Don_Simon Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Hello all! Off to view a house tonight, (scary stuff!), and as its the first one I've liked enough from a quick peruse of Rightmove to go and see its my first proper house viewing. I wondered if any of my fellow VT'ers have any advice on the house viewing / buying process? Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogso Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Don't go through the bins. That's frowned upon (apparently!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Simon Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 13 minutes ago, hogso said: Don't go through the bins. That's frowned upon (apparently!). Bah! I thought that was like kicking a tyre when buying a car, a must-do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Check everything **** works, otherwise you'll move in, open the living room window, and it'll fall off the hinges. True story. Keep an eye out for any clearly new decorating, there's a good chance it's covering something up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted January 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 17, 2017 Check the fuse board, take photos of it, send them to any sparky friends you have to see if it will need upgrading. Check the water pressure in the shower, I've just moved into a house and we didn't check the shower, the water just dribbles out, it's so bad it all needs replacing, had I checked that before I would have knocked it off the price. Use your nose, try and smell for things specifically like damp, it can be a bastard 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted January 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 17, 2017 Even if you really, really like it, don't give any indication to the agent. And if you do really, really like it, don't set your heart on it. Be really clear on what your budget is and be prepared to walk away rather than pay more than you want. It's not like it's the only house in the world you could ever like. Oh, and take someone with you. Someone who will be your impartial advisor and will be prepared to talk sense to you if you get carried away. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddywhack Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I've heard you should bake bread or something 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Don't ask to have a poo there. Unless you are desperate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Don't worry about the small stuff... and you can change the interior over time to your taste so almost ignore that. Location, size of the rooms, parking, garden size, neighbours. You can't change those. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 4 minutes ago, ender4 said: Location, size of the rooms, parking, garden size, neighbours. You can't change those. This. Location, location, location. Worth paying a bit extra for IMO 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Simon Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 Thanks for all the info guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 1 hour ago, choffer said: And if you do really, really like it, don't set your heart on it. Be really clear on what your budget is and be prepared to walk away rather than pay more than you want. It's not like it's the only house in the world you could ever like. That depends, For a starter home, yes i'd agree. For a house you're going to spend the next 40 years in, i'd disagree. If its a long-term house you really fall in love with, be prepared to pay a bit extra (within reason) to get the house of your dreams. An extra £10-20k is tiny if you compare it to the enjoyment of a perfect house over 25 years of the mortgage or 40 years of living in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddywhack Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 View before you buy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 i saw about 12 houses i think, i knew which one i wanted to buy within a couple of minutes of walking through the door, before that id been messed about by an estate agent on a house that i thought was ok but the missus loved, the estate agent were offering their own mortgages and put us and another couple against each other, we refused their mortgage the other couple didnt, they got the house from my experience, especially with the house i bought, people / estate agents cant take photos for shit, see lots of houses even if you arent convinced by the pictures, some of the rooms in my house i think they stood in the middle of the room to take the pictures, they'd had hardly any viewings and it'd been on the market for ages id check the boiler, that can be thousands if its an old shit one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post lapal_fan Posted January 17, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) Boy oh boy are you lucky! I moved house in July so I have some TOP TIPS!! 1. Move around the house in unexpected ways. When entering some rooms, jump and twist, this will surprise the owner and make him give you a better deal sometimes. I got £500 off mine because I did a killer Balançoire 2. Slide down the bannister, trust me. I failed to do so in my new house and now I really regret it because the bannister is just too weak to support the bulk of my arse and torso. 3. Lick ALL of the windows for residue. If you taste something that tastes moldy, there MAY BE some mold in the house and trust me this will make you really ill if you keep licking the windows clean. 4. If there is a car on the drive, it probably won't be there if the sale goes through. I thought I had purchased a lovely Volvo, but the bastards took it with them. 5. Count how many roof tiles there are, I counted 783 on my roof and now I check every night to make sure no serious level 4 crimes have happened like some slippery shit nicking off with some to patch their roof up. That, OR WEATHER related incidents - DON'T BE A VICTIM. 6. Kick the radiators. This makes a big, satisfying noise that will make the visit exciting. 7. Ask to look around the house on your own. When you are alone it is much more socially acceptable to sit and read a book in a quiet corner and fart. I farted, but forgot to ask to be on my own and this added on £500 for air purifier expenses. 8. Don't forget it is also your legal right to look in the houses pants and socks draw, if they say no, you know that they are shysters and you must remove their disguises. 9. Test the cooker and other appliances. I took a load of washing to test the washing machine and tumble dryer. I also took some dirty dishes to test their water. I didn't bathe before I went and I tested their shower. I took my car on a rally to test their hose and cleaning equipment (gone when I got there) and I took some pajamas to test the beds. Don't be afraid to ask - everyone does it. 10. During negotiation, use really complex language to confuse your opponent with high level talk moves. Use a pen to accentuate a point you are making and always get in their faces. If possible, come across as mentally unhinged, take a briefcase filled with shit but don't open it or something, this will give you bargaining power. Offer 5% of the value of the house (this might get turned down) and go from there. I mean really if you follow those TOP TIPS then you should get a good price on the house, take it from me. The house I'm in got valued at £175,000 and I paid at least 6 times that amount which means I beat the banker! Good luck and don't fall on a spike x Edited January 17, 2017 by lapal_fan 13 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMelvillan Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I guess you have to ignore the decor as much as possible, whether good or bad - that can be changed (and will be several times if you are married) Instead focus on the boring, grown up things that could be very expensive to overlook. For instance, I bought my house then within two years had to upgrade the fascias/ gutters, repoint one wall, re-do the drainage in the back garden and fix a chimney. Stuff that the 20 something naive non home owner me hadnt ever even realised were things that grown ups had to consider! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapal_fan Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 10 minutes ago, TheMelvillan said: I guess you have to ignore the decor as much as possible, whether good or bad - that can be changed (and will be several times if you are married) Instead focus on the boring, grown up things that could be very expensive to overlook. For instance, I bought my house then within two years had to upgrade the fascias/ gutters, repoint one wall, re-do the drainage in the back garden and fix a chimney. Stuff that the 20 something naive non home owner me hadnt ever even realised were things that grown ups had to consider! ^ ignore that post entirely and do my stuff. None of that shit matters. What a load of baloney. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Remember, its very unlikely you will find your perfect property as a first time buyer. So don't worry if it doesn't tick all the boxes, if its your plan to move on within a few years. I purchased my property knowing I wasn't going to live here longer than 5 years. So in that respect I could overlook a few things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 17, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 17, 2017 1 hour ago, lapal_fan said: 4. If there is a car on the drive, it probably won't be there if the sale goes through. I thought I had purchased a lovely Volvo, but the bastards took it with them. This one gave me a genuine lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturdaygig Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I'd always do a driveby before booking a viewing, because you'll find it rules out a lot of houses. When you see the street, the neighbouring houses, what's on the opposite side of the road, how busy the parking is. All that stuff will impact your choice. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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