Good morning everyone,
I know this might not be the perfect place to ask, but we’re going to try our luck anyway.
My partner and I are viewing an existing property this afternoon. It’s a town villa built in 2006 with 128m² (1,378 sq ft) of living space on a plot of approximately 1000m² (0.25 acres). The asking price is 219,000€ negotiable and it’s located in a rather rural area. At first glance, the price seems quite fair and reasonable.
The house is rendered on the outside, not clad with bricks. We haven’t viewed many houses yet, so we’re turning to you for advice. What should we keep in mind during the viewing? What questions are essential to ask? For example, what type of bricks or blocks was the house built with, who was the developer? How is the house insulated?
If we like the property, do you recommend having a professional building inspector visit it a second time?
Is it important which type of heating system is installed and which manufacturer it is? What are your typical experiences with average gas consumption for a family of four?
Please share as many questions as possible. We don’t want to come across as completely inexperienced during the viewing. Of course, we also want to pay attention to as many details as possible.
The whole process is handled by a real estate agent.
I would be very grateful for any helpful answers.
Best regards,
zausel
I know this might not be the perfect place to ask, but we’re going to try our luck anyway.
My partner and I are viewing an existing property this afternoon. It’s a town villa built in 2006 with 128m² (1,378 sq ft) of living space on a plot of approximately 1000m² (0.25 acres). The asking price is 219,000€ negotiable and it’s located in a rather rural area. At first glance, the price seems quite fair and reasonable.
The house is rendered on the outside, not clad with bricks. We haven’t viewed many houses yet, so we’re turning to you for advice. What should we keep in mind during the viewing? What questions are essential to ask? For example, what type of bricks or blocks was the house built with, who was the developer? How is the house insulated?
If we like the property, do you recommend having a professional building inspector visit it a second time?
Is it important which type of heating system is installed and which manufacturer it is? What are your typical experiences with average gas consumption for a family of four?
Please share as many questions as possible. We don’t want to come across as completely inexperienced during the viewing. Of course, we also want to pay attention to as many details as possible.
The whole process is handled by a real estate agent.
I would be very grateful for any helpful answers.
Best regards,
zausel
I also find asking neighbors to be questionable. What would it achieve? If they don’t have a good relationship, the neighbor might hold a grudge against the seller and speak ill of the house, no matter what.
Besides, speaking from my own experience, the neighbor doesn’t know what “secrets” lie within our walls. There are always interpretations as to why the heating technician regularly shows up at our door... but it’s because we have the heating system serviced regularly, not because it’s constantly broken.
Selling a house is a matter of discretion and a business transaction that should not involve strangers or outsiders. I personally also take photos of properties for sale on the side – my advertising sign on my car has been down for a long time now!
Besides, speaking from my own experience, the neighbor doesn’t know what “secrets” lie within our walls. There are always interpretations as to why the heating technician regularly shows up at our door... but it’s because we have the heating system serviced regularly, not because it’s constantly broken.
Selling a house is a matter of discretion and a business transaction that should not involve strangers or outsiders. I personally also take photos of properties for sale on the side – my advertising sign on my car has been down for a long time now!
B
Bauexperte5 Jun 2013 16:07Hello,
If you want to buy a used property, it’s advisable to request a valuation report. If you don’t have one, your own security should be worth enough money for you to commission it yourself! There’s no need for suspicious inquiries with neighbors, who only repeat hearsay anyway.
The properties you describe usually stay on the market longer and have already seen several agents.
Best regards, Bauexperte
DerBjoern schrieb:Yes, he did. There is still something called the right to privacy, or have I missed something?
Did he?!
DerBjoern schrieb:You know – where I come from, we say: "I can only think badly of others as much as I am myself!"
And if you are determined to buy the property, wouldn’t you try to gather as much information as possible about the building? Just to keep the owner’s "secret" for a while, which shortly after buying wouldn’t be a secret anymore? Very admirable of you! Whether it’s wise is another question...
If you want to buy a used property, it’s advisable to request a valuation report. If you don’t have one, your own security should be worth enough money for you to commission it yourself! There’s no need for suspicious inquiries with neighbors, who only repeat hearsay anyway.
DerBjoern schrieb:Then let me enlighten you – the interesting properties are neither found in the press nor online, let alone marked with signs in front of the house. They are offered quietly and away from the public eye. If I handled things the way you describe above, no one would trust me anymore!
And if the agent or owner tells you to keep things confidential, then fine, but that’s rather rare. At least, I haven’t experienced that in about 10-15 property viewings. Usually there was an advertisement on the usual real estate portals and sometimes signs in front of the house. And if agents or owners asked me to keep quiet or not to talk to the neighbors, that would raise red flags for me...
The properties you describe usually stay on the market longer and have already seen several agents.
Best regards, Bauexperte