Viewing properties

Once you've found a property that you think matches your requirements, contact the estate agent to book a viewing. This is one of the most important purchases you'll ever make, so make sure you take your time and give the property a detailed inspection. If possible, take someone else with you; they could notice something you don't.

Before you go, think about the things that are important to you such as the local neighbourhood, car parking, gardens etc. and remember to pay particular attention to these areas.

It's a good idea to have a camera with you on viewings (most mobile phones have cameras nowadays so it's even easier). If you are going to see multiple properties, pictures will help to jog your memory about each one - but please ask permission from the seller or estate agent before you take any photos.

Once inside the property try to build a rapport with the seller, they'll be more open to questions and forthcoming with other information. Have your questions planned in advance, for example you may want to ask about the cost of council tax and utility bills or find out more about the neighbours.

Finally, remember to visit more than once at different times of day. You might want to know if the street gets too busy to park on at night or if there's a lot of traffic during the day.

There are lots of things you should be looking out for, it'd be difficult to remember them all so we've made it easy by creating a handy property checklist for you to take along to your viewings.