First Time Buyer - Help

[tsped83]

Evening all,

As first time buyers, me and the wife are viewing several properties over the weekend, looking for our first home. Besides the requirements we have for bedrooms, space, location etc. what should I be on the look out for and what questions should I be asking? I know the boiler is a popular one, but anything else I should certainly make a point of finding out?

Thanks

 

[Smith86]

Garden direction, never thought about when we were looking but got a south facing 1and wouldn't buy another house unless it was!
get a damp test done normally in the survey, that was a cost I didn't budget for!
Just remember your the one with the cash, play the hard game!

 

[Duckster]

Has it ever been lived in by one F. Kruger? Is it susceptible to any sudden changes in the San Andreas fault? How many balloons would be required to make it fly away like in the cartoon documentary "Up"?

Joking aside, I'd just have a look round, see how the places feel first. Check them all out, then go back to ones you like and then start to look more in depth. So long as it's structurally sound the rest can be sorted. Granted might be costly but you might be like my parents who still live in the only house they've ever bought.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Garden direction, never thought about when we were looking but got a south facing 1and wouldn't buy another house unless it was!
get a damp test done normally in the survey, that was a cost I didn't budget for!
Just remember your the one with the cash, play the hard game!

We bought new and moved in almost a year ago. We came from a house south facing garden and so wanted a plot the same. Very pleased with the decision. Have fun finding "the one" and you'll know when you see it

 

[Blue in Munich]

Buy the worst house on the best street rather than the best house on the worst street; you can single-handedly improve the house, you can't improve the neighbourhood.

 

[CMAC]

two things I always do when I find a potential house.....

1) Talk with the neighbours about the area and the house, they'll be helpful, if they are not then maybe a problem neighbour.

2) Get there at night (Fridays and Saturday's inbetween 8pm and 10pm and after the pubs close), you dont need to sit in your car long but it will give you an idea what happens when night falls and the zombies come out

 

[richart]

Ask how long the current owners have lived there, and why they are moving. Check out the neighbours properties. Are they in good repair or do they look like a bomb site. If you have problem neighbours your life will be miserable.

Check out planning applications with local council. We have had builders at our neighbours virtually non stop for the last five years.

Good time to view a house in the winter. If it looks and feels good then, it should be even better in the summer. Does it get good light. If lights are on during the day you know it gets little natural day light. South facing for the front of the house is the best.

Don't be taken in by the sellers, or agents. They are bound to seem really nice as they are trying to sell the house to you. If you really like the house don't seem too keen. You will find it harder to make on offer below full price, if the sellers can see you are desperate to buy.

 

[chrisd]

Look round the house don't say too much, don't sit and have a cup of tea with the sellers, be affable but if you get too friendly it's much harder to put an offer in below the asking price.

Check what prices in the street have been on similar houses. Visualise what it will look like empty and what needs doing to it to make it your home. Can you get easy access to the back, are you sharing driveways, how many fences are your responsibility, are their noisy teenagers next door or a car mechanic who works from home. Look at the house in the morning, evening and, if necessary late at night

 

[Up_Point_1]

If you've got your requirements nailed I.e you have your essentials and desirables list sorted then really over and above that I'd be looking at:

Boiler, Windows / doors, kitchen and bathroom.

Wouldn't be put off by dodgy decor as that's just cosmetic and easily fixable.

Also be subtly nosey around the neighbours houses, cars on the driveway and the state of their gardens are sometimes a good indication to the neighbourhood.

 

[Stuey01]

School catchment areas. Even if not for you, it can affect price and saleability when it comes to selling on later.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Lots of good advice offered.

Agree with the dodgy decor comment.

Our house was bought for a snip because the decor/fittings were horrendous and the garden totally overgrown.
All sorted for a few £1ks within a year.
Good case of the worst house in a good area.

 

[ventura]

What Internet speed is available?

We moved onto a modern estate a few years ago and found that fibre optics were never installed so we're limited to 2/3 Mbps through the phone line. Really annoying when I was used to 50ish before.

That will be on our list if we move in the future.

Also how easy to get furniture upstairs? Thought we were going to have to take a 1st floor window out and hire a crane to get our new sofa in, just managed to squeeze it up the staircase after taking light fittings out and getting lucky.

 

[tsped83]

Thanks all for the advice, we've just been to the first one, only six more to go for today!

 

[ManinBlack]

South facing for the front of the house is the best.

Surely not. We have a South facing back garden & get sunshine all day. Wouldn't have a North facing back garden.

 

[NorfolkShaun]

Some cracking advice here.

Personally not a fan of south facing back gardens you can end up with a real sun trap and really hot garden with limited shade but this may be what you want.

Worst house on the best street is good advice too, and do you homework on schools etc. and in my experience house prices have always gone up in the long term, if you buy the best you can afford now you may save a fortune later. Moving costs for me now would be in the region of £20-£25k so i'm glad we are in a house we do not need to move from.

Also make sure you get a good survey done and read it thoroughly.

 

[richart]

Surely not. We have a South facing back garden & get sunshine all day. Wouldn't have a North facing back garden.

Depends whether you spend most of your time in the house or the garden. Most house have the main rooms at the front, and I personally would want the sun in those rooms for as much of the day as possible. In my house the North facing rooms are colder and darker, and need the lights on more.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Bit difficult for us to drive round and see the neighbourhood at night. It was a building sight then. That's the risk of a new build, you've no idea what the neighbours will be like. We hit gold and our road are all pretty friendly and all keep themselves to themselves. As for internet, Virgin were installing on site and we were connected the day after we moved in so really pleased with their service and my internet and TV