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Buying a house
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So, I got my agreement in principle. Start looking for houses, but as it’ll be my first home I’m absolutely stumped as to what questions I should ask.. 
Any ideas on what I should ask? (Other than the usual)  |
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Utility supply.
I didn't ask when I bought my place, figured I'd just need to replace the boiler and get the bathroom done. Turns out, there is no gas supply for this street. Downer. Electric boilers are not my bag.
Parking situation and neighbours with antisocial behaviours are worth knowing. Make sure you have a survey done by a reputable agent. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"check the roofm
Makes sense, surely that should be ok? "
depends on age etc.
but most home reports exclude a full roof inspection..
you can make an offer subject to survey and get thermal image survey done looking for damp spots especially if a flat roof.
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Watch out for shared access as that can take a while to sort with solicitors.
Same with leasehold and shared ownerships, all totally ok but take longer to process the sale which could be a problem when you sell.
If leasehold or shared ownership, find out ground rent costs and maintenance and any additional fees from leaseholder.
Check which council tax band.
Ask what current costs are like for utilities.
Check things like parking and how to get your bins out on bin day.
If you’re near an old church you may have to take out additional insurance, it’s low cost and a one of payment usually but essential so you don’t get stung for parishioner repairs.
Ask about the neighbours.
Ask about local events incase your road gets closed every other week for the local motorbike meet etc |
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"Utility supply.
I didn't ask when I bought my place, figured I'd just need to replace the boiler and get the bathroom done. Turns out, there is no gas supply for this street. Downer. Electric boilers are not my bag.
Parking situation and neighbours with antisocial behaviours are worth knowing. Make sure you have a survey done by a reputable agent."
The places I’ve looked at all have their own driveways with garage, but agreed, the neighbour bit bothers me, as there’s no way to tell. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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- Hop round the house for creeks in the floor
- Don’t wear too many layers
- run fingers on doors/windows for drafts
- pay extra attention to the areas that wasn’t in the advertisement |
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"check the roofm
Makes sense, surely that should be ok?
depends on age etc.
but most home reports exclude a full roof inspection..
you can make an offer subject to survey and get thermal image survey done looking for damp spots especially if a flat roof.
"
Ahh, ok I didn’t know that! I’ll get that added in as that’ll come in hand. |
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"Watch out for shared access as that can take a while to sort with solicitors.
Same with leasehold and shared ownerships, all totally ok but take longer to process the sale which could be a problem when you sell.
If leasehold or shared ownership, find out ground rent costs and maintenance and any additional fees from leaseholder.
Check which council tax band.
Ask what current costs are like for utilities.
Check things like parking and how to get your bins out on bin day.
If you’re near an old church you may have to take out additional insurance, it’s low cost and a one of payment usually but essential so you don’t get stung for parishioner repairs.
Ask about the neighbours.
Ask about local events incase your road gets closed every other week for the local motorbike meet etc"
wow, ok bar the bills and leasehold etc, the rest I wasn’t aware..
All brilliant advice so far! |
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"Check for damp via your surveyor
Ah, didn’t consider that. Factor the cost for that in "
You need to get a survey done which will pick up damp plus any other structural issues, there findings can be scary so it’s always worth speaking with them to walk you through.
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By *tud8614Man
over a year ago
south west |
Do not under any circumstances use agents recommended solicitors
Do your own research and find your own, a lot of agencies recommend companies like MHML etc and they're worse than useless
As stated above, pay the extra for a building survey, not a standard valuation survey. |
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As others have said, get a comprehensive survey done and reasearch the area.
If it looks over open land and that's a big bonus, look into planning restrictions etc.
When you do find something that you really like, arrange a second viewing and look EVERYWHERE check inside cupboards, behind furniture and look in the roofspace before getting the survey. People often hide damage and evidence of damp. If you're happy to do some work, places that need some renovation can get you a bargain in a popular area. But be wary as they're often more work than anticipated... I know!
