# House viewing checklist (UK)

From MortgageExplained.co.uk. Free to print and share. This is information, not advice. A viewing is not a survey: it flags questions, it does not replace a professional inspection.

## Every room

- [ ] Damp: sniff for mustiness, look for tide marks, peeling paper, black mould around windows
- [ ] Cracks in walls and ceilings (hairline is common; wide, stepped or growing cracks need a surveyor)
- [ ] Windows: double glazed? Do they open? Condensation between panes? Frame condition?
- [ ] Enough sockets, and where they are
- [ ] Radiators in every room, cold spots, signs of leaks underneath
- [ ] Storage space (or where your own storage would go)
- [ ] Floors: level, squeaks, condition under rugs if you can
- [ ] Phone signal in the room (check your own phone)
- [ ] Ceiling stains (old or active leaks from above)

## Kitchen and bathrooms

- [ ] Run the taps: water pressure and how fast hot water arrives
- [ ] Under-sink cupboards: leaks, staining, fresh sealant hiding something?
- [ ] Extractor fans work (mould risk if not)
- [ ] Boiler: age, service history, where it is, does it fire up
- [ ] Toilet flushes properly; drains away fast
- [ ] Sealant and grout condition (cheap fix, but shows upkeep)
- [ ] Which appliances are staying?

## The building

- [ ] Fuse box: modern consumer unit or old fuse board?
- [ ] Loft: insulation depth, daylight through the roof, damp timbers (ask to look)
- [ ] Roof from outside: missing or slipped tiles, sagging ridge
- [ ] Gutters and downpipes: cracks, plants growing, staining on walls below
- [ ] External walls: cracks, bulging, repointing needed
- [ ] Drains and manhole covers: smell, standing water
- [ ] Extension or loft conversion? Ask about building regs and planning paperwork

## Outside

- [ ] Garden orientation (which way does it face; where is the sun in the evening?)
- [ ] Boundaries: fences and walls, who owns which side
- [ ] Parking: allocated, permit, or a nightly hunt?
- [ ] Trees near the house (roots, leaves in gutters, maintenance)
- [ ] Flat roofs on extensions or garages (age and condition)
- [ ] Security: door and window locks, side gate, lighting

## The area (do this without the agent)

- [ ] Walk the street at a different time of day, and after dark
- [ ] Noise: road, flight path, trains, pubs, neighbours
- [ ] Check broadband speeds available at the address (Ofcom's checker: checker.ofcom.org.uk)
- [ ] Check flood risk for the address on GOV.UK (www.gov.uk/check-long-term-flood-risk)
- [ ] Time your actual commute
- [ ] Schools, shops, GP within reach

## Questions to ask the agent or seller

- [ ] Why is the owner selling?
- [ ] How long has it been on the market? Any price reductions?
- [ ] Is there a chain? How long is it?
- [ ] How long have the owners lived there?
- [ ] What is included: fixtures, fittings, appliances, curtains, sheds?
- [ ] What council tax band is it? Who supplies energy, and is there a smart meter?
- [ ] Any offers so far? What happened to them?
- [ ] Any work done? Is the paperwork available?
- [ ] Leasehold or freehold? If leasehold: years left, ground rent, service charge
- [ ] Any disputes with neighbours or the freeholder?

## After the viewing

- [ ] Book a second viewing at a different time of day before offering
- [ ] Note your three biggest doubts and put them to the agent in writing
- [ ] If you offer, plan a proper survey: the viewing is not one

MortgageExplained.co.uk · Owned and operated by Muswell Rose Ltd. This is information, not advice.