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Buying
Six Questions to Ask at a Second Viewing
The first viewing tells you whether you like a house. The second is for finding out what living in it would be like, and it is worth arriving with a list. These are the six we suggest, in the order we suggest asking them.
What has been replaced, and when? Roof covering, boiler, rewiring, windows. A house where all four are recent is a different financial proposition from one where none are, whatever the asking price suggests.
Where does the water go? Gutters, downpipes, gullies, and where surface water finally discharges. On a slope, ask what happens uphill of the house as well.
Which rooms are used in winter? Owners answer this honestly, and it is the fastest way to find the cold corner of a plan.
What consents exist? For extensions, conversions and anything structural. In a conservation area or a listed building, ask to see them rather than be told about them.
What is the noise at seven in the morning? Viewings happen at convenient hours. Traffic, trades, deliveries and schools all have times, and none of them is two o'clock on a Saturday afternoon.
Why is it being sold? Asked plainly and without apology. The answer is usually ordinary, and on the occasions it is not, you want to know.
Then go back at a different hour from the first viewing. If a house only works at one time of day, that is worth knowing before you offer rather than after.