Five things to think about when viewing a house

My friend recently asked me to help her write a list of questions to ask when viewing a potential home, which made me think of all the important things to consider when deciding if this is the house for you.

Firstly I would highly recommend thinking about what it is that's important to you, and what you're looking for in a home. It is so easy to get blinded by the beauty of a house, however keep your 'practical' head screwed on, and make sure it's somewhere that will work for you and your family, in terms of space, location and of course, price.

It's probably a good idea to sit down and make a list of all the things you definitely want out of this new home. For example is a garden a top priority? Can you absolutely not live without a downstairs loo? Are good public transport links essential? Whilst this may cause a few arguments (or it did in our house!), this can work as the perfect checklist while you're out on a viewing.

Location - As they say, location is everything. A property may be your dream home, but if you can't easily get to work in the morning it's unfortunately not going to be somewhere you can consider. I would recommend checking this out before booking a viewing, so you won't fall in love with somewhere impractical.

How long you could stay there - I think this is particularly important when looking for a first-time home. Have a think about how long you want to stay somewhere, and when you'd be happy to sell up and move on. If you're looking for something short-term, for example to do-up and move on, then space might not be much of an issue right now. However, if you've got plans to start or extend your family in the next few years it might be a good idea to find somewhere with enough space to do this without feeling pressured to move on again quickly.

Budget your time and money - Buying a 'doer-upper' has to be one of the most exciting projects you can take on. However, if your budget doesn't stretch to getting it all done in one fowl swoop, and you're not keen on living in a working progress, it might not be the project for you. Unfortunately some of the best homes we looked at needed just that little bit too much doing to it than we could afford in the near future, but taking on a renovation project is still one of my dreams in years to come.

Look beyond the decor - I can't stress this one enough. You can literally transform or put your own stamp on anywhere, so don't let bad decor put you off! When we viewed our home it had been on the market for quite a few months and had recently been reduced in price when we viewed it, and I think it could have had something to do with the nightmare post-box red lounge putting people off. Not one to turn down a challenge, I knew it would a lick (or 8 coats!) of paint would transform it - have a read of my lounge makeover post here for more pictures.

'The feeling' - Finally, you absolutely have to get 'the feeling', as my Mum calls it. We must have viewed 10-15 properties before finding our home, and although they all had their pro's, none of them 'wowed' us.

I honestly felt like giving up at times but when we walked around our now home we just knew it was the one. My mum always says 'if you can picture where your Christmas tree is going to go, then it's the one!'. Whilst it might seem a bit nuts to be thinking like that (particularly in the middle of summer!), if you're starting to imagine your furniture/possessions in a property, then it's probably doing something right. Don't just settle - wait until you get the feeling!

Hope this has been helpful, is there anything else you should be thinking about when viewing a potential home?

Thanks for reading,
Sam Xx

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