What to look out for when viewing a prospective property

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:14:56 +0000

Once you have found a property that meets your requirements, it is important to inspect the following:

Time – Take your time looking round the property
Ask Questions – Don’t be afraid to ask direct and blunt questions about the property
Photos – Take pictures of the property so that you can look over them later with fresh eyes.
Measuring up – Take a tape measure with you to calculate the size of each room, or get a rough idea of floor space in a room with furniture by looking at the ceiling size.
Bills – Find out what is the cost of Council Tax and the average costs of other utility bills such as electricity, gas and water.
Damp – Is there a smell of damp or any other sign such as the walls feeling damp, wallpaper peeling, paint bubbling, watermarks or mould.
Power – Make sure there enough power points - how old do they look?
Internet & Phone – Ask if the property has a phone and internet connection and where are the connection points.
Electrics, plumbing and heating – Ask the agent or the owner to confirm that the boiler, electrics and plumbing in the property are all in decent working condition, and to see copies of guarantees and service certificates. Have there been any problems with the boiler; when was it last serviced by a Gas Safe engineer?
Planning permission – Ask if permission has been granted in principle for an extension or other home improvement. Can you put up pictures or redecorate?
Exterior – Don’t forget to examine pipes, drainage and the condition of the roof.
Insurance – Check if there have been any recent claims on the property’s buildings insurance – including flooding – and ask for details.
Neighbours – What are the neighbours like – are they noisy

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What to look out for when viewing a prospective property