The first viewing is not for you
A first viewing is choreographed. Lights on in every room, blinds up, coffee somewhere, and twenty minutes booked because twenty minutes is long enough to fall for a place and short enough to miss the boiler. None of that is dishonest. It is just selling.
The second viewing is where you get to do your own job. Go at a different time of day, ideally the time you would actually be home. Bring somebody who does not want you to buy it.
The seven questions
- What has been replaced in the last five years, and where are the receipts?
- What does the service charge cover, and when was it last raised?
- Which wall is shared, and with whom?
- Where does the water go when it rains hard?
- Has anything been refused planning permission nearby?
- How long has it been on the market, and has the price moved?
- Why is the seller leaving — and is the answer the same as last time?
If an agent cannot answer six of the seven, that is the answer.
What to do with the answers
Write them down in the room, not in the car. Then price the worst two into your offer. A buyer who arrives with a number and a reason gets taken seriously; a buyer who arrives with a feeling gets managed.
