Viewing a property for the first time in person can be both exciting and daunting – it is after all one of the most important steps in your house hunting adventure! The house looks great in photos, it gives you all the feels when you visit, and it seems like it could be ‘the one.’ But many homes hide darker secrets that might not be immediately obvious. How can you be sure there are no nasty surprises in store?
It’s important to get the most out of a property viewing, as this will ensure you are fully informed before you decide whether you want to proceed with making an offer. To make sure you have all the relevant information and knowledge to hand, there are a number of things you should research and key questions you should raise when viewing a property.
Property & House Viewing Checklist
What’s the Neighbourhood like?
First, you should invest some time in the neighbourhood. It’s always worth taking a stroll around the local town or neighbourhood to assess how close every day amenities and services are to the property you are viewing. Some key things to consider are:
1) Location of the Property
Is the property located near main roads or arteries to get in and out of the city? Will there be any noise disturbances or disruptive traffic? Are there any nearby trees or buildings which may block the sunlight?
2) Public Transport in the Neighbourhood
Is the TTC nearby? Will it be an easy walk to the nearest stop in the winter or in the rain? Is there underground access if it’s a condo you’re looking at?
3) Parking
Is there street parking or underground parking? How many cars can you legally park?
4) Things to do and Amenities
Local amenities and services: How close is a grocery store? Cafes and pubs should be noted, as well as doctor offices, dry cleaning, dentist, etc.
Real Estate Photos vs Reality
Another word of advice is to pay attention to the listing photos versus what you actually see at the property. Just last week we took clients to see a beautiful home – everything checked out perfectly until we realized that the flooring in the basement was different in the current listing photos than the previous listing photos just a few months ago. This made us question why? What was the issue? Was it water damage? Was it an issue with the flooring itself? Luckily it wasn’t anything to cause a major concern, but worth asking, and noting with our home inspector.
Checking Electrical & Appliances
When viewing a home, you’ll also want to make sure the appliances and electrical outlets are in good working order. As you move from room-to-room, be sure to test out the below to make sure that they are in a good, working condition:
- Light switches and lighting
- Plug sockets
- Taps and water pressure
- Boilers and radiators
- Built-in kitchen appliances (e.g. microwave, dishwasher, fridge)
If you do come across any problems, don’t be afraid to ask to find out more about the problem and whether it will be fixed before the sale takes place.
Could You Live There?
Finally, when you’re in the space, really think about how you will live there. The majority of properties have been meticulously set up to show it at its best. Think about your furniture – will the master hold your king bed? Will you need to eliminate much of your own furniture or will you need to set aside some of your budget for new furniture to fill the space.
Where will you have your morning coffee and look through the daily news in the morning? Where will you eat dinner? Is cooking in the kitchen easy or are the appliances placed in a way that may not work for you? Where is the morning sunlight? Think about your day-to-day and how the space can lead to improving your quality of living.
There are many things to consider as you work your way through property visits. Your realtor can help you develop a list of priorities that you can bring along with you to each showing – we’ve done it for our clients and it always helps make a potentially overwhelming situation, a fun and enjoyable one.