The last thing you want to do is waste your time especially If you’re coming from some distance to view the property. You want to make sure you ask all the relevant questions from your agent or the landlord before you leave to view the property.
You don’t want to go all that way to view a property only to find out the property is not even close to what you want or located in the wrong area. Below are some ideas of what questions to ask and what to look out for when viewing properties to ensure you get to have the best property.
What time of the day Is It Best To view a property?
Its usually best to view a property in daylight. You might also want to consider viewing the property at its least flattering time especially if the property is located on an estate. For most people, this viewing time is going to be when all the kids are back, seeing whether or not it is noisy in the vicinity. There also may be a road that’s going to be busy in rush hour. You can also arrange to take a walk round the vicinity of the property to assess what the area is like at the specific times that worry you.
Our Office doors are open to accommodate customers 6 days a week, including Saturdays. We open late Monday to Thursday to suit our customers’ availability to view properties. You will find our staff quite helpful and every effort will be made by them to try and get you an appointment for the time requested subject though to staff availability.
We can also arrange viewings outside our normal hours of work to accommodate you as a client.
How can I be the first to view a property?
A good advice is to register to receive properties from your letting agent, that way you will be kept informed as soon as new suitable properties come on the market. You can get to have the first shot at viewing suitable properties of your choice which gives you a better chance of finding the right property you want.
What Flaws Should You Avoid When Renting A Property?
The sort of things you should avoid when you’re renting a property are short leases, lack of proper management arrangements, dirty properties, noisy roads. You will find that all the properties we show to you are CORGI gas safety certificated, and inspected for electrical safety, and furniture fire safety.
What questions should I ask when viewing a property?
It’s important obviously to ask about details of the area, the neighbours, transport facilities and some information on other tenants if the property is to be occupied with other tenants.
You might want to answers to questions such as:
- if the property is a ground floor flat or a top floor flat?
- what is the minimum contract term?
- How much the security deposit is?
- How much the Holding Fee is that you will be required to pay for the landlord to take the property of the market if you like the property?
You need to be very specific about what you want to know as well. Has the property got parking? Is it close to schools? Make absolutely sure you ask those questions before you leave to view the property. This will ensure you do not waste your time viewing a property that you cannot afford or you do not like.
You can save yourself a great deal of time and money by pre registering with Remington to ensure our staff only arrange for you to view suitable properties.
How can I get the most out of a viewing?
To get the most out of your viewing, take your time. If you like the place, take the opportunity to sit down and soak up the atmosphere of the place. Have a very good look around, inside and outside. If there is a garden, go outside, look over the garden walls, check out the neighbours, look up at the back of the property. If there are attics, stick your head up into the attic and have a good look. Check out any development opportunities but take your time and make sure you get the most out of your viewing appointment. You might find the Viewing Checklist provided by Remington to be quite useful. You can download a FREE copy of the viewing checklist that you might find useful when viewing a property by clicking here.
How many times should I view a property before I make an offer?
I think you’ll know everything you need to know about a property after two viewings. It is best to take along a friend or your partner to help in guiding your decision. You might also want to take along about 2 weeks rent to use as a holding deposit to take the property off the market just in case you do want to take the property.
Do remember though that holding deposits are usually non refundable as what you are doing is effectively telling the agent to withdraw all advertisement and not to show the property to other prospective tenants.
You can view a property more than once but you have to understand that if you go back more than twice, the letting agent is going to start to think you’re a bit of a time-waster.
Should I question prospective neighbours?
One of the best ways of finding out about the property you want to live in is to talk to the neighbours. Now, the English aren’t very good at knocking on doors, but it’s by far the best way of finding out about the area and the property. It will also give you a bit of an insight into what your neighbours are going to be like.
How can I find out if there are problem neighbours?
If you’re worried about prospective neighbours, I’m afraid the only real way to check it out is to look in the local vicinity, look at the gardens and that sort of thing. There’s nothing to beat though, I’m afraid, knocking on other neighbour’s doors and asking about the people who live around and about.