What buyers are looking for on a viewing?

Not every buyer will take 15 minutes on a property they intend to live in or own for a very long time. Some will take their time looking for red flags, oversights and other shortcomings.

Essentially, the typical buyer will be out on a viewing looking for certain things. Here are a number of them...

A meeting with the seller

Very few buyers will be satisfied with just viewing the property. They’d want to meet the seller or homeowner and ask as many questions as possible. New repairs, fixtures or ceiling might dazzle anyone but talking to the property owner of many years can shed light on a number of things. In the process, the buyer gets first-hand information on house repair history, warranties and insurances if any, and the individual or company doing the repairs, among other insights.

The roof

Definitely one place the ardent buyer will be keen to investigate is the state/quality of the roof. They’d want to know whether it’s newly repaired, noticeable, almost falling off or merely neglected. For instance, a neglected or ill-repaired roof means that it’ll cost the new owner. If it’s new, a homeowner will probably pay a lower rate of homeowners cover. A strong, well-done roof will also mean saving a lot from potential claims and wonderful defence against tempestuous elements.

Structural integrity of the building

Of course big cracks will be noticed or a shaky structure. Every buyer will take keen interest on the structural integrity of the building, checking out the extensions and where they connect, bay winds or walls just at the periphery of the terrace, among others. Terraces and extensions could already have started falling away from the other part of the property. In fact, the buyer will be looking for things relating to the building to request further explanations from the estate agent or homeowner. Once the homeowner has explained, the buyer will get in touch with a chartered building inspector or surveyor to identify risks and suggest areas in need of additional attention.

Tell-tale floor

Property buyers know floors tell their own story. For instance, if the floor around the bathroom seems to be dipping or strangely flaccid the buyer knows the plumbing could be a problem. It might also indicate some questionable plumbing just below the floor. If the floor seems to sag then the building structure could require some attention. Again, the buyer would want reassurance on the reliability and robustness of the structural foundation.

Area around the property

Chances are everything seems okay and fabulous inside the home. However, a buyer won’t just stop there. The environment around will be checked out. For example, interested buyers would love to know lots of things such as histories of flooding, if there is a shared driveway and other amenities, quality of a fence if any, among other things. Very few ignore the surroundings when buying a property, particularly a home.

Signs they need professional inspectors

Most buyers know of their limited five senses. If they believe there’s more to unearth or be assured about, sellers and estate agents should be ready for buyer-sponsored inspections of the property.

Of course, there’s so much a typical buyer will be looking for on a viewing. If there’s nothing to hide and hope it’s not found out then homeowners and estate agents have absolutely nothing to worry about.