10 Questions You Must Ask When Viewing a Property

Buying a home is a big deal and can be terrifying for many people, but not to worry because in this article I am going to share with you 10 questions you must ask when viewing a property. This will give you key information to help decide if the property is worth further consideration and is a great way to avoid nasty surprises down the road.
In this article, I wanted to share advice from the perspective of a buyer, to help you know the top questions to ask on your first viewing of a property. As a Real Estate Agent I work with buyers and sellers, which means I have listings and when I do, I am representing the seller, but that means I get to engage with buyers regularly who are coming in to view the property and with that I definitely have got a sense of those key questions that buyers are typically asking. I have also thrown in a few more questions that I feel buyers are often missing, to help you be prepared and ready for your first viewing of a property in London!
Let’s dive in.
Question One – How long has the property been on the market?
This question helps to give you, as a buyer, the sense of whether the property has had a lot of interest. For example, if a property has just come onto the market, and is getting a lot of viewings, this can suggest that the property is in demand, priced right, and may mean you need to have a greater sense of urgency in terms of viewings and giving an offer.
However, if a property has been on the market for a while, say several months, then it may start to suggest that perhaps it is not at the right price point, and that starts giving you a sense of perspective. If a property has been on the market for a while, you may be able to offer something substantially lower than the current asking price.
Question Two – Why is the seller selling?
This is a question that isn’t always asked by buyers, but I do think this should be something that you do ask as it helps you to have a framework around the situation of the property. For example, if a seller is selling because they’re having a baby there might be a greater sense of urgency to complete a transaction versus an investor who is just looking to offload a property. An investor may not be as emotionally attached to selling the property and moving on, and they may just be looking at it more as a financial transaction than someone who is moving to upsize or downsize due to their family situation.
This question really helps to give you an understanding as to the timing and urgency that you might be able to use if you like the property enough to make an offer, because sometimes, if, say you’re a cash buyer, you can really use that to your advantage even if you come in and present a lower offer, because it might really match with what that seller needs at that moment, given the reasons for selling.
Question Three – How long has the seller owned the property?
This is a great question to ask as it will give you a sense of whether there’s a lot of equity in the property, or if it is a fire sale. It can give you a real insight into the property itself and the work the seller may have put into it.
This can help you to look at how much the property was bought for , and this might help you know what type of offer you may want to make. For example, if someone has owned a property for 20 years, you may have more wiggle room due to the equity they have accumulated.
Question Four – Have there been any substantial works or improvements?
This can be in relation to an individual property, or if it is an apartment or block, you can ask if any works have been done by the management company to the apartment block itself. This can give you a sense as a buyer if there’s any significant things that you may have to work on after purchase. For example, if a boiler hasn’t been replaced in 10 or 15 years, or the roof is 20 or 30 years old, or if there’s been major communal works, you’ll definitely want to know that as it will give you a sense of if there’s going to be potentially more works that you would have to do within the first few months of purchase.
I have a listing where the seller took the time and budget to change out all of the windows and replace them with double glazed ones. This is a substantial upgrade to the property, which will increase the value. Depending on how long they’ve owned the property, this question will help you know the reasoning for the property value, and will justify the price if considerable works have been made to improve it.
Question 5 – Is the property freehold, share of freehold, or leasehold?
This is particularly important to ask if you are looking to purchase a property in London. If the property is a detached home, it will be a freehold, but if it is not then you definitely want to ask the question! These are terms that really dictate if there is someone else who owns the underlying land associated with the property.
This article shares more information on the differences between leasehold and freehold properties, and breaks down all the key differences you need to know.
Question 6 – Are there service charges or ground rent?
Once you know if the property is freehold, leasehold, or share of freehold, then you will be able to ask this question. In London, if a property is leasehold, there’s going to be service charges associated with it. A leasehold means that often there are other units associated in that building or house.
One of the things you will often see in London is “converted terrace property” which means that the property used to be a single family house that has now been converted into multiple flats or units, so in that situation, if it is a leasehold you’re going to want to know and get a sense of what the service charges associated with the property. These can cover the communal cost of maintaining the property such as roof maintenance, gardening, building insurance, cleaning, or other things. you will want to get a sense of what those service charges are and, along with that, there is usually going to be a ground rent which is considerably less but that’s usually a payment directly to the freeholder.
On many of the new build properties, the service charges can often be reflected on a pounds per square footage basis, and so that may be seven to nine to ten or even higher depending on what the building is and the type of amenities it offers. For example, the building may have 24-hour porter, a gym, a pool, a theatre room, these types of things are going to be reflected in the service charges. This is because they need to be maintained and looked after and you, as apartment owner or lease holder would need to pay the service charges to cover the costs of looking after these amenities.
Question 7 – Have there been or are there plans for significant works in the neighbourhood?
Lots of neighbourhoods in London right now are undergoing significant regeneration plans and so you want to know if the area you are looking in, have similar future investments coming. I’m currently selling a house in the Maida Hill area, and there’s a substantial regeneration program. The council have dedicated £600 million directly to the neighbourhood.
Knowing this type of information can get you really excited as it suggests that the home will likely improve in value over the period, as the area continues to improve substantially.
Another question people are asking about in a similar vain is the Crossrail. This is an East-West extension or new line that is going to really shorten commutes to a lot of different places throughout London, so you want to know if the Crossrail is coming to the area. If it isn’t, you will want to know what local stations and public transport there are in the local vicinity.
Knowing this can encourage you to get a sense of the future appreciation associated with the substantial capital improvements that are coming to the neighbourhood or the area.
Question 8 – What is the neighbourhood actually like?
You’re going to want to do some due diligence for yourself on this subject, but I definitely recommend asking the estate agent to get a sense from them about what makes the area particularly special.
You can find out if the area is perhaps attractive to certain types of people – whether it’s young professionals or families or older resident? They may talk about certain amenities that might be quite important to you such as schools, transport, parks, and different amenities.
There may be different things offered by the council or local area on various nights for example, West Hampstead, which is a lovely area in Northwest London, has a great high street and along it there are plenty of shops, and places dedicated to families. There is also the Sherriff centre which has got a wonderful play area for children and a coffee area that parents can bring their kids but also hang out and enjoy relaxation time. So you definitely want to know what the neighbourhood is like, what’s around it, and what types of amenities might benefit you including restaurants, bars, shops, and those types of things.
Question 9 – What are the neighbours like?
If the property you are looking at is a terraced house that has neighbours on either side, or if you are looking at an apartment with people above and/or below you, it would be good to ask what the neighbours are like. This can be really beneficial to know in advance of making a booking for a second viewing.
Question 10 – Would the seller consider offers below the asking price?
This can feel like a daunting question, and an estate agent might not actually tell you, but you can be surprised. As a selling agent myself, I like to reveal very little because I want to make sure that I’m doing the best job for my seller, but when I work as a buying agent I have actually found that just by asking that simple question, the selling agents sometimes reveal more than you would expect them to.
For example, let’s say a property is on the market for £1million, and you think you’d like to make an offer, let’s say you really liked it, you may offer £950,000, you may be surprised how many estate agents have actually told me that the seller could complete at £925,000! Well, that is a great perspective that you hadn’t expected to get.
There’s no harm in ever asking if the sellers would consider an offer below asking price, and kind of trying to get a sense as to what that figure might be could get the deal done and make everyone happy.
I hope you found these top ten questions to ask as a buyer on your first viewing helpful, and be sure to come back for the next article on the questions to ask at your second viewing!
If you are going to your first viewing, do share how it goes in the comments below.