Nita |
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"As others have said, get a comprehensive survey done and reasearch the area.
If it looks over open land and that's a big bonus, look into planning restrictions etc.
When you do find something that you really like, arrange a second viewing and look EVERYWHERE check inside cupboards, behind furniture and look in the roofspace before getting the survey. People often hide damage and evidence of damp. If you're happy to do some work, places that need some renovation can get you a bargain in a popular area. But be wary as they're often more work than anticipated... I know!
Nita"
Thank you, I’ve been toying between an older place and a new build, fortunately I have a friend who works in the Mortgage industry and has advised on who to avoid etc
Though I am noticing that a lot of places (old especially) are already renovated |
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"So, I got my agreement in principle. Start looking for houses, but as it’ll be my first home I’m absolutely stumped as to what questions I should ask..
Any ideas on what I should ask? (Other than the usual) "
Have a look at what the parking is like in the evening.
If you view during the day there could be plenty of spaces as people are in work |
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"As others have said, get a comprehensive survey done and reasearch the area.
If it looks over open land and that's a big bonus, look into planning restrictions etc.
When you do find something that you really like, arrange a second viewing and look EVERYWHERE check inside cupboards, behind furniture and look in the roofspace before getting the survey. People often hide damage and evidence of damp. If you're happy to do some work, places that need some renovation can get you a bargain in a popular area. But be wary as they're often more work than anticipated... I know!
Nita
Thank you, I’ve been toying between an older place and a new build, fortunately I have a friend who works in the Mortgage industry and has advised on who to avoid etc
Though I am noticing that a lot of places (old especially) are already renovated "
Knowing someone in the business is a bonus
Personally, I would avoid most new builds, as the quality tends to be poor, especially those on larger estates.
Old houses look nice but can be prone to damp and cold. I reckon the best options are usually those built between from the 1930s to 1970s. Ex council houses in decent areas are often a good bet. Make sure you check the EPC too.
Nita |
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"As others have said, get a comprehensive survey done and reasearch the area.
If it looks over open land and that's a big bonus, look into planning restrictions etc.
When you do find something that you really like, arrange a second viewing and look EVERYWHERE check inside cupboards, behind furniture and look in the roofspace before getting the survey. People often hide damage and evidence of damp. If you're happy to do some work, places that need some renovation can get you a bargain in a popular area. But be wary as they're often more work than anticipated... I know!
Nita
Thank you, I’ve been toying between an older place and a new build, fortunately I have a friend who works in the Mortgage industry and has advised on who to avoid etc
Though I am noticing that a lot of places (old especially) are already renovated
Knowing someone in the business is a bonus
Personally, I would avoid most new builds, as the quality tends to be poor, especially those on larger estates.
Old houses look nice but can be prone to damp and cold. I reckon the best options are usually those built between from the 1930s to 1970s. Ex council houses in decent areas are often a good bet. Make sure you check the EPC too.
Nita "
Awesome! I’ll check that out as I know the EPC rating affects how much it’ll cost to heat the house etc. |
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Don't believe what the vendor tells you about things like neighbours etc. Sit in the street at weekends and various times of the day. Ask about doctors, dentists, schools if applicable and public transport. Check web sites that give you crime figures for the area.
Or, you could do what we do. Walk in think 'we love this house ' then buy it  |
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"Don't believe what the vendor tells you about things like neighbours etc. Sit in the street at weekends and various times of the day. Ask about doctors, dentists, schools if applicable and public transport. Check web sites that give you crime figures for the area.
Or, you could do what we do. Walk in think 'we love this house ' then buy it "
Fortunately I know the two areas I’m looking in quite well so things like Doctors, Dentists etc are easy to locate. Both are low crime areas (thankfully).
As for the buying it part, that’s a bold move, but if you know you love it, you’ll love it. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Surveyors report
Check local past news on flooding
Parking situation
Check local b&b/hotel reviews, this will give you an idea if any unsocial activities are happening.
Check and triple check your boundaries, neighbours can and will get very defensive on what they might think is there's.
Check for a local swingers club
|
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"Surveyors report
Check local past news on flooding
Parking situation
Check local b&b/hotel reviews, this will give you an idea if any unsocial activities are happening.
Check and triple check your boundaries, neighbours can and will get very defensive on what they might think is there's.
Check for a local swingers club
"
All valid options, but the nearest one in Colchester closed down I believe  |
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As well as checking the council tax band you can check the government website to see if it might increase (if the house has had an extension for example). There's a little indicator next to the band if it's due to be reviewed next time it's sold. This can put the band up. It doesn't always. |
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Pull your phone out in each room and check for reception - sounds silly but some houses/rooms you can’t get reception and that might annoy you.
I lived in a house that only certain rooms had reception and it soon becomes a problem!
Or no reception might be a good thing!
K |
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"Don't believe what the vendor tells you about things like neighbours etc. Sit in the street at weekends and various times of the day. Ask about doctors, dentists, schools if applicable and public transport. Check web sites that give you crime figures for the area.
Or, you could do what we do. Walk in think 'we love this house ' then buy it
Fortunately I know the two areas I’m looking in quite well so things like Doctors, Dentists etc are easy to locate. Both are low crime areas (thankfully).
As for the buying it part, that’s a bold move, but if you know you love it, you’ll love it. "
We have found that houses tend to find us. We might think we've found the perfect home, get a long way down the line to exchange only for something to go wrong. We dash out looking for somewhere else and the perfect one suddenly appears.
By the way always ask to use the loo. You can do a quick flush and dripping tap check |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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The first place I put an offer on (which fell through) the sellers had a range of appliances they wanted to charge me for, including the oven 
The second place, everything was staying and included in the price, so it’s worth asking which appliances are staying. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Check for parking. My mate bought a house recently and he thought he had somewhere to park nearby, but it turns out that all of the parking spaces are allocated to other houses. |
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By *ttmcdguyTV/TS
over a year ago
Milton Keynes |
Buy new build
Covered by contractors for 1st 12 months the nhbc for 10 years after
No issues to worry about
Will be 100% upto date energy efficient
The new rule being implemented over next 10 years means all uk homes will be spending £££££ on upgrades such as new boilers etc!!!!!
All about renewable energy
My “professional” advice is if you buy a pre loved home now it will cost you more than you will be willing to pay in the coming years
Btw people that is insider information so don’t forget you heard it here 1st |
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"check the roofm
Makes sense, surely that should be ok? "
Just get a full Survey, not part of Survey and they will check the roof and all other construction issues..
Or will you take your ladder and pop up 100% sure you know what you are looking for. |
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By *rHotNottsMan
over a year ago
Dubai & Nottingham |
Don’t go cheap on solicitor if it’s your first time. A cheap conveyancer will do the admin and not explain the search or survey results, there is no standard search or sale.
An off the shed survey (small , medium
Or large) is of very limited value , they either don’t check or indemnify themselves by just saying ‘advise further investigation’ - better to ask or even pay a sparky, plumber and builder to take a good look and give you informal advice |
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"Buy new build
Covered by contractors for 1st 12 months the nhbc for 10 years after
No issues to worry about
Will be 100% upto date energy efficient
The new rule being implemented over next 10 years means all uk homes will be spending £££££ on upgrades such as new boilers etc!!!!!
All about renewable energy
My “professional” advice is if you buy a pre loved home now it will cost you more than you will be willing to pay in the coming years
Btw people that is insider information so don’t forget you heard it here 1st "
I'm in two minds about new builds, but my experience when I worked in the building trade was not positive.
If you want to know what things to look for in a new build, go on Utube and look for building inspections, the stuff that they try to hide is scary! |
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By *ttmcdguyTV/TS
over a year ago
Milton Keynes |
"Buy new build
Covered by contractors for 1st 12 months the nhbc for 10 years after
No issues to worry about
Will be 100% upto date energy efficient
The new rule being implemented over next 10 years means all uk homes will be spending £££££ on upgrades such as new boilers etc!!!!!
