House-hunting is a very exciting endeavour – searching for the perfect home for your family online, hopeful calls to estate agents and ultimately going to see the houses you saw potential in. But it’s also very stressful. Especially if you aren’t prepared and you and your partner are not agreeing on what you want.
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This check list will help take some of the jitters out of your house search to eliminate the ones that need too much work, or don’t suit your family’s needs.
1. Know what you want
Ask yourself why you want to leave your current home. Is it too small? Do you need a bigger garden for the children? More storage space? A bigger kitchen? When you know exactly what you are looking for, make sure the places you search for online or through an agent fit these requirements. Don’t waste your time by looking at places that are similar to your current living situation. Make a list of things you want and need, and don’t even look at the ones that don’t meet those criteria.
2. Don’t just look online
Take a Sunday afternoon and drive around the area where you want to live. On Sundays there are many houses on show and you can meet agents who can help you with your search. You can literally walk in and view these houses. Look out for on-show boards in your neighbourhood. And while you are driving around, look out for for-sale boards at houses that are not on show that day. Call the agents to ask how much the house costs to get an idea of what the market is in that area and book viewings of the ones you want to see. TIP: Save the agents’ numbers on your phone with the street address of the property you inquired about – it can get a bit confusing if you called 10 agents in one day and they all start WhatsApping you or calling you back.
3. Be quick
When you look online, set up alerts for new properties that meet your criteria. That way you can secure a viewing on the same day it goes on sale and be one of the first people to view it and avoid disappointment.
3. Don’t use only one estate agent
It’s easier to ask an agent to find the perfect home for your family, but rather put in extra effort to find a place and shop around yourself. The more agents who know you are looking for a house, the better your chance of finding a home. Never think you’ll view a house a week later, as chances are it will already be under offer by that time.
4. Do’s and don’ts at a viewing
Unless you have extra cash to do renovations, you’ll be looking for a well-kept house that needs minimum work. Keep the following in mind when viewing a house to avoid ‘buyer’s remorse’ later on:
- Imagine the space without their furniture in it. Don’t let their interior put you off. Imagine the space empty or with your own furniture there.
- Ask about the neighbourhood, the actual neighbours and crime levels in the area.
- Ask about the noise levels if there is a busy road nearby.
- Ask when last the house was painted.
- Ask how old the geyser and stove are and whether the stove will stay when they move out.
- Have a look at the floors and carpets. Are there cracked or chipped tiles? Are the carpets in good condition?
- Have a look at the walls. Are there any visible cracks? Is the paint peeling off and how does it look near the water pipes? Are there any strange stains and if yes, why? Will you need to repaint the walls?
- Take a look inside the cupboards of the bedrooms and kitchen. Will your own stuff fit in there? Is there enough hanging space? Will your beds fit into the rooms with enough space to open the doors of the wardrobes?
- Do all the doors have locks and working handles?
- Is the grouting around the bath and windows in good condition?
- Test all taps, showers and toilets to see what the water pressure is like and look out for any leaks.
- Are the gutters in a working condition and have they been cleaned regularly?
- Are there burglar bars and are all the windows whole and secure?
- Is there an alarm system?
- Are there any cracks in the ceilings, and is there mildew on the bathroom ceiling?
- Is the outside paving in good condition?
- Is there a well point or borehole?
- Is there fibre and/or Wi-Fi?
5. Make a video/take photos
When you see a place you like, take lots of pictures yourself and even make a video. That way you can see the place from your own perspective later on when you and your partner have to decide if you want to buy/rent the place or not. Many estate agents’ pictures are styled to look a certain way, but your own images will give your the real feel of the place.
Photo: iStock/Peopleimages
