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    The complete house purchase checklist

    Buying a home is a major financial decision. This checklist helps you prepare before viewings, inspect the property with a clearer eye and ask the questions that can prevent expensive surprises later.

    View Checklist
    Home buyer reviewing property purchase paperwork

    At a glance

    Use this before every serious viewing.

    Treat each viewing as a fact-finding visit. Record what you see, what you are told and what needs professional checking before you commit.
    • Confirm your full buying budget, not just the deposit.
    • Get a mortgage agreement in principle before serious viewings.
    • Research the street, transport links, schools, amenities and resale appeal.
    • Inspect the outside of the property before focusing on the interior.
    • Look for damp, mould, cracks, leaks and signs of poor maintenance.
    • Ask for evidence: boiler servicing, electrical checks, guarantees and repair history.
    • Arrange an independent survey before committing to the purchase.

    Before viewing

    Prepare the finances, facts and priorities first.

    Good preparation saves wasted viewings and gives you a stronger position when deciding whether to offer, negotiate or walk away.

    Set a realistic budget

    Include mortgage repayments, deposit, legal fees, survey costs, insurance, council tax, utilities, service charges and likely maintenance. A home that fits the asking-price budget can still stretch the monthly budget.

    Get a mortgage in principle

    An agreement in principle helps you understand likely borrowing limits and shows agents that you are a prepared buyer. It also gives you a clearer ceiling before you start negotiating.

    Research before the viewing

    Check commute times, local amenities, school catchments, crime data, planned development and recent sale prices. The area is part of the purchase, so assess it before you fall for the floorplan.

    Book the right survey

    A survey gives an independent view of condition, risk and likely repair priorities. It can reveal issues that are easy to miss during a short viewing, especially when the property is occupied or freshly decorated.

    Exterior checks

    Start outside, where big repair clues
    often show first.

    Roof, chimneys and guttering

    • Look for slipped, missing or uneven tiles, sagging roof lines and weathered chimney stacks.
    • Check whether gutters are secure, clear and correctly discharging water away from the walls.
    • Treat poor drainage as a warning sign because it can feed damp, staining and external decay.

    Brickwork, render and movement

    • Check walls for cracking, loose mortar, bulging, staining or damaged render.
    • Fine settlement cracks may be minor, but wider diagonal cracks or stepped cracking deserve professional attention.
    • Compare front, side and rear elevations because one clean facade can hide problems elsewhere.

    Windows, doors and insulation

    • Ask to open and close windows and external doors so you can spot sticking, rot, failed seals or poor fit.
    • Note whether glazing is single, double or newer high-performance glazing.
    • Poorly fitted frames can increase draughts, heat loss, condensation risk and security concerns.

    Garden, boundaries and privacy

    • Assess how much maintenance the garden, paths, walls, fences and hedges will need.
    • Ask which boundaries are included and whether any neighbour disputes or access arrangements exist.
    • Stand in the garden and check overlooking, noise and how usable the space feels.

    Interior checks

    Look past decoration and test the basics.

    Damp, mould and condensation

    • Look behind furniture, inside cupboards, around windows, at skirting boards and in corners.
    • Dark staining, peeling paper, bubbling paint and musty odours can point to moisture problems.
    • Ask when symptoms appear, whether repairs have been attempted and if rooms have adequate ventilation.

    Walls, ceilings and floors

    • Check for cracks, stains, uneven surfaces and signs of previous leaks.
    • Sloping floors, springy boards or uneven thresholds can suggