Questions to ask at a house viewing that actually get answers

Prepare before you arrive

Read the energy certificate, the last sale price and the planning history first. That gives you specific questions instead of general ones, and specific questions are much harder to answer vaguely.

Questions about the building

• How old is the boiler and when was it last serviced?
• When was the property last rewired, and is there a certificate?
• How old is the roof covering, and has any flat roof been replaced?
• Are the walls cavity or solid, and has insulation been installed?
• Has there been any damp treatment, and is there a guarantee?
• Have the windows been replaced, and by whom?

Questions about history and permissions

• Was the extension or loft conversion done with planning permission and building regulations sign off?
• Has the property ever flooded, including the garden or garage?
• Have there been any insurance claims, particularly for subsidence or water damage?
• Are there any shared drives, rights of way, or boundary agreements with neighbours?

Questions about cost

• What is the council tax band and roughly what is the annual bill?
• What do you spend on heating in a typical winter?
• For a flat, what is the service charge, the ground rent and the lease term?
• Are there any known upcoming works to the building or the road?

Questions about the sale

1. 1Why are you selling, and where are you moving to?
2. 2How long has it been on the market, and has the price changed?
3. 3Have there been offers, and did any fall through, and why?
4. 4What is your timescale, and is there a chain?

What to look at while you talk

Look at the tops of internal corners for staining, at skirting boards for fresh paint in one room only, at the ceiling under a bathroom, at window reveals for condensation and mould, and at where the sunlight is at that time of day. Then go outside and look at the roofline, the pointing, the gutters and where water runs when it rains.