The Buyer's Viewing Checklist: What to Check, Ask and Get in Writing Before You Offer

If you are buying in Stroud or the Cotswolds, a viewing is the one chance you get to feel the house before you commit. Most buyers have about half an hour, so it pays to arrive prepared and to know what to look at.

This is the checklist I use, in order. There are seven steps. Work through them, and tick each job off as you go.

Step 1: Before you view

A little preparation changes how you see a home.

• Have a mortgage in principle or proof of funds ready. Agents take a buyer who can proceed more seriously.
• Know your top budget including the costs on top of the price: stamp duty, legal fees, survey and moving.
• Look at sold prices nearby, not just asking prices. Sold prices are what buyers actually paid.
• Ask the agent: is it still available, how long has it been on the market, and what is the seller's position?
• Visit the street at different times: school run, evening and a weekend.
• Check broadband and mobile signal for the address, and long-term flood risk on gov.uk.

Step 2: Outside

Buyers decide on the front door in seconds. Look properly before you go in.

• Roof line and chimneys: look for missing or slipped tiles.
• Gutters and downpipes: are they in place, level and clear?
• Walls: note any cracks and ask about them. Your surveyor can tell you what they mean.
• Windows and doors: are they in good order, and are they double glazed?
• Boundaries: which are the seller's responsibility, and where exactly do they run?
• Parking and access, and how close the neighbours are.
• Extensions: ask whether they had planning permission and building regulations sign-off.

Step 3: Inside

Use all your senses. A viewing is the one chance to feel the house.

• Look for signs of damp or mould: staining, a musty smell, peeling paint, condensation on windows.
• Check ceilings and walls for cracks and recently repainted patches, and ask why.
• Ask the age of the boiler, and when it was last serviced.
• Look at the consumer unit (fuse box) and ask for the electrical certificate.
• Run the taps and flush the toilets. Check water pressure and drainage.
• Open and close windows and doors. Stand still and listen for noise.
• Look at natural light in each room, and at storage.

Step 4: Questions to ask

Ask early, and ask politely. A good agent will either know or find out.

• What is included in the sale, and what is the seller taking?
• Has the seller had any disputes with neighbours?
• Has any building work been done, and was it signed off?
• What are the running costs: council tax band, heating and water?
• Is it freehold or leasehold? If leasehold, how long is the lease, and what are the ground rent and service charge?
• How many offers has it had, and is the seller in a chain?

Step 5: Paperwork to ask for

The sooner you have these, the faster your solicitor can work.

• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
• The Property Information Form and Fittings and Contents Form.
• Gas safety record and boiler service history.
• Electrical certificate, if there is one.
• Guarantees for windows, roof, damp proofing and any extension.
• Planning permission and building regulations sign-off for any changes.
• Leasehold only: the lease, ground rent and service charge details, and the management pack.

Step 6: After the viewing

Decide with a clear head, not in the doorway.

• Write down what you liked and what worried you while it is fresh.
• Go back at a different time of day, or take someone whose opinion you trust.
• Ask the agent about next steps and the seller's timescale.
• Instruct a RICS surveyor suited to the property before you exchange. A surveyor, not an agent, tells you about condition.
• Speak to your solicitor early about searches.

Step 7: Making an offer

A good offer is evidence-led and in writing.

• Know where the asking price sits against sold prices for similar homes nearby.
• Decide your top price before you start to negotiate, and stick to it.
• Ask about the seller's position: chain, timescale and other interest.
• Make the offer through the agent, in writing, and ask for the agreed terms in writing too.
• Ask how the sale will be protected until contracts are exchanged. A reservation agreement is one option.

Get the free Buyer's Viewing Checklist

The full checklist, with a tick-off list for every step and a PDF you can take to viewings, is free at adamclegg.co.uk/buying-checklist.

If you are also thinking about selling, read the Seller's Checklist. If you invest in lets, see Before You Buy a Let, and when you are ready to move, there is the Moving Checklist.

To see what has sold near you, take a look at house prices in the Stroud area, and for a monthly local update, sign up to the Market Pulse. You can browse homes for sale any time.

I'm an estate agent, not a surveyor. This is general information, not advice.