Home Buyers Property Viewing Guide

First it's a good idea to decide where you want to live. In the town or country? Which part of the town. Next, decide on the type of property. Remember you'll get more for your money if you buy an old house or flat, but upkeep costs will be higher. Do you want a house or a flat? How many bedrooms do you require, and is the size of the kitchen a top priority? Is a garage important, is a garden a must and, if so, does it have to be south-facing? What importance do you place on there being a supermarket around the corner?

Viewing
Contact a number of local estate agents and ask them to send details of suitable properties. Devote a whole day to touring the area. This will give you a good idea of the facilities- schools, public transport, shops and so on. Then the fun really begins. Having sifted through the estate agents' details, arrange appointments to view as many properties as possible. Even if you fall in love with the first one you see, it's important to be able to make comparisons. There's a legal term, caveat emptor (buyer beware) - take heed; it pays to be suspicious. Look at the outside and don't be fooled by appearances. A fresh lick of paint might hide many evils. Look for a sagging roof or missing tiles.
Does the brickwork need repointing?
Do the walls bulge? Is the woodwork rotten?
Any of these could be expensive to rectify. Look for signs of damp and cracks in the walls and ceilings. Check whether the property has recently been rewired.
Are there adequate power points in every room? Check whether your cooker, fridge and other appliances will fit in the kitchen. If you like what you see, go back at least one more time, but make sure it's at a different time of the day. You might discover that the street is used as a short cut by commuters. Ask to see last years bills to assess the running costs.

Offers
The sale price is how much the seller hopes to get, and not necessarily what they realistically expect. Make your offer subject to survey and subject to contract, which will allow you to withdraw if problems arise. If the offer is accepted, the estate agent might ask for a deposit but you are not obliged to hand this over at this stage

Surveys
Contact your lender. The lender will insist that you make sure the property is worth the price you have agreed to pay, and will send out a valuer or surveyor to make an assessment. You will have to pay for this valuation report; around £100 for a £60,000 property on average. Unfortunately the initial report only picks up obvious defects. You can arrange a further intermediate Flat Buyers or Home Buyers Report, or a Building Survey for an extra cost. The full survey will ensure every nook and cranny is inspected. If everything is ok you can process, if a problem is detected, you can pull out of the purchase or negotiate a discount.

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