Property viewing checklist

Five minutes on the pavement tells you more than half an hour inside

• Roof line straight when sighted along the ridgeA dip means purlin or rafter deflection, or spreading
• Tiles or slates all present, none slippedSlipped slates on an otherwise sound roof often means nail sickness
• Chimney stack upright, pointing sound, pots secureLeaning stacks and eroded flaunching are common and expensive
• Gutters and downpipes intact, no plant growthThe single most common cause of damp in British houses
• Staining or green algae on walls below gutter jointsTells you where water has been running for years
• Pointing and render sound, no cracks or hollow patchesTap render with a knuckle — hollow means it has blown
• Ground level at least 150mm below the damp-proof courseRaised paths and beds bridge the DPC and cause "rising damp"
• Airbricks present and clearBlocked sub-floor ventilation rots joists
• Cracks in brickwork — note width and directionDiagonal, tapered cracks near openings matter most
• Windows sit square in their openingsDistorted openings suggest movement
• Large trees within 10 metresA subsidence risk on clay soil, and a gutter problem everywhere
• Drives and paths fall away from the houseWater pooling against the wall goes into the wall
• Extensions match the main house in settlement and materialsLook at the join for cracking and check it was done properly
• Neighbouring properties in similar conditionA whole street of new roofs suggests yours is next

The thing that costs most to get wrong

• Musty smell anywhere, especially in the hallYour nose is a better damp meter than most instruments
• Tide marks or salt deposits low on ground-floor wallsClassic rising damp pattern — but check outside levels too
• Black spotted mould in corners, on reveals, behind furnitureCondensation — a ventilation problem, usually cheap to fix
• Fresh paint on one wall onlyThe most common way of hiding a damp patch
• Bubbling or lifting wallpaper and skirtingMoisture behind the surface
• Extractor fans in kitchen and bathroom, ducted outsideRecirculating fans move moisture around rather than removing it
• Condensation between double glazing panesFailed sealed units — cheap individually, adds up across a house
• Staining on ceilings, particularly below bathroomsHistoric or live leak — press it, a soft patch is live
• Cellar or basement dry and ventilatedTanked basements need pumps and maintenance

Take a marble and a spirit level app

• Cracks internally — width, direction, and both sides of the wallCracking on both faces in the same place is structural
• Doors and windows open and close properlySticking suggests the opening has moved
• Floors level — roll a marble or use a levelSlopes point to joist, wall or foundation problems
• Floors feel solid, not springySpringy floors mean undersized or rotten joists
• Ceilings flat, no bowing or cracks along the joistsLath and plaster failure is common in pre-war houses
• Walls that have been removed have visible supportAsk for the building control certificate for any steel
• Loft: check rafters, purlins, felt and daylightA ten-minute look in the loft is the best value of the whole viewing
• Loft insulation present and at a decent depth270mm is current standard; many houses have 50mm
• No signs of woodworm or rot in exposed timbersSharp new holes and pale dust mean active; grey and dusty means historic

Turn things on. Sellers expect it

• Consumer unit — modern, metal, with RCD protectionA wooden fuse board means the wiring is likely 1960s or older
• Sockets — enough of them, none scorched or looseSkirting-mounted round-pin sockets mean a rewire
• Ask for the EICR and its dateSurveyors do not test electrics; this is the only real evidence
• Boiler make, age and service historyOver twelve years old is a near-term replacement
• Radiators heat evenly, no cold bottomsCold at the bottom means sludge in the system
• Run the hot tap — how long, how hot, what pressurePoor flow with two bathrooms means a hot water upgrade
• Flush every WC, run every tap, check under every sinkLeaks live under sinks
• Water pressure at the highest tap in the houseLow mains pressure limits what a combi can ever do
• Stopcock located and it actually turnsYou will want to know this before you need it
• Lift a manhole cover if you canStanding water in the chamber suggests a blockage downstream

Ask at the viewing. The answers tell you a lot

• Building control completion certificates for all alterationsLoft conversions, extensions, structural openings
• FENSA or CERTASS certificates for replacement windowsMissing ones usually need an indemnity policy
• Gas Safe certificate for the boiler installationAnd the benchmark book in the back of the manual
• Electrical installation certificate for any recent workPart P notifiable work must be certified
• Planning permission and, for listed buildings, listed building consentUnpermitted work becomes your problem on completion
• Guarantees for damp, timber, roofing or underpinningCheck they are insurance-backed and transferable
• NHBC or equivalent warranty if under ten years oldAnd whether any claims have been made
• Leasehold: lease term, ground rent, service charge, major worksAsk specifically about any Section 20 notice

People answer honestly when asked directly

• Why are you selling?The answer, and the hesitation before it, are both informative
• How long have you lived here?A quick resale after a short ownership is worth understanding
• Has the property ever flooded or had a subsidence claim?Both affect insurance permanently
• What work have you had done, and who did it?Names and dates make it checkable
• Anything you know about that a survey would find?A direct question that sellers find hard to dodge
• What are the neighbours like? Any disputes?Disputes must be declared, and affect saleability
• How much is the annual heating bill?A concrete number beats any EPC rating
• Is there a chain, and where is everyone in it?Decides your timeline more than anything else
• Has it been on the market before or fallen through?A previous failed sale often means a survey found something
• What is included in the sale?Get it in the fixtures and fittings form, not a conversation