What should you really look for when viewing a property?
Property viewings can go surprisingly quickly.
You walk through the rooms, look at the kitchen, check the garden and start imagining whether your furniture will fit. Before long, you're back outside trying to remember exactly what you saw.
But a useful viewing isn't about trying to inspect every inch of the property.
It's about working out whether the property could genuinely suit you — and identifying the questions you need to ask before making a decision.
Start with the things you can't easily change
Paint colours, furniture and decoration can have a big influence on how a property feels, but they're rarely the most important things to concentrate on.
Instead, think about the fundamentals.
Does the location work for you? Is the overall amount of space right? Does the layout suit the way you live? Is there enough storage? What is the natural light like?
A beautifully presented property can still have a layout that doesn't work for you. Equally, somewhere that isn't decorated to your taste may have exactly the space and position you're looking for.
Try to separate the property itself from how the current owner has styled it.
Think about everyday life, not just the viewing
A property only needs to look good for a viewing for half an hour.
You may be living there for years.
Think about what an ordinary Monday morning would look like.
Where would you get ready? Is there enough room in the kitchen when several people are using it? Where would coats, bikes or pushchairs go? If you work from home, is there somewhere you could comfortably do it?
These aren't particularly exciting questions, but they often tell you more about whether a property is right for you than the things that first catch your attention.
Look outside the property too
You're not only buying the rooms you've just walked around.
Consider the building, street and immediate surroundings as well.
If you're buying a flat, there may be communal areas and wider building matters to understand. With any property, parking, transport, outside space and the immediate environment may be important depending on your circumstances.
If you're serious about a property, you may also want to see the area at another time of day rather than relying entirely on what you experienced during one appointment.
Ask questions while you're there
A viewing is also an opportunity to gather information.
You might want to ask why the owner is moving, how long they have lived there, whether there is an onward chain and what timescale they are hoping to work towards.
For leasehold properties, there will be additional information you'll want to understand as the purchase progresses.
You don't have to remember every question on your first viewing. If you're interested, make a note of anything you'd like clarified afterwards.
Don't try to be your own surveyor
It makes sense to pay attention to the condition of a property, but a viewing is not a substitute for professional advice.
You can notice things and ask questions about them. If you decide to proceed with a purchase, your solicitor, surveyor and mortgage lender each have their own role in helping you investigate the property and transaction properly.
The aim during a viewing is not to convince yourself that you've checked everything.
It's to decide whether you know enough to take the next step.
A second viewing can feel very different
The first viewing often answers one question: Do I like it?
A second can answer something more useful: Could I actually live here?
Once the initial impression has passed, you're more likely to notice practical details and think clearly about the property.
Take your time. Revisit the rooms that matter most to you. Ask the questions you didn't think of the first time.
Buying a home is a significant decision. There is nothing wrong with wanting to understand what you're buying before you commit to it.
At Brown & Brooke, we'd rather buyers ask sensible questions than feel they have to make decisions without enough information.
If you're looking to buy in Southeast London, register your requirements with Brown & Brooke. Tell us what you're looking for, what matters most to you and where you are in the buying process, and we'll keep you informed when suitable properties become available.