How To Make The Most Out Of Your Property Viewing
Viewing a property can be nerve racking and stressful, it can also be great fun and very exciting. You’ll probably look at a lot of places and they’ll eventually blend into one. You’re then expected to choose one, and that can be tough when you can’t differentiate between one and the other.
We understand how much there is to consider when viewing a house, so we’ve outlined some top tips to help you choose the right property for you.
Picture Your Ideal Home
Before you even choose a property to view, it’s a good idea to imagine up what your ideal home would look like. Picture everything that you would want in a house and the features you need to have. You should decide what you want your home to look like.
How many bedrooms do you want? How big does the kitchen need to be? What kind of area do you want to live in?
These are all important questions and it definitely helps having a good image of what you want. It makes searching for your perfect house a lot easier, by narrowing it down and focusing on what you actually need and what your priorities are at this stage of your life.
View Multiple Times & Ask Questions
You should always bring somebody else with when viewing a property, especially if you’ve viewed a certain property before. Ideally bring someone that isn’t going to be moving in with you, meaning they are impartial and can help you make the best decision for you.
We also suggest that you view a property you like multiple times. By attending multiple viewings, it can allow you to notice things you didn’t the time before, give you chance to see the house at different times of the day and give you a chance to ask any questions you had forgotten to mention. If you love a house after the first visit, don’t lose it by delaying your second viewing. Perhaps even make a tentative offer subject to having a good second viewing, the agent and vendor need to know you’re interested enough to involve you in negotiations if another interested party makes an offer.
It’s important that you always give yourself enough time to fully survey the property. Buying a house is a big deal and you should treat it like one. You need to make sure that you’re 100% happy with the property you’re buying, so take the time to have a thorough look around. Don’t be embarrassed to ask to see in the attic or garage or to ask questions.
Look at the property during different times of the day to get an idea for natural light, traffic around the area and what the house actually looks like. Don’t try and fit too many house viewings in one day either. By doing this, you might become tired and stressed out, all the houses will start to look the same and this will affect the way you look at a property.
Take A Good Look Around & Inspect Your Surroundings
So now let’s move on to the contents of the property.
Once inside your potential new home, it’s essential that you talk a really good look around. Take the chance to walk around each room, make note of things like windows and floor space and get a feel for the room. As we’ve said, you should take your time and start picturing living there. Another thing you need to consider the quality of the walls and the floor. Take a look and see check how they’ve been maintained. Try to ignore the current owners furniture and possessions if they don’t fit your style, they are not staying.
What king of flooring does the house have and will it need replacing in the future? What’s the quality of the wallpaper and does the house suffer from damp patches? On the opposite side of this, don’t be put off by the colour of the paint as it’s easy to change if you love the house.
There is a lot to look out for and some of these things can cause big issues further down the line if you don’t spot them straight away.
When viewing a property, you should always ask permission to take photos and videos if it’s a house that you’re interested in. By doing this, you can look back at the property later and make a more educated decision on if it’s right for you.
How Much Storage Space Is There?
Something big to consider is how much space you have. Are the rooms big enough? Consider the size of the rooms and how much you will be bringing with you from your previous home.
You’re likely going to be filling your new property with a lot of stuff so it’s only wise to make sure it can fit it all in. Bring a tape measure with you and make a note of what you would place where if you were to move in. This not only proves that things will fit, but will help you visualise living in the place and give you a better view of it.
Check The Area
Another important point to consider is the area surrounding the house.
Where is the house located? What is the garden like? Is it close to roads? Will noise pollution be a problem? Are the schools good?
Going into the property viewing, you should already have a good idea on the location of the property. What you might not have considered is the surrounding area and the issues you may face.
Firstly, is this property located near a busy road? If there are cars driving by all the time, this will produce a fair amount of noise and could become very irritating. It also could lead to potential danger if you have children playing out and there is a possibility of pollution from the car exhausts. This may be a stretch, but it is still something to consider.
The garden is another thing to look out for, because a poorly maintained garden can mean a lot of work for you. Check for flowers, grass length, quality of grass and the size of hedges if they are any. All of these things will determine how well kept the garden has been by the previous tenants and how much work you’d have to do once moved in.
Summary
Viewing a property as we’ve seen can be a lot more complicated than you think. There are a lot of things to consider and look out for, so we suggest bringing a note pad. By taking photos, asking questions and making sure you give the place your full attention and time, you’ll find picking your dream home a lot easier.