Things to check when viewing a property.

Viewing property to buy can be time consuming and no doubt you may have to view a number of unsuitable properties before you are able to find your ideal home. It is essential that you are very selective when it comes to arranging viewings with the person selling the house.

Before viewing a property you will need to make sure that the property that you are looking to inspect meets your requirements or at least ticks a majority of your boxes. Ensuring that the property meets your criteria will save you a lot of time, effort and also money.

It is also important that when you make an appointment to view a property which is up for sale that you go with your checklist. Your checklist must be used as a prompt in what to look out for in the building.

Your checklist should contain the following:

Front, garden, entrance: Things you should be looking out for is how neat these areas of the property are that you intend on buying and whether they contain any cracked or dilapidated surfaces.

Brickwork: It is very important to take note of the condition of the brickwork especially looking out for any cracks, wear and tear. Take notes on the location of the wear and tear.

Roof: Although it may not always be possible to get to have a look at the roof of the property that you might be considering to buy, it is very important that you might want to go across the road with a pair of binoculars and have a look to see if you can spot any missing tiles.

Chimney: Look out for the structure of the chimney and whether there are any form of crookedness.

Drain, pipes, taps and gutters:  Look out for any form of blockages, leaks and cracks in the property. You will need to run the water including the hot tap to see how long the hot water takes to arrive.

Window and frames:  Ensure that you look out for any cracks in the windows including any signs of rot or deteriorating paint work. Do the windows open and shut properly?

Room size and layouts: Take a good look at the layout and see whether the property has any redevelopment potential as you might want to expand certain areas of the property if you decide to buy.

Storage: Does the property have adequate storage where you can store your belongings?

Flooring: Take a good look at the flooring and look out for signs of cracked floorboard and whether it may need replacing.

Central heating: The condition of the boiler and heating equipment in the property that you are looking to buy. When was the last time the central heating system was maintained.

Sockets: The location of the sockets and age of the electrical unit and whether it may need replacing. The location of the fuse box and whether it may need to be relocated. Ensure that you get information on when the fuse box was last inspected. Check that the light switches work by switching on the lights in individual rooms in the house.

Moist and dampness: Whether there is evidence of moist or damp in the property. You will also need to look out for signs such as wall paper that is peeling off the walls, smells, and also patches of fresh paint which may have been used to cover up the damp in the property.