Hiya everyone, I’m in South yorkshire looking at moving.
I’m young, dumb and naive. So what do I look for? Me and my partner have been asking around and have got a viewing tomorrow. So my question to the Brits is.
What the hell do I look for?? Yeah I get the basics, if the roof is collapsing or if theirs damp. But we plan to live here a while, so what are the secrets?? 😊
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Look on Rightmove there’s a buyers guide to viewing property. There’s also tips somewhere on Martin Lewis’s website.
Plumbing, wiring, accessibility to piping, drainage, lighting (where the sun hits, what’s there? The shitter or the living room?) Garage, rats, neighbourhood, schools, off licenses, take aways, supermarkets, parks
-size is it going to be big enough so you don’t have to move again
– what’s the neighbourhood like
Checklist (off the top of my head):
– is it on a flood plain?
– roof and damp courses intact
– how is the location for transport
– do you need to be near a school?
– is redecoration required or structural work?
– garden?
– are you on a flight path
That’s a few but it’s also important to think about what you are prepared to compromise on. Nothing can be perfect but often you can get most of your boxes ticked.
Well you can easily change interior decor and most things about the inside. What you can’t change as easily are size, layout and structural issues like how easily noise comes through the walls. What you can’t change at all are location, neighbours, and what side gets the sun or not. So check you are reeeally happy with the things you can’t change or can’t afford to change.
All the things already mentioned, but also check, water pressure, is there any mould or signs of it, any signs of infestations, whether that be bugs or vermin; and is there any info of there being any in the past (ie our house, every spring, carpet beetles are a nightmare), is there any japanese knotweed in the garden?
Look behind pictures/paintings on the wall to see if they’re hiding anything like damp. Same with any other piece of furniture you can get away with moving.
Do you love it? Does it pull at your heart strings and that night you can’t sleep for fear that someone else will beat you too it.
The practicalities are all fine, but this will be a big purchase and you need to be excited about it 😊
Also a good idea would be to visit in the evening. Areas are so different at night. Your street could be so quiet in the day, but be an anti social behaviour hotspot at night
Buy the nicest house on a street
Most expensive things beyond structural, stuff your solicitor will pick up on, and local amenities/crime rates:
Check the fuse box, see how modern it is (current regs are: must be mounted in non-combustible casing, likely steel) This will likely tell you the age of the electrics.
Wallpapered walls? Old plaster underneath?. that’ll be pricey and or a huge amount of work if you want paint finish.
Boiler age.
Double glazing spec. Modern PVC? If aluminium or timber, could be pricey to replace.
WATER PRESSURE! Don’t assume you’re going to have a nice shower if you don’t check first before buying.
Opt for the shittest house in a nice area over the nicest house in a shit area…
Will you be renting or buying?
A few things people often forget to check:
The boiler (when was it installed, when was it last serviced)
Water pressure (nothing worse than finding out you have a trickling shower after moving in)
Is it on a water meter or not.
Does it have stairs up the the bedrooms?