Most people leave a viewing having asked three questions: how long has it been on the market, why are they selling, and is there anything wrong with it. All three get the same rehearsed answers, and none of them tells you much. The questions that actually change a decision are duller and more specific, and they mostly concern running costs, what has been done to the building, and how quickly the seller can move.
Below is the full list worth working through, grouped so you can take it in on a phone screen while walking round. Each group includes what a useful answer sounds like and what should make you pause, because the wording of the reply usually carries more information than its content.
Quick answer: Prioritise five things at a first viewing: the boiler’s age and last service, what the annual energy and council tax bills actually are, what work has been done and whether it had building regulations sign-off, why the seller is moving and where they are going, and how long the property has been listed including any earlier fall-throughs. Everything else can wait for a second visit.
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The five that matter most on a first visit
| Ask this | A good answer sounds like | Treat this as a flag |
|---|---|---|
| How old is the boiler and when was it last serviced? | A year, a make, and a service record they can produce | “It has always been fine” with no date |
| What do the energy bills and council tax come to annually? | A figure, or an offer to dig out statements | A monthly figure only, which hides the winter peak |
| What work has been done, and was it signed off? | Named trades, dates, and paperwork available | “The previous owner did it” with no detail |
| Why are you moving, and have you found somewhere? | A specific reason and a clear onward position | Vagueness, or a chain they will not describe |
| How long has it been listed, and has a sale fallen through? | A date and a straight account of any collapse | A listing history that does not match what the agent tells you |
The building regulations question is the one that most often saves money later. Unsigned structural work, a removed wall without a building notice, or a loft conversion that was never certified will usually surface during conveyancing, often through the local search, and each can stall a purchase or lead to talk of indemnity insurance. Asking at the viewing gives you weeks of warning rather than days.
Running costs and the bills nobody volunteers
Ask for annual figures rather than monthly ones. Monthly energy averages smooth away a January bill that can be far higher than the summer figure, and a property that is expensive to heat reveals itself in the winter number rather than the average.
- What is the annual spend on gas and electricity, and which supplier?
- Which council tax band, and what does that come to this year?
- Is the water metered or on rateable value?
- What is the EPC rating, and when was the certificate issued? (Certificates are valid for 10 years, and you can look one up on the government’s energy certificate register.)
- Is there a service charge or ground rent, and what has it been for the last three years?
- Are there any known planned major works or a section 20 notice?
- What broadband speeds are actually achieved here, not advertised?
- Is there any ongoing maintenance contract, alarm subscription or similar the buyer inherits?
The service charge trend is more revealing than the current figure. A charge that has risen from £1,200 to £2,400 over three years is telling you something about the building that this year’s number alone does not. For flats, ask specifically whether a major works (section 20) consultation has been issued, because the resulting bills can be large. On ground rent, most new long leases granted for a premium since 30 June 2022 can only charge a peppercorn, in effect nothing, under the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022; older leases can still carry a ground rent, so ask for the figure and how it rises.
Council tax band is worth checking independently rather than taking on trust. Bands are public: you can look up the band for any home in England or Wales and challenge it with the Valuation Office if you think it is wrong, and homes in Scotland are listed by the Scottish Assessors. Council tax is worked out day by day, so your bill runs from the day you become liable, and it is worth telling the council when you move.
The building itself: damp, roof, windows and drains
You are not trying to diagnose anything at a viewing. You are trying to generate a list of things to point a surveyor at, because a surveyor briefed on specific concerns produces a far more useful report than one walking in cold.
- Has there ever been damp, and was anything treated? Is there a guarantee?
- How old is the roof covering, and has it been repaired?
- When were the windows fitted, and are they under any guarantee?
- Has the property ever flooded, or is it in a flood risk area? (In England you can check the long-term flood risk for the address yourself.)
- Any history of subsidence, movement or structural work?
- Has the property been underpinned, and were insurers involved?
- Is the electrical installation certified, and when was the last EICR?
- Where do the drains run, and have there been blockages?
