold, when was the house built, timber or concrete frame, has the roof ever been replaced or repaired, is the boundary established. You can find lists of questions like these with a quick google search.
5. Make notes as you go through the house and take LOTS of pictures.

I hope this is helpful as a starting point, and very best of luck with your search!

Good choice! I lived in two cul-de-sacs growing up. Asked my mother why she chose those streets.
She said the lack of through traffic, and the fact that all the houses can see each other, offered better security which she was concerned about with three young kids. We always have the benefit of a nice green area across from the house too so we were never facing other houses.

I wouldn't really bother asking any questions on a first viewing, its really just to establish if you even like the place. You will likely view again if you are considering actually buying it.

Most things are self explanatory, you should be able to tell a bedroom from a bathroom or spot the boiler etc... your there to LOOK more than anything.

Most occupied houses shown by sellers you will find they are very overly chatty anyway so will likely tell you every little story no matter how unnecessary anyway.

For location stuff you should independently research the area yourself not rely on the sellers word.

Most things will be discovered in the conveyance if you buy it, I think we have needed to ask very little when buying. The odd little questions we have asked are things like 'Do you know if the owner has the keys to lock the windows?' and 'what is this strange metal box thing strapped to the roof and can we remove it or is it doing 'something'?' (a question no one has yet been able to answer lol) etc...

There are two catagories of things about properties. Things you can change (but will probably cost you money) and things you can't.

Things you can't change like whether your neighbours practice the drums at 01:00 every day and whether parking is a nightmare are probably more important than things you can change, like whether the boiler is knackered.

I am sure the internet is full of checklists of things you can look at.

I would not necessarily believe anything a vendor told me, unless it was put in writing.

I barely asked the estate agent a thing. As nice as she was, I didn't trust her not to bullshit me.

All I asked her was: any disputes with the neighbours (because she was obliged to tell me the truth on that) and: how many viewings booked/how much interest (I didn't expect the truth on this, but I wanted to see her face when I asked).

I got a decent survey, which told me a lot. I trusted my surveyor and also my conveyancer, as I used respected local firms (not cheap online ones).

Some questions were answered by the conveyancing work (eg will the shed be cleared). And everything else, I could see, research or judge for myself.

Go back at night and see if there is unsociable behaviour.

Hopefully you know about the area you are buying in already - you should be clear about how you're going to work, where the shops are etc etc before arranging the viewing. Make sure you like the area and will be happy walking home at all hours of the day. Go in with an open mind - if the location is right most things internally can be changed.

One thing I always check is the water pressure of the shower in the bathroom - generally it either has enough pressure or it doesnt and theres not much you can do about it.

Other than that make sure you have an idea of storage space. Are there enough cupboards for your items, or could you install them if not? Would wardrobes fit in all the bedrooms? Is there a loft / other storage area for stuff that you only use occasionally. Is the loft convertible? Or if it has been converted how secure is the flooring etc?

As others have said think about practicalities - does it have enough plug sockets, what age is the boiler - both of these can be easily remedied but will cost. In your mind think about what you need: new plug sockets are around £200ish to install, plus cost of replastering/painting, boilers are £2000+.

And check out the garden - is the grass growing, is it well cared for? If its North facing it can be hard for grass and plants to grow. Is it overlooked - will it be pleasant to sit out in?

Also play it cool with the estate agent - dont reveal your total available funds and dont reveal any deadlines with mortgage offers etc under your offer on the house has been accepted. And dont be overly enthusiastic about the place, always say youve got more to look at. Remain sceptical about any claims they make.

Finally dont go in at the full price - go in 10% less if you really want and make your way up in stages toeards the asking price.