What should you ask when viewing a property?

Having carried out viewings on hundreds of properties over the years, here are the things I’ve learnt to ask:

1. How long has the property been on the market?

And has the price been reduced? If so it might suggest the price is too high for market conditions and an offer could be made.

2. Have they had any offers?

This will give you an idea of the interest the property has received or if they are not negotiable on the price.

3. Why are they moving?

It sounds noisy, can give you some insight into the property? Is it not flexible enough for a growing family? Has the surrounding area changed for the worse since they first bought the property, etc?

4. Is the property listed?

Important to know if you want to make changes to the property. Has planning permission been granted or is it already in place for alterations? This can save a lot of time and money if these are already agreed.

5. Is the house a flood risk or has the property ever flooded?

Obviously, an important question to ask is if the property is near a river etc. If so, have the vendors put measures in place such as pumps and effective tanking?

6. Are there any new developments planned close by?

This will come up later in searches conducted by a solicitor but if you know at the outset then you can make an informed decision before incurring any legal, lender or surveyor costs.

7. When was any refurbishment or extensions done?

EVEN more important are the vendor's DIY enthusiasts. (Which can often equal botched work which will need redoing). Just saying!

8. What is the length of the lease?

Only applicable if you’re buying a leasehold property. But important, a lease with a low number of years remaining will need to be extended and this can come at a cost that should be factored into the overall price you should pay for the property.

9. If there is a service charge and ground rent, how much is it?

This will impact the affordability of the property for you year after year.

10. Which way does the garden face?

It might be an enormous garden but if it’s north-facing you may not get much sun, so the garden may not be as useable as a smaller plot which is southwest-facing.

Extra questions to ask which often people don’t…

• As every estate agent knows, you always stage a property before a viewing. Open curtains and turn lights on, etc. So whatever the weather outside, turn all the lights off when viewing a property - you’d be surprised how many people don’t and end up buying a house which is actually very dark naturally.

• As much as you may love a property, always go back at a different time of day for your second viewing. Choose the busiest time traffic-wise - the school run is always a good time to go or rush hour in the mornings or evenings.

• Estate agents prefer to show you around the property themselves as vendors showing their own properties can often be off-putting for potential buyers - BUT it can be useful. For example, if you ask the vendors ‘Do you get on with your neighbours?’ - it’s often obvious if they have neighbours from hell as the face doesn’t lie!

• What’s that smell? Or why does the house smell so strongly of air freshener? What are they trying to hide? Damp, soiled carpets that will need replacing etc?

We have extensive knowledge on the local property market, and we love matching people with their perfect homes. So f you’re on the hun for your perfect property and don’t know where to start or simply don’t have the time - we can help. Get in touch with us at hello@reverieboutiquepropertysearch.co.uk to chat about what you’re looking for and find out how we can help.