“Tips for Viewing Property”

Viewing your new home?

Have you been trawling round properties looking for your ideal home? Are you finding it exciting, or daunting? Is viewing your new home becoming a bore? Read our tips for viewing property, and you’ll understand the importance of taking time over this important step.

If you’re like me, you probably make up your mind fairly quickly about whether or not you like the property you’ve just viewed. If it has that important kerb appeal, the layout is perfect, and has the right number of bedrooms, bathrooms and reception rooms for your family size and lifestyle, then all’s well.

It’s a good idea to return for a second viewing, before rushing in with an offer. Go at a different time of the day to ensure that the property doesn’t get badly affected by the rush-hour traffic. You may not appreciate delivery vans or scooters using the road as a short-cut back to their depots or delivery addresses.

You may not have taken in all the details on your first visit either. Buying a house is an important investment, so you need to be sure, sure, sure.

Like or love

If you don’t like the property it’s really not worth trying to show feigned interest. I suggest not spending too much time looking around. It really isn’t worth wasting the Vendor’s time, making her hopeful that you might be her buyer. However, tact is needed if you want your estate agent to show you more of their Vendors’ properties!

Your Agent will ask for feedback after you’ve viewed a property. This is because it helps them to identify what you’re really looking for, and to be able to give feedback to their Client, the Vendor.

Our advice is to give your ‘first impressions’ to the Agent as soon as possible. You can do this as you’re walking back to your car, and definitely out of earshot of the Vendor. Or agree that your Agent will call you the next day, once you’ve slept on it. You’ll probably want to take the property and price into consideration. The property may even feature on your ‘short-list’ of potential properties.

The Agent will certainly want to know if you wish to return to the property for a second viewing.

Tips for Viewing Property

Second time round may feel like a completely different experience. You are aware of the physical details of the property from your first visit. You’ve probably read the Agent’s brochure over and over again. However, second time around, you’ll be using all your five senses to make critical decisions on what to ignore and what not to ignore.

Scents or Odours

Ignore: animal odours, cigarette smoke, teenagers’ rooms – these can be cured by in-depth, professional cleaning
Ignore at your peril: damp, odours from nearby restaurants, the obnoxious smells of the countryside

Décor or Downright Dated Decoration

Ignore: woodchip, Artex, dated wallpaper e.g. Anaglypta, and paints, old tiling/grouting, wiring (but get quotes for bringing up to date) kitchens, bathrooms (these can be replaced and/or modernized)
Ignore at your peril: boarding over damp patches – (see above); rotten/rotting timbers (unless you’re prepared to pay for them to be put right), broken downpipes and guttering, cracked/broken tiles on the roof

Noise or background music

Ignore: Ice-cream van music (usually occurs only in the summer-time); the dawn chorus, trains on a commuter line (you will probably get used to the noise especially if double glazing is installed)
Ignore at your peril: noise levels from heavy traffic, neighbours’ loud music/TV, local businesses i.e. garages/petrol stations

Viewings are an important, integral part of the home-buying process. We thoroughly recommend taking your time over this important decision, or you could live to regret it.

For specialist advice on selling your property, call us on 01273 735237 or get in touch at enquiries@callaways.co.uk