What should I check when viewing a home?

Purchasing a house is one of the biggest financial decisions that you will ever make in your life. That’s why it’s important to ask plenty of questions during the home-buying process, especially when it comes to viewing the home itself. Don’t be shy and ensure that all of your curiosities and concerns are answered; after all, it really is vital to understand exactly what you are paying for.

The trick is to view the home using your head and not your heart. You may fall instantly in love with a property, but if you put an offer down without even thinking about it, you may miss out on plenty of crucial information, which could justify the price, the interest in the property and why it hasn’t been sold yet. So, what kind of questions should you ask when viewing a home that you’re interested in?

• Has there been much interest in the property? The answer to this question is likely to determine whether you should put an offer in or not. If there has been a lot of interest in the property then it’s a good idea to put down an offer as soon as possible. However, it’s important to note that something could be wrong is the property has had much interest but a lack of offers – you should question as to why this is the case. Before putting an offer in, make sure you’ve asked all of the below questions too…
• Has the property been on the market for a long period of time? If yes, then find out why. After all, there could be something wrong with the property itself, the neighbourhood or even the area. It could be because the market may be slow or even because a previous offer has been dropped. If it hasn’t been on the market for long then you may want to snap it up quickly.
• What’s the neighbourhood like and how long have the current owners lived here for? Although asking a question regarding the neighbourhood may not always return an honest answer, asking how long the owners have lived there for will help you to gauge the situation. If it seems they have lived there for a good few years then there shouldn’t really be a problem. However, if there has been a high turnover of occupants then you’ll need to find out why.
• The property seems quite cheap – why is this? If the price of the property really does seem too good to be true then it’s wise to ask what’s included in the cost. If it seems the owners are simply after a quick sale then you should thank your lucky stars that you’ve stumbled across a real bargain.
• How much will I be paying for utilities? This is a really good question to ask, as you can gauge whether the property is affordable or not. Request for a couple utility bills so you can have a feel for what your monthly outgoings are going to be.