- Is there asbestos anywhere, in garage roofing or artex for instance?
- What is the loft insulation situation, and is the loft boarded?
- Has Japanese knotweed ever been found on or near the property?
A previous subsidence claim is not automatically a reason to walk away, but it is a reason to speak to an insurer before you offer. A home that has had subsidence can cost more to insure or come with different terms, and the Association of British Insurers suggests a specialist broker for homes with a subsidence history. Find that out at the viewing stage, not after exchange.
Anything raised here should go straight into the brief for your surveyor. Which level of survey suits the property is set out in our guide to house survey costs. RICS recommends its most detailed Level 3 survey for older, altered or unusual properties.
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Neighbours, noise and the things agents need not mention
During conveyancing the seller answers questions about disputes on the property information form, and estate agents must not leave out material information a buyer needs. Even so, a falling-out with the neighbours may never come up at a viewing unless you ask. Ask directly and the answer becomes something that is hard to contradict later.
- Have there been any disputes with neighbours, formal or informal?
- Who lives either side, and how long have they been there?
- What is the noise like in the evenings and at weekends?
- Is there any planning application pending nearby?
- Is the property listed, or in a conservation area?
- Where exactly do the boundaries run, and who maintains which fence?
- Are there shared access rights, a shared drive or a right of way?
- What is parking like at eight in the evening?
- Is the road adopted by the council or privately maintained?
Boundary and access questions are worth asking even when the answer seems obvious. Shared driveways and unadopted roads are a common source of neighbour disputes and can complicate a mortgage, because a lender will want to know who is responsible for maintaining the route to the front door.
The parking question is deliberately specific about the time. A street that is half empty at eleven on a Saturday morning viewing can be full by seven that evening. If you are moving to a city, also check whether a removal van can get access and whether a bay suspension will be needed, which the local council handles.
Reading the seller’s position
The seller’s onward position determines your timeline more than anything else. Someone who has already found a property and is in a short chain is in a position to keep to the usual timescale, which the government’s guide to selling a home puts at approximately 12 weeks from an accepted offer to moving in, though it varies. Someone who has not started looking can add months, and no amount of pressure from your side changes that.
- Where are you moving to, and have you had an offer accepted?
- How long is the chain above you?
- Is there a date you need to complete by?
- Would you consider a delayed completion, or need one?
- Are you selling with a mortgage still on the property?
- What is included in the sale, and what are you taking?
- Has the property been surveyed by a previous buyer, and what did it find?
That last question is underused. If an earlier sale collapsed after a survey, a report already exists and the seller knows what is in it. They are not obliged to share it, but asking whether a previous buyer surveyed the property, and what happened, sometimes produces a very informative pause.
Fixtures and fittings cause more late friction than almost anything else. Confirm at the viewing whether the curtains, appliances, garden shed and light fittings are staying, then check it matches the fittings and contents form (TA10) during conveyancing. Assuming an integrated dishwasher is included can sour an otherwise smooth completion, and it also affects how much you actually need moved on the day. Our guide to reading a removals quote explains why an accurate inventory matters for pricing.
What a second viewing is actually for
Much of what a first viewing misses can only be seen at a different time of day or in different weather. That is what a second visit is for.
| Check | First viewing | Second viewing | Why the timing changes the answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural light | Usually midday | Late afternoon | North-facing rooms look very different at 4pm |
| Traffic and street noise | Weekend, quiet | Weekday rush hour | School runs and commuter routes are invisible on a Sunday |
| Parking pressure | Mid-morning | After 7pm | Residential streets fill when people get home |
| Water pressure | Rarely tested | Run taps and flush | Poor pressure upstairs can be costly to fix |
| Mobile signal | Not checked | Test in every room | Thick walls and rural areas produce dead rooms |
| Damp smell | Windows open, candles lit | Arrive early, before airing | A closed-up house smells honest |
Two things stand out. First, sellers prepare for viewings, and preparation is legitimate, so arriving at a different hour is the only reliable way to see the property in its normal state. Ask for a second viewing at a deliberately awkward time and note whether that request is accommodated.
