Buying your next home is a huge decision, often when we buy a house you might only view the property 2 or 3 times and with the average viewing lasting around 15-20 minutes, you might spend less than 1 hour in total in the property before moving in day. With such minimal time viewing a property before agreeing to purchase a new home, its often really important to understand how critical and precious that time is.
Certainly on a second viewing and before making an offer, we would always recommend bringing a family member or friend along, especially if they are experienced in buying property. They might see things or point out issues you may have missed on the first viewing.
Area and Long term plans: You can change quite a bit about a property but you can’t change the location. It is worth working out travelling time to places of work and family and also visiting the property at different times of the day, such as the evening and weekends, so you can get a feel for the neighbourhood. With the costly expense of moving home it is worth asking yourself how long am I planning on living here? If you are considering having children in the future, will the property be big enough? Do the local schools have good reputations? Maybe you want a dog in the future, is the garden big enough? Could there be an opportunity to extend the property in the future? What if your career changes? Is there space to work from home?
Structure:- A visual check of the property could highlight any clear visible issues or defects. Are there any cracks in the walls, signs of damp, poorly looked after guttering? We would always recommend getting a survey on the property once an offer is accepted, so you can be sure an expert has thoroughly checked for things that the average person may have missed. Although this is an additional expense, this could save you thousands of pounds in the future.
Heating:- Always find out the age of the boiler - has it been well looked after? (ask to see copies of service history). When boilers need replacing, they are often very expensive so it is worth understanding if you might need to plan and budget for this cost in the future.
Energy Efficiency: With the expense of electricity increasing, it is worth looking at the EPC. What recommendations did the energy assessor suggest? Small tasks like increasing the depth of loft insulation are fairly inexpensive but make a big difference. Could there be an opportunity to add solar panels in the future?
Damp and signs of mould:- There are many different types of damp and mould, and some cause more of a problem than others. Some are easily fixed by improving ventilation, but if it is rising damp, this could be expensive to fix. If you see any signs, it is worth getting a professional damp survey to understand the extent of the problem and the likely costs to fix.
If you see any of the above mentioned issues, it still might be the right home for you but speaking with the agent, discussing the issues and the cost to correct them, this can be a tool to negotiate to ensure you pay a fair price for the property.
If you are looking for your next home, contact us at Next Move Homes Norfolk on 01953 550317 / 01603 536719 or email info@nextmovehomes.co.uk.
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