What do you look for when you're buying a house???

Question

I know the price is an obvious one but what do you want to see when you enter the premises you are veiwing???

Answer 1

Make a list of all the things you want and put the list in order of priority as much as possible. For example, although you may need 3 bedrooms you may be willing to compromise if there are 2 receptions etc etc.
Only go and look at properties that met your main criteria or you will waste your time and lots of energy. When you go and visit, take the spec from the estate agent and a pen and paper (or scribble on the spec)
You don't have to conduct a survey of a house - you will pay someone to do that if you offer and proceed with the purchase. However, you can look out for potential problems in a sensible fashion. Things to look out for are... when you arrive, look at the condition of the external parts of the house you can see. Check condition of brickwork, whether it is rendered, and the windows. What are they? Wood or double glazing? There are maintenance issues for wooding windows and painted buildings etc. Check the entrance, is it safe and private? Is there any evidence of tampering with locks etc?
As you enter each room do a scan of the main features and write a note if possible about anything that stands out to you. Looking at the floor covering, wall covering, the joint between the wall and the ceiling and if there are any cracks across the ceiling. Keep an eye out for any freshly painted walls and have a closer look to see if there are any damp patches poking through. Look out of each window - who can see in and what can you see? Where are the radiators positioned in the room?
Going through a floor to ceiling scan will not detract from your viewing of the property but focus you in a sensible fashion as you move from room to room. Before you leave the room ask your self - do I like it. Where would I put my stuff? How would you overcome any problems you identify (eg. a horrible fire place or a big tree outside the window etc)
Always ask to go into the garden if there is one. The more angles you see the house from the better your feel of the house will be and the better your memory.
As soon as you leave jot down some notes of your impressions and the good points and the bad points of the property. It will be important to use these when making comparisons with other houses you view.
Another tip - I always found it helpful to view no more than 4 houses in one go (of course this depends on their size!) to ensure that I could compare them and so that I didn't run out of enthusiam!
Good luck with your viewings - when you find the right one you will know!

Answer 2

Check out the neighbours! If they look like they belong in an episode of "Trailer Park Boys", run! You can have the best-looking house in the block, but if the people in the block are drug dealers or just plain rotten, you'll want to avoid it like the plague. Drive around--if you see houses where the sofa is on the porch, and the family car is a rusted hulk on cinder blocks, that's a good indication of bad neighbours. And ask around. There's probably a reason why a particular house is listed cheaper than market value. You wouldn't want to live in a house where you wouldn't feel safe going outside at night. Then check out the house for obvious defects: cracked foundation, plumb doors, old fixtures (which probably means old wiring and plumbing that need to be replaced), water stains on the ceilings, which indicates roof replacement is needed, and so on. But I'd rather live in a fixer-upper in a good neighbourhood than in a finished house in a hellish area!

Answer 3

Location
If you have children, make sure there are good schools in the area
How far do you have to go to a decent grocery store (or do they deliver to your area)

If you like the house at first sight, check under all rugs, behind paintings and heavy furniture to see if the floors and walls are damaged. If it's an old house, make sure the roof is ok so you won't have to replace it as soon as you move in. Of course basic things like heating and plumbing should be in good order and decent appliances in the kitchen. If there are carpets, make sure they are not damp or smelly.

The house could be freshly painted to hide some damages. The owner should tell you about all defects if there are any but they might conveniently "forget" some details.

If you see old dirt and damages that could have been easily fixed, chances are the owners haven't taken good care of their home and that could mean a lot of extra expenses for you.

Answer 4

In England it should face south so that it is warm. A good kitchen and bathroom are a must. Double glazing, good and fairly new central heating...ensure that the electric wires are in good condition. Make sure there is no subsidance or large cracks everywhere. See if it needs much decorating and whether the garden is in good order. See that you have good neighbours and that there is a very low crime rate in the area.

Answer 5

before i enter the premises, i look around the neighbourhood. if there are too many "to let" signs, i lose interest. i've lived in an area where there were a lot more tenants than there were owner-occupiers. a lot of the tenants were a nightmare. (just my experience and preference)

Answer 6

Look up, for any holes in the ceiling, holes along the skirting boards as well. One thing my finace and I didn't look for!! Not really sure of any other things to be looking for, as this was our first time and we were quite lucky (Not lucky with the hole in the kitchen roof, we missed that and it turned out to be the hole where an old fireplace had been ripped out, only had to fork out £60 to have the chimney capped before the roof caved in!!) . Good luck! x

Answer 7

Unless you know the area well I always say visit the area at night, day and weekends that way you will know if there are any so called problems neighbours. Thats before you walk through the door

Answer 8

Look for rising damp. different colour to the bottom of the wall.
Look for plaster blowing. (pushing out)
Look at the area
Look for external cracking
Look for de-humidifiers in the basement
Look for floors bowing. Could be due to damp in the joists

Answer 9

look at an inspection report, and before you buy it, have your own inspection also. make sure there's no huge problem, such as leaking roof resulting in damaged walls, cracked and rotated foundations etc.

Answer 10

Make sure you have room to grow. And of course the famous.... location, location, location.