Second, almost nobody turns a tap on. Running the hot water upstairs for two minutes tells you about the boiler, the pressure and the pipework in a way that no question can, and it takes less time than admiring the kitchen.
Bring a phone torch for the loft hatch and under the sink, and check the meter locations while you are there.
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When the answers should stop you making an offer
Three answers justify walking away rather than negotiating: unsigned structural alterations the seller cannot document, a lease with 80 years or less left and no extension started, and a seller who will not describe their onward position after being asked twice.
Most property advice frames every problem as a negotiating opportunity. Some are not.
The government’s own guidance is plain: when 80 years or less remain on a lease, the cost of extending it increases significantly. Check with your mortgage lender what minimum lease length it will accept. A short lease is solvable, but it is a legal process with its own cost and timescale, and it belongs in the price rather than in your optimism. Establish the exact number of years remaining at the viewing, not the approximate one.
Undocumented structural work is the other one. Removed walls, converted lofts and rear extensions without building regulations completion certificates can sometimes be put right with a regularisation certificate from the council, or covered by indemnity insurance, but indemnity is aimed at the cost of enforcement rather than the quality of the work. The Planning Portal notes the council can require unapproved work to be altered or removed up to 10 years after it was finished. If nobody can tell you who did the work or whether it was inspected, you are buying an unknown.
And if a seller is evasive about where they are going, believe the evasion. It usually means they have not started, and a purchase tied to a seller with nowhere to go can drag on for months and still collapse.
How EcoGreen Movers fits in after the offer
The access questions from a viewing feed directly into a removals quote. Narrow stairs, a shared drive, restricted parking and a third-floor flat without a lift all change what a move costs and how long it takes, which is why EcoGreen Movers carries out a home or video survey and gives a written price based on an agreed inventory, rather than pricing off a room count and adjusting on the day.
Access also decides what help you will actually need, so it is worth measuring doorways and stair turns while you are there. A tight staircase can mean larger furniture has to come apart, and dismantling is one of the options on our quote form. On residential moves we apply for parking at both ends, and storage is useful where a property needs work before furniture goes in.
We run residential moves in and around London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Once you have a date, get in touch for a quote.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a viewing take?
Twenty to thirty minutes for a first visit is normal and enough to cover the priority questions. A second viewing should run longer, closer to an hour, because that is when you test taps, check signal, look in the loft and sit in a room long enough to hear the street.
Do sellers have to answer honestly?
At the viewing there is no form to fill in, though a false statement that leads you into the purchase can still give you a claim for misrepresentation. The formal answers come during conveyancing on the property information form (the TA6 in England and Wales), where the seller must answer truthfully or say they do not know, and misleading answers can lead to a compensation claim after completion. In Scotland, the seller’s Home Report includes a property questionnaire. Asking at the viewing is useful because it creates an account that the form should later match.
Is it rude to ask about neighbours or bills?
No, and an agent will expect it from a serious buyer. Questions about running costs and the seller’s timeline signal that you are progressing rather than browsing, which tends to improve how your eventual offer is received rather than harming it.
Should photographs be taken during a viewing?
Ask first. Most sellers agree, and photographs of the boiler data plate, the consumer unit, the meter positions and any crack or damp patch are far more useful afterwards than pictures of the rooms, which are already in the listing.
How many viewings before making an offer?
Two is the sensible minimum, at different times of day. A third is worth it if the property is unusual, has been altered substantially, or if you are bringing someone with trade experience to look at something specific.
In summary: fewer, better questions
Cover the boiler, the annual bills, the work that has been done and whether it was signed off, the seller’s onward position, and the listing history. Those five shape both the price and the timeline. Everything else is second-viewing material.
Write down the answers before you drive away, because by the third property of the day they blur together. Then hand the concerns to your surveyor as a brief. A surveyor told to look closely at the rear extension and the upstairs pressure produces a better report than one given no steer at all.
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