Final viewing before exchange: what should we check and is this normal?

[BraOffPjsOn]

We may finally be at almost the end point!
I am feeling really anxious but we’ve booked a viewing before exchange. What should we be checking?

House needs a fair bit of work and I didn’t fall in love with it straight away so I think it’s why I’m anxious and obviously upping the mortgage is a big deal.
I have looked at others which have sold and been done up which look lovely so I’m trying to convince my head that ours will look like that too eventually!

Is it normal to feel like this?

Pre exchange viewing - check everything is still standing! If there are any major structural changes, talk to the solicitor.

If you want measurements to pre order curtains or furniture, take them now.

Firstly, yes it's absolutely normal to be feeling a bit jittery. We're probably a few weeks off still but I'm already having sleepless nights over....everything but mostly the logistics of packing!

Did you have a survey? I'm guessing not as you seem to be worrying about big stuff? It may not be too late to get one or get a local builder to check things over for you.

But either way, I'd use the final visit to check room sizes to ensure furniture fits, double check what's being left for you eg curtains, lampshades (on our 2nd visit we realised we won't have a washing machine as we're leaving an integrated one and seller is taking her freestanding one which is good to know in advance!), get a quick lesson on setting the boiler and any other more complicated equipment (ask for manuals to be left and if they haven't got them, take a photo of the model and download before you move in), locate stopcock and fuse box, bin day, names of neighbours, identify keys to any locks.

Thanks - this is all really helpful.

We’ve had a builder look round and happy with the house and what we had planned to do anyway. So it’s not that. I guess we just need to get some things done pretty quickly and the not knowing exact dates means I can’t get it all organised yet.

those are all good ideas to do though. I’ll make sure I check all of them.

Maybe it’s because when we bought our first house I fell in love with it (even though it was disgusting) and just felt excited. I also thought it was a forever home and then we’ve had kids and need more space.
Im just hoping this is the right house even though it has everything we need. Maybe it’s just the cost of it and moving whereas when we bought our first house, the mortgage was cheaper than what we’d been renting!

I hope all goes well with your move too!
And that you get some sleep!

How soon do you pack? We’ve got so much stuff but if we pack too early I don’t think we’ll be able to move for boxes!

@BraOffPjsOn
Thank you - you too!
I don't know what the right answer is but we bought a box of boxes and loads of tape off Amazon and have made a start - the shed was an obvs first stop to choose as boxes could stay in there. Then we identified a few corners of the house where boxes could be stacked, virtually to the ceiling, and packed stuff we won't need, hopefully. Decluttering the loft and wardrobes is another good place to start as trips to the tip and charity shops are pretty time consuming and you don't want to be doing that in moving week. Then i went through the kitchen cupboards just chucking stuff i don't want, like vast collections of plastic pots, duplicate items, general crap we saved 'just in case' years ago. The rest is gonna have to wait till the last week, whenever that might be. Doing a little bit every day has helped me feel better, less overwhelmed.