Questions to ask house owner of place I'd like to buy (maybe)

[SizeZero]

5) Do you like movies about Gladiators?

[Troll]

5) Do you have to take your shoes off before entering

[Durbs]

Make sure to drive past of an evening too. Friends of ours thought they'd found the perfect spot but then sensibly checked it out again at night and turns out that just beside it was the local yoof hangout

[vetran]

1) get your solicitor to check this we had a sliver owned by the council adjacent to the pavement of our driveway took ages to sort out.
2) ask then check with council
3)It was on the standard disclosure we signed 5 years ago have a memory New Lie legislated and messed it up. Solicitor should know.
4) Ask its an interesting test of honesty.
5) are you leaving the curtains, will you have them dry cleaned first? Where did they get those interesting wipe marks?

upmystreet gave some interesting info. Marketing population classifications. Crime stats, school catchment areas etc.
Pay £6 for landreg info.
Google earth it, surprising what you see.

A few sites give estimates for house value GIYF.

Make a list of everything you think needs doing and get ideas of costs use that. Wish we had, spent a fortune but its nice now.

Get access to the deeds as soon as you dare. Preferably before you agree to hand over wonga.

Durbs is spot on, go there early at rush hour, afternoon, weekends, evening & pub closing time. You will be living there so you need to be sure its nice all the time.

[norrahe]

Find out if they've made any improvements/extensions to the house that would require planning permission of any sort. Some people quite happily go ahead with extensions etc.. without getting them and this could impact you in the future should you buy the house.

Also check if there is any planned building and development proposals for the area dependant in the type of housing and or wind turbine/factories etc.. this could devalue the house greatly or just make the area hell to live in.

Do check the house on different times of day and on the weekends.

[moorfield]

5) Is Wilmslow your neighbour ?

[quackhandle]

3) Remeber that the vendor is under no obligation to tell you the truth though.

When we bought our first house the prevoius owners failed to mention to us that one of our neighbours had had their child taken off them were complete loonies/bullies and had also done time for murder.

qh