3 Things To Ask At Every Property Viewing

When you’re looking to buy a house, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of ‘stuff’ you have to remember. And because it’s probably the single biggest purchase of your life, you want to make sure you get it right. So, you put together checklist after checklist of things you want, and need, in a property. You scour the property portals and grill estate agents until you find ‘the one’. And then you start the process of making it yours.

But before you get ahead of yourself with any property, we have a suggestion. Because you’ll probably view lots of properties in your search for the right one, and you don’t want to be asking hundreds of questions in each viewing (it will get exhausting, and you’re likely to miss things), here are 3 questions that should help you quickly decide if a house is worth going forward with, if it should be struck off your list, or if you should offer less for it.

How Old Is The Boiler, And What Type Of Boiler Is It?

There are many things in a house that will be expensive to repair or replace if they fail, but one of the most expensive, difficult and awkward is a boiler. The average useful lifespan of a boiler is around 10-15 years, so in an ideal world you would want to buy a house with a boiler within that age range. And that’s assuming it’s been maintained properly during that time. If it gets any older, the boiler has to work harder to heat your home, consuming more energy and driving bills up. It also becomes much harder to find the right parts to replace older boilers, and so you end up spending more to prolong its life, or replacing it altogether.

You should also ask what type of boiler the property has. While there is no ‘wrong’ type of boiler, combi boilers are by far the better option for modern homes. Combi boilers are high efficiency (so save you money on heating bills), more affordable to fix and replace, are faster to heat than a conventional boiler, and are more compact, so take up less space in the house. They’re also cleaner, provide safe drinking water, and have fewer pressure issues than conventional boilers, which is why they are the most popular type of boiler on the market. If the house you’re looking at has a combi boiler, then you’re off to a great start.

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When Was The Roof Last Replaced?

Next up is the roof. Though you might not think of it, the roof on your house does have a lifespan, and after a while it will need maintenance, repairs, or even a full replacement. This is very expensive, time-consuming and disturbing for you living in the house, which is why you should find out how old the roof is before you go ahead. A typical roof has an average lifespan of over 20 years, but this will vary slightly depending on the materials and building style used. So when you’re viewing a house, ask when the roof was last replaced. You’re looking for less than 25 years in an ideal world, with regular maintenance being done on top of that. If the roof is old, or if it hasn’t been taken care of, this is grounds for you to knock some money off your offer price so that you can prepare to fix or replace it in the near future.

What Are The Neighbours Like?

Finally, ask what the neighbours are like. This might seem like an odd thing to ask, but the sellers are actually legally obligated to tell you if there have been any issues with the neighbours. Particularly if those issues have turned into disputes that involved the authorities or any other legal bodies. So if they’ve had issues over noise, boundaries, planning permissions etc, then they should tell you about them. If the issue was a one-off and resolved, then this isn’t cause for concern – and most people recognise that the occasional disturbance from the neighbours is to be expected if you live in a built-up area.?But significantly concealing relevant information or failing to mention it could land the seller in trouble if there are issues down the line, so it’s worth asking from the outset.

At Northwood, we pride ourselves in helping our customers find not just any home, but their happy home. We work closely with you to find the perfect match to your requirements, and are happy to do as many viewings and answer as many questions as you have before you settle on your forever home. If you have any questions, or would like to know more, please just get in touch with the team today.