All about renewable energy
My “professional” advice is if you buy a pre loved home now it will cost you more than you will be willing to pay in the coming years
Btw people that is insider information so don’t forget you heard it here 1st "
And if you do go down the new build route
Once you sign for your property employ a super snager to do a full in depth survey of your new property
They charge £500-1000 for their service but well worth the £££
But don’t be fooled by some of the sales patter of they can get upto 10% of the property value back from fault finding (they will not ! ) |
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By *rHotNottsMan
over a year ago
Dubai & Nottingham |
"Buy the worst house on the best street your money can afford to make sure any investment you do in Renovations will not be wasted when hitting a ceiling price."
Renovations can be costly and not add much value. Things like reworking, plastering, decorating, new kitchen and bathroom don’t add value- all houses should have these things in good condition.
What add value is extra rooms and features , adding not changing a bathroom / en-suite, adding central heating not replacing a broken boiler etc |
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"Buy new build
Covered by contractors for 1st 12 months the nhbc for 10 years after
No issues to worry about
Will be 100% upto date energy efficient
The new rule being implemented over next 10 years means all uk homes will be spending £££££ on upgrades such as new boilers etc!!!!!
All about renewable energy
My “professional” advice is if you buy a pre loved home now it will cost you more than you will be willing to pay in the coming years
Btw people that is insider information so don’t forget you heard it here 1st
And if you do go down the new build route
Once you sign for your property employ a super snager to do a full in depth survey of your new property
They charge £500-1000 for their service but well worth the £££
But don’t be fooled by some of the sales patter of they can get upto 10% of the property value back from fault finding (they will not ! ) "
I'd be tempted if its a new build to get one of these done BEFORE signing anything! |
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By *rHotNottsMan
over a year ago
Dubai & Nottingham |
A rewire will typically get you 3-5K off , you can do it for 3 but you need to plaster then test then decorate and maybe replace some floor so by the time you add labour, consumables and nice dinners / fittings unknowns the 5K you got off the price wasn’t a god deal - you’re going over budget always - better off with a house not heeding a rewire - they just shifted the problem to the seller.
Otherwise they would have done it themselves  |
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Don't know if it's detached, etc, but check about flying freeholds, etc. When I bought, the middle house of a 400+ year old terrace, my bathroom was directly over the neighbours' kitchen. With predictable consequences. Look out for wheelbarrow rights through back gardens, too, and of course check if it's in a Conservation Area, because that will affect what you can do to it.
Otherwise, the advice you've already been given seems excellent and pretty comprehensive. Good luck! |
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By *rHotNottsMan
over a year ago
Dubai & Nottingham |
"Buy new build
Covered by contractors for 1st 12 months the nhbc for 10 years after
No issues to worry about
Will be 100% upto date energy efficient
The new rule being implemented over next 10 years means all uk homes will be spending £££££ on upgrades such as new boilers etc!!!!!
All about renewable energy
My “professional” advice is if you buy a pre loved home now it will cost you more than you will be willing to pay in the coming years
Btw people that is insider information so don’t forget you heard it here 1st
And if you do go down the new build route
Once you sign for your property employ a super snager to do a full in depth survey of your new property
They charge £500-1000 for their service but well worth the £££
But don’t be fooled by some of the sales patter of they can get upto 10% of the property value back from fault finding (they will not ! )
I'd be tempted if its a new build to get one of these done BEFORE signing anything!"
My new builds when younger have been the best investments ever , high quality build/materials, zero maintenance , very functional designs, very warm, super cheap on gas and very good aftercare - all snagging fixed no issue, always made a good profit too. But it’s about style for me, new builds are very practical for families and less hassle but I prefer older houses now it’s just me, |
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"Ooh lots of advice in here, but general consensus is get a surveyor in, which makes a lot of sense.
