Tips For Viewing A House You Are Thinking Of Buying

Are you planning on moving house? Then there are a few things that you need to keep in mind before you start packing your boxes and calling the removals company.
While house shopping, it is very easy to find a house and fall in love with it. At these times, one often tends to forget practical matters. However, to avoid problems when it is too late, here are some of the pointers to check out before preparing for removals.

Property Viewing Tips

• On first glance, look at the house as a building that needs to be checked and inspected thoroughly. Don’t view it as a home at first go. It will compromise your criticism.

• Never buy a house without seeing it, no matter how trusted the recommendations are. You will never know what potential problems the place could hold without looking it over.

• Inspect the property at least three to four times and also at different times of the day. That way, you will know the real side of the house.

• Scrutinise the structure of the house. See if there are any hairline cracks on the walls then you need to find the real reasons behind them.

• While walking through and around the house, keep your nose sharpened for any damp and musty smell. Sometimes, there won’t be any overt signs. Look out for that smell.

• However, just because you find any problem, doesn’t mean that you should cancel the deal. Get a professional to take a look at it. In case it isn’t a deal breaker, you can always use it to renegotiate the price of the house.

• The ideal time to look around the house and surroundings is about twenty minutes. After that you should spend another half an hour to walk around the neighbourhood and area to get a feel of the place. Is it somewhere you would feel comfortable?

• To find out what your commuting time will be, try to drive to and from the area during rush hour. Find out what the area is like during weekdays and weekends, when the shops in the area shut and so on.

• Remember that the property seller will try and cover up the problems in the house. By using furniture, paint and carpets to cover up problems. Ask specific and pointed questions about ownership and parking spaces as well.

• Always get a house survey done on your own. This is not the same as a mortgage evaluation which is for the benefit of the loan provider, not the homeowner.

Common questions to ask yourself

• While looking at the property, constantly ask yourself and the seller these questions to make sure that you are making the right choice for yourself. Here are a few vital questions before you consider moving house to Kent.

• Does the house have rooms sized to your requirements?

• What are the components of the sale; does it include land, garage, furniture, etc?

• Why are the current homeowners selling the house?

• What are the average costs of utilities like gas, electricity, etc?

• Are there any indications of subsidence like big cracks in the wall, sticking doors, etc?

• Whether the property is in need of any updating and the estimated costs of that project.

• And finally the all important question of whether this place feels like it could be your home.

If there has been a satisfactory answer to all these questions, then start looking for a moving company that can organise your removals quickly and efficiently.
About the author
Pete Campbell works as a Content Strategist for TFM, who assist in people moving house to Kent, London.