Buying a property can be daunting, stressful and time-consuming.

When looking for a house, it is easy to become dazzled and starstruck by first impressions. Pictures and videos on property websites sometimes don’t correlate with reality and if you aren’t’ properly prepared for your viewings, you could be left feeling disappointed and no closer to purchasing the property you want.

Whether you plan to live in the house yourself, or are buying as a property investment, being prepared for your viewings and knowing what to look out for while you are there is a crucial part of the process.

Here are some of our top tips to help make your viewings successful. We have visited hundreds of houses over the last few years and hope that sharing this advice with you will help better prepare you next time you head out to check out some properties…

1. Book multiple viewings well in advance

It’s always better to book multiple viewings for the same day. For whatever reason, some may get cancelled or postponed so if you have multiple booked in, you still stand a chance of getting to visit quite a few houses.

Check a map and route planner before you go – Waze, AA Route Planner or Google Maps – to ensure you don’t have to come back on yourself too many times throughout the day and are taking the most efficient route possible.

It’s a lot easier if you are viewing properties within a similar area so try and group the viewings together by location. Leave yourself enough time in between each viewing to get from one to the next and account for potential traffic too.

2. Be ready

Before the viewing, take time to research the property and the area. Prepare a checklist of all the important points that you want to ask the landlord or the agent at the viewing.

Below are some of the key questions that you might want to consider:

• Why are the owners selling the property?

• Has the owner passed away or is there an issue with the house?

• How long have the owners lived there?

• How old is the property?

• How long has it been vacant for?

• How long has the property been on the market?

• What are the current offers?

• Has a sale been agreed before and fell through and if yes, then why?

• What is the road and area like?

• What type of tenant would we expect to see in a house like this in this location? (for rental)

• Is it leasehold or freehold?

• Is there anything else I need to know?

3. Be on time for your viewing

“Better late than never.” - - No! This is not true with property viewings. Whatever you do, don’t be late!

There are often a lot of potential buyers and investors booked in for a viewing on the same day as you. If it is a good deal, the competition will be steep so don’t lose out by not being on time. Arrive in the area in good time ready for the appointment so you can make the most of your allocated time slot.

4. Take plenty of notes, photos and videos

By the time you have seen a handful or properties, you might struggle to remember all the details about each house. There can be a lot to take in, some days you might be viewing 10 houses or even more and it is too tough to try and remember everything by memory alone.

Take notes and capture all the important features as you wander around each property. Should you miss something or forget some information, you can check your notes all over again without booking for another viewing - time and effort saved.

You might also like to leave yourself a voice note recording for each property which includes everything you want to know and remember about that exact house; you can play it back to yourself at any time.

5. Take someone along for the ride

We understand this is not always an option, but where you can, see if someone will come along with you.

The more eyes looking around, the better. They may see some details of the house that you missed, and this could be invaluable.

They can also share their opinions on the house which is always helpful as people often see things differently to one another and have a different perspective.

6. Check the property inside and out

Buying a property is a pretty big deal. Whether it is your first purchase or your tenth – it is never an easy decision and the more informed you can be, the more confident you will feel in making the right choice.

Be thorough - It is important to examine the inside of a property but don’t ever forget to take a look at the outside too. Even if there is no garden, yard or front drive – always spend time outside of the building checking out the walls, guttering and roof as much as you can.

If any refurbishment is required, consider how much it would cost. Take a tape measure too. Most properties will have a decent floor plan but not always; it can be helpful for you to leave the viewing knowing the exact size of the rooms and how much value for money you are potentially getting.

7. Ask questions

Whether you are looking to rent or to buy, do not hesitate to ask questions.

Bring with you the list that you prepared before the viewing and feel free to talk to the agent or to the landlord. At the end of the day, whoever is conducting the viewing with you wants to get the house sold. They will usually try their best to be as helpful as possible and share with you as much information as they can.

8. Review everything

After all your viewing appointments are done, take your time to reassess everything.

Check your notes, look again at the photos and the videos that you recorded and review the details of each properties.

Check-in with yourself too -- Does the house match your expectations? Does the place feel like home? Will it be worth it? Do I like the area? IS there enough demand for a property like this? Can I add much value? Is it big enough for me?

Remember, you are about to spend a significant sum of money for this investment so don’t rush the process.

Here at Winova Properties, we can help you with every step of your property purchasing journey, so contact us today if you would like to chat about this in more detail.

Happy House Hunting!!