Thanks all! "
Even with the best surveyor, they can only report on what they can see, not what they can't.
I bought a house years ago that had a cowboy DIYer previously. There were so many dodgy problems, including manhole covers that were under extensions, roof beams that had been cut through to create an attic room, freestanding walls where they should be supporting walls... and none were picked up by the top level buildings surveyor because they were out of sight.
You still need to sense check it for yourself. Ask about work that's been done, check how it looks compared to other houses on the street, pay close attention to what's been altered, as well as what hasn't.
Sound proofing is another thing. If the neighbours are out at work when you visit, go round another time when they're home. Some places are so bad, you can hear the TV and even voices.
I've visited neighbours before too when considering a house. Introduce yourself and let them know you're considering buying. You'll be surprised what information they divulge!
C |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Ask if the seller is in a chain.
Funny you mention that, I’ve asked a couple and each time the answer was “No” and it transpired they were… "
If the seller or agent says there is no chain then say you need to move in by such and such date if you buy. Should call their bluff. |
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We "cased" the house at different times, different days etc to see what the street was like and what went on.
Get full survey done so nothing bites you in the arse down the road.
Agree on fixtures and fittings being left if needed and be specific.
Dont over mortgage yourself. Life is for living. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"So, I got my agreement in principle. Start looking for houses, but as it’ll be my first home I’m absolutely stumped as to what questions I should ask..
Any ideas on what I should ask? (Other than the usual) "
Where did you get your decision in principle from as a lot of advisers especially from estate agents only work with a panel of lenders
I know someone who can help you get a mortgage and have access to exclusive deals to if you need |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"If you find one you like visit at different times of day and evening. Get a better feel for the area."
+ Knock your potential neighbours doors, seems a little cheeky but you don't want to be stuck next to the clampits for 20 years |
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Get a full survey - roof problems and damp can be a nightmare. Ask about the neighbours (and might be worth knocking to introduce yourself as a prospective buyer - neighbours can be the best or worst thing about your house).
How old is the boiler, when was it serviced last; has the house been rewired? If you’re buying a leasehold, see what the bills actually include.
If you’re moving to a new area, I always check out the pubs as they attract all walks of life, so are a good way of gauging what the local people are like.
Try to look beyond decor, layout etc - that can all be changed!
Good luck! |
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By *ttmcdguyTV/TS
over a year ago
Milton Keynes |
"Buy new build
Covered by contractors for 1st 12 months the nhbc for 10 years after
No issues to worry about
Will be 100% upto date energy efficient
The new rule being implemented over next 10 years means all uk homes will be spending £££££ on upgrades such as new boilers etc!!!!!
All about renewable energy
My “professional” advice is if you buy a pre loved home now it will cost you more than you will be willing to pay in the coming years
Btw people that is insider information so don’t forget you heard it here 1st
And if you do go down the new build route
Once you sign for your property employ a super snager to do a full in depth survey of your new property
They charge £500-1000 for their service but well worth the £££
But don’t be fooled by some of the sales patter of they can get upto 10% of the property value back from fault finding (they will not ! )
I'd be tempted if its a new build to get one of these done BEFORE signing anything!"
I doubt the contractor would allow you to do this
They do a cml check (certificate mortgage lending) before hand over that is the contractor and nhbc guarantee
The super snagger is a private run company who is employed buy the home owner
The contractor will deal with any/all faults picked up !
There are a lot of poor new builds from some big name companies but on a whole you won’t be left hanging with £££££ of unforeseen issues
No matter how good a surveyor is a dodgy cowboy builder can and will paper over a crack without it showing
I know this only to well as it’s my job to go and sort out such problems |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"So, I got my agreement in principle. Start looking for houses, but as it’ll be my first home I’m absolutely stumped as to what questions I should ask..
Any ideas on what I should ask? (Other than the usual) "
Get an independent Home Buyers survey |
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