Viewing a house or flat is exciting – you could be visiting your forever home for the first time! While viewing potential homes can be fun, it’s important to keep a level head and consider the bad points as well as the good ones.

Above all, you should ask your estate agent questions about the property. If you find out something that proves to be a deal breaker, it’s better to know immediately. If you wait until the conveyancing process, you could find yourself having to pull out after you’ve already spent money on the survey. On balance, it’s better not to make an offer at all than to pull out of the purchase.

In this blog, we share our eight questions to ask when viewing a property.

1. Why are the current owners selling?

The answer to this question can tell you a lot about the property. If the owners are selling because the property has problems, you can consider whether they would be problems for you too. You might be able to live with or repair what the current owners cannot.

Alternatively, the seller might need a quick sale so they can move to a different area for work or family reasons – this could make the price more negotiable.

2. How long has it been on the market?

In general, a property should sell within eight weeks. If it hasn’t, it’s probably over-priced, there’s something wrong with it, or another buyer pulled out during the conveyancing process. If you find out it’s been on the market for ages and the reason why, you might be able to negotiate on the price.

3. How long is the chain?

If there is no chain at all, this brilliant news will usually appear in the property description. On the other hand, a chain can be as long as eight homeowners. And the longer the chain, the more chance there is that it will break. Your estate agent might not be able to give you all the details but it’s worth knowing whether your house purchase is reliant on other people’s.

4. What’s included?

If you put in an offer, you need to know exactly what you’re offering for. Sometimes, the price will include white goods like the fridge and washing machine, or the garden shed – ask! There might also be access matters to consider, like a shared driveway with the neighbouring house.

If you’re viewing a flat, it’s important to look at the layout of the whole building and understand what you have the right to use. For example, does the ground floor flat have exclusive access to the garden? What about top floor flats and loft space?

5. Do all the works have planning permission?

If there’s a new-looking extension on the property, it’s a good idea to ask whether it ever had planning permission. If it didn’t, you could be asked to pull it down. You can ask your estate agent during the viewing; if they don’t know, you can usually check online with the local planning department.

On a more positive note, this can also open up the conversation about current plans. Some properties are sold with planning permission for an extension which can be a real advantage.

6. What’s the area like?

While this is a question you might like to ask, it’s also worth arriving a little early for the viewing and taking time to walk around and get a feel for the area. You should be able to find out information on schools, supermarkets and other essentials online. However, atmosphere, noise and impact of nearby businesses are matters you have to experience for yourself.

7. Is it a listed building or in a conservation area?

Not all property descriptions include information on whether the building is listed, or in a conservation area. If you’re viewing a property with attractive period features, or the area is particularly characterful, it’s worth checking whether it has recognised historic value. If it does, there may be some restrictions on what you can do to the house, such as how much you can extend it or what external colour schemes you can use.

8. Any structural problems?

Again, this is not a question that the estate agent will necessarily be able to answer, but obvious problems should be on your radar. For example, if you see a crack or a damp patch, you need to know if it’s just a cosmetic problem or a serious concern. Large trees growing near the property can also have an impact.

If you do spot something and the estate agent can’t give you a definite answer (we try to help but we’re not structural engineers!), make a note. That way you can check your concern against the survey if you get to that stage.

Buy and sell property in Guildford

At Cobbles, we always try to answer buyers’ questions – we love matching buyers with the right property and we’ll do everything we can to make it work! Our sellers know we’ll work hard to find the right buyer too. So if you’re considering selling property in Guildford, Cobbles are here to help. Get in touch today on 01483 457 000 to find out more.