What to Look for when Viewing Homes

Viewing potential homes to buy can be an exciting but also stressful experience. If it is your first time or if it has been years since you last bought a home, you might not have a clue what to look out for. These easy tips will help you make the most out of the experience and help  you find the right place for your needs.

Storage

Consider what you own and have a look if there is enough storage space for your needs? Is there place to store your vacuum cleaner, suitcases and garden cushions? Can you put up extra shelving in the rooms to accommodate your collection of books or children’s toys? Is the garage large enough for your cars as well as your gardening equipment?
Space for guests or a growing family
If you are a family that often has guests coming to stay for the holidays or if you are planning to increase the size of your family, take a look at whether the living area, entertainment area and amount of bathrooms and bedrooms is enough to accommodate everyone. Will the parking space on offer meet your needs?

Bring a friend

It is always helpful to take along a friend to a viewing. Someone who knows your taste and style but someone who can help you see things you might have missed. 

Interior problems

Keep an eye out for any damp issues. Signs include damaged skirting boards, crumbling or salt-stained plaster, tide marks, damp patches and peeling paint. There are various causes for damp and a variety of solutions. If you are keen on the property, there will be a cost to repair so keep this in mind. The same applies to broken cupboard doors, leaking toilets or damaged carpets.

Exterior damage

Have a look at the condition of the exterior – do all the roof tiles look to be in order, are the gutters clean and hung properly or are they clogged with leaves and not properly placed? Is there anything that is clearly in a state of disrepair that could mean extra costs for you?

Ask questions

Don’t be afraid to ask the owner questions. Take a list of questions with you if you need to. Ask about the neighbours, distances to shops and security. Ask about what maintenance has been done on the property in the last five years.

Test things out

Don’t be nervous to turn on taps, have a look in the oven or open windows and doors. The small things are important too. 

Take photos

If the owner will allow you, take photographs of the home so that you can look at them at your leisure when you are home. This is especially helpful if you have done a few viewings and start getting confused about which home offered what features.

Second viewing

A second viewing is very important if you are very keen on a specific property. The second visit will allow you to see things you may have not noticed before. You can also double check things that you wondered about after leaving the first time. The second visit can serve as a confirmation that it is the property you want.