Viewing houses - what to look out for and ask??

jmcwobbles

Hi All - myself and my boyfriend are starting to look into buying a house (south Dublin) and we're gonna start viewing a few different places to get a feel for whats out there and what we'd be looking for... my question is: aside from the general look and feel for the house, what would be the standard things to look for, questions to ask the agent, that sort of thing? Any advice or recommendations re: websites etc would be appreciated... thanks!

The_Conductor

Is it part of a managed complex- and if so, what have the fees been for the past few years (and also ask for a set of accounts to make sure that there are sufficient sink-fund provisions).

If an older house- check for structural problems- particularly cracks that run up walls and can been seen from the interior. Also check the exterior boundaries of the building.

How is the house/apartment heated. How is it insulated. Does it have an energy rating certificate?

Are there any water/sewage/electricity other pipes or cables traversing the property?

Has the house been modified in any manner- and if so- was appropriate permission or retention sought (and granted)?

etc- perhaps a few others might give you more tips?

Electric

Check the ceilings and tops of walls for water marks, they can be an indication that there are leaks/plumbing problems. Oh and also look for signs of damp.

I don't know if an estate agent would be able to answer this question but you could ask them if there are any rights of way or other easements (rights of other persons over your property e.g. right of way, right of support etc) over the property. If there are it might affect any possible development of the property.

Try and find out what fixtures and fittings (washing machine, fridge, wardrobe etc) are included or that the vendors might be willing to include in the sale.

Oh when you are outside have a good look at the roof for missing or loose slates, especially in older properties. If roof work needs to be done it could be costly. It could also be used to get the vendors to take money off the asking price.

athtrasna

We check out the heating type, the state of the wiring around sockets (conduit in old houses generally means re-wire needed), and our main size check is whether we could get the tv, stereo and a Christmas tree in. We've found loads of houses with tiny sitting rooms and no other potential Christmas tree location.

Also check and see if the area is listed on www.neighbours.ie for more info

jdivision

What sort of discount on the selling price they'll accept

jmcwobbles

Thanks a mil for all this advice, there's so much to think about isn't there! athtrasna - I never would have thought about the Christmas tree at all, and I love having a tree up, so that would be a biggie for me!

Of we go with the hunt so

sarahhurray

bring a mammy or a daddy. They'll ask questions you wouldn't think of and won't be intimidated by the EA, they'll also have a more level head.
EA's usually know nothing, especially in the first time buyers range because the agency sends out their baby e.a.s to learn off the baby buyers.
Don't expect to be rational, you won't. You'll find yourself swayed by daft things like liking the colour of the front door. Seriously.

jmcwobbles

Hee hee yeah or the carpet or wallpaper Yeah I would definitely bring parents along to somewhere we're interested in, but at the moment we're just doing first viewings just to get an idea of what's out there, so I was mainly wondering what the initial things to look for were. We're under no pressure to buy so it's literally just a first step - but of course if we started looking seriously at a place I'd definitely bring the rentals for a goo...

Fries-With-That

1)Ask the estate agent if houses on each side and in the general area are owner occupied.

You don't want to buy a house that you have no idea who's living next door or how often your neighbours will change and for social reasons it would be good to know if the population in the area is transient.

2)Ask him how many houses in the area do they have on their books for letting purposes.

If he has a large number of houses in the area (and if he's good at his job)he'll know the answer. This will help you with his honesty in answering question 1


3)Ask him is there further planning on the estate for future development.

Vital question, you don't want to buy a house in a developement that could be a building site for years, and find out he(developer) won't finish the estate(landscaping, play areas, roads,lighting etc) until he has all the houses built.

Victor

Be wary of new painting or other cosmetic work - what is it covering up?

the_syco

Electric wrote: »

Oh and also look for signs of damp.

Also look for a freshly painted wall on the outside side. If the other three walls, they're trying to cover the large black patches of damp which is the tell-tale sign of dampness.

Fries-With-That wrote: »

until he has all the houses built.

If even then, as what has happened at an estate in Lucan.

tHE vAGGABOND

Not wanting to sound nasty at all, but do a search on this forum for your question. Its been asked 1000 times, you may get some great ideas from times gone by..

jmcwobbles

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

Not wanting to sound nasty at all, but do a search on this forum for your question. Its been asked 1000 times, you may get some great ideas from times gone by..

No offense taken I did do a search though and can't find anything - do you know of any threads off hand that you could put a link in? Don't go hunting if not, sure there's loads of advice here already which is all really helpful