Your first viewing of a property will give you a general impression of the condition of the home, its location and the layout and size of the rooms and garden. At a second viewing, it is time to take an in-depth look to make sure there are no nasty surprises later on.
After your first visit to a property, you will have an idea as to whether you want to make it your home. This can be instinctive and based on the feeling you had while walking around it. The second viewing is when you need to make sure that the property is everything you need it to be. A good inspection will make sure you have a lot more practical information and a better understanding of what work might be necessary.
While your surveyor will also have a thorough look round if you decide to buy, there is no substitute for making sure you know as much about the property as possible before making an offer. Below are our top tips for getting the most out of a second viewing.
Look at the layout
Before you visit, measure your furniture so that you have an idea of how big you would like the spaces to be. This will give you the opportunity to check that everything will fit where you envisage it being. The same goes for the garden and anything you would like to have there, such as garden furniture, a shed or a trampoline.
If the space is a lot larger than the space you have now, think about how much furniture you might have to buy to fill it and whether this is an expense you want to take on. For example, if the bedrooms have no fitted storage, you may need to buy several wardrobes and chests of drawers.
Is the property overlooked?
Check how overlooked the property is, particularly in the garden. If you value privacy, you might not want neighbouring properties to have a good view of everything.
If the property has a good view, will this be obscured by trees in the summer? Conversely, if trees are in full leaf when you visit, check that there is nothing unattractive behind them that you will have to look at all winter.
Check out the neighbourhood and the neighbours
This one is worth doing more than once and at different times of the day and week. Have a look around the neighbourhood and go past the property a handful of times to make sure everything is quiet. For example, there could be dogs barking or loud music coming from a nearby house at certain times of the evening or weekend. A local pub or takeaway could be problematic after dark or a quiet green area might turn into a congregating spot for idle youths.
Look into the loft space and the back of cupboards
Take a torch with you and ask if you can inspect the loft. Open cupboards and check not only that the doors are working, but that there is nothing untoward inside such as evidence of damp or insect infestation.
Test everything you can
Open all of the doors and windows and test all of the switches that you can to make sure they are functional. You should check that doors and windows fit properly into their frames and that there are no visible signs of deterioration. Turn on taps and flush toilets to make sure that the water pressure is acceptable.
Ask if the central heating system can be switched on for you. This will also give you an idea of how loud it is and whether it seems modern and in good condition.
Have a look at the fuse box to see whether this seems to be new and well-maintained.
Look outside
While your surveyor should inspect the property thoroughly, you can have a preliminary look at the roof and visible pipework yourself for signs of problems. If they are extensive, you might not want to go ahead and you could save yourself the cost of the survey.
You should also have a good look at the boundaries. Make sure they are clear and that the lines are as you would expect. If a boundary is at an odd angle, you should ask your solicitor for a copy of the plan to check and ask them to raise enquiries with the seller, for example, how long it has been like this.
Check the boundary structures, such as walls, hedges and fences, to see what state of repair they are in.
You should make a note of anything that concerns you and pass this on to your surveyor so that they can make sure they have a good look and give you their opinion.
Contact us
If you would like to speak to one of our expert property lawyers, ring us on 0333 3055 189 or email us at info@lpropertylawyers.co.uk
