That’s not to say I don’t stray more wildly across the country. Often I’ll hear a place mentioned and go off and look up what the houses are like there.
And I have a confession to make. I scroll to the photos on the left rather than looking at those shown on the right.
It’s because generally the outdoor photos are last in the estate agent line up, and so they’re first if you go looking to the left!
You can change a lot about a house inside but you can’t change where it is! As Kirsty and Phil used to say “Location, Location, Location.”
I’ll turn that around a bit and say “Garden, Garden, Garden!” Although I am sure my husband would say “Garage, Workshop, storage space”.
It’s interesting to know what other people’s priorities are: some people only want a small garden, some want a huge house, some need a garage and many need something a bit bigger than where they are now. Or indeed a bit smaller. We all want different things. And what many of us want is ten minutes browsing lovely tidy houses on Rightmove.
]]>
You should always visit the area before you make your actual viewing. It’ll give you a chance to have a look at the street in advance.
You should be looking at parking problems on the road, the state of the road, and the surrounding properties.
If you are new to the area then it can help you spot local shops and facilities and also potential trouble spots.
Driving past at different times of the day to include evenings, rush hour and weekends gives you more idea how the place changes during the week. ]]>
What do you need to look out for?
You should use all your senses. Listen to creaky floors that indicate a wooden floor in need or some attention. Use your nose to see if there’s damp or rot, or just dirty dog smell ingrained into the place. Use your eyes to look at everything.
Some people buy a house after just looking at it once. You should try and view at least twice – or at least make sure the viewing you do is in depth.
You can ask to look at any sheds or outbuildings. It’s always interesting to see that doors unlock and lock back up without major hassle.
You can ask to look at the boiler and make a note of the name of it. Ask if it’s got a service history you can see too. Sometimes there’ll be a sticker near the boiler to indicate when it was last serviced.
If there are individual room heaters then look at them too. Make a note of the name of them.
Have a look at the windows, window sill and above the window. Is the window double glazed? Is it intact or has it started misting up. Whilst you can replace panes there is a cost attached to that.
Look at the heating in each room. Is there central heating or is it individual heaters. Are they thermostatically controlled? Are they warm? (In winter it’s likely the heating would be on and so it’s easier to check.)
What condition is the ceiling in? Is it papered, painted or does it have ceiling tiles?
How old is the bathroom? Does it all work? Does it look like it’s used regularly? Look at any ensuites too. Look at the sealant around the shower and bath. Are the tiles nicely grouted?
Go outside and look at the roof from the rear and the front. You can look at the front elevation before or after your viewing but you might only be able to see the back when you have access to the back garden. Ask about any side gates or access.
What are the light fittings like? Do they all match? Are there lots of sockets? What is the fuse board like? What sort of electricity meter does it have?
If you have a particular item of furniture that you want to get in then you could ask to double check the measurements of a room so it can fit in. Remember to take a tape measure and have the measurements noted down with you.
Some people also take a small pair of stepladders so they can peer in to the loft space too – take a torch as well! Ask first of course!
Take note when looking at the smaller rooms too – is there only one way round a bed can fit in?
Ask how much the heating costs to run too. Bear in mind their energy use may be different to the way you use your heating. Ask if they have got the loft insulated, cavity wall insulation and look for draft proofing around the exterior doors.
In the kitchen have a look at how many units there are. Is there enough room for the fridge you have or want? What cooker fittings does it have? Does it have a gas connection? What lighting is in the kitchen? Often there is different lighting in the kitchen whether it’s spot lights or a long fluorescent tube.
You can ask where the stop tap is. Now is a good time to ask if they’re on a water meter. ]]>
When you view a house, how often do you glance up at the ceiling? You probably don’t! You should though! What state the ceilings are in is important! If they are really horrible then they may have been covered with polystyrene tiles or artexed! If there are polystyrene tiles then you may want to take them down! Old ones are a fire hazard but new ones are available that have been treated with a fire retardant substance to make them safer.
If you can find a spare tile in the loft and test it outside by setting fire to it you should find out if they are fire proof. If they are not you should remove them all! Many people don’t like them and remove them!
If you remove them and the ceiling is in need of some attention it depends on how bad it is as to your solution.
There are extra thick paints that are good for fine cracks, textured paints for more problematic ceilings and as a last resort you could have the ceilings skimmed by a plasterer.
You can also get British Gypsum MF (metal furring) system. You just put this metal grid system up about 50mm below your existing ceiling and screw new plasterboard to it. You have a lower ceiling so it might not be suitable for all rooms but it will give you a level ceiling. You get tapered edge plaster boards that you tape the edges over and this just needs skimming over.
If you’re going for a plasterer to do the work then ask them how much it is to do the whole house worth of ceilings. It’s quite messy work and easier to do all at once on an empty property if possible. You could also remove all the old ceilings and replace the boards entirely from scratch. This is more messy!
Modern ceiling tiles are available and have different textures and patterns on. They also act as insulation too!