Getting a better home deal
Buying a house is the biggest purchase most of us will ever make, yet we sometimes spend less time researching it than we would if we were buying a new TV!
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Home Insurance
Ann Maurice
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Viewing a house
Viewing a house
You should always view a number of properties even if you fall in love with the first one. You might find a home that is even better or looking at others may simply confirm that you’ve made the right choice. In any case, remember that the sale might fall through so always keep your options open.
You should always view a number of properties even if you fall in love with the first one. You might find a home that is even better or looking at others may simply confirm that you’ve made the right choice. In any case, remember that the sale might fall through so always keep your options open.
- Remember to remain objective when you look around, even if you love it.
- Look behind pictures and move furniture to make sure they are not hiding anything nasty. Make sure windows and doors open and close properly for the same reason. Look carefully for evidence of cracks – particularly at door and window lintels as this might be an indication of subsidence.
- Look beyond the décor if you don’t like the vendor’s taste – try to visualise it with your own choice of decoration.
- Visit your chosen property on several occasions, at various times of day to check noise and traffic levels.
- Find out what the neighbours are like as noisy or unpleasant neighbours are one of the biggest complaints of home owners. Visit the local pub and say to the locals that you are thinking of moving to the area – you might get some very honest responses!
- Take a walk around the neighbourhood to get a feel for it.
- Research the area as much as possible using local information and websites. If you have children, what are the local schools like? Check to see whether the locality is prone to flooding (you can do that on the Environment Agency’s website). Try to find out also if there is a history of subsidence in the area – the local council’s planning department might offer information.
- You can also find out from the planning department whether there is development proposed locally that might have an impact on the outlook and traffic levels.
- Get an insurance quote for different properties you are looking at. A higher than expected premium might suggest a history of local burglaries or subsidence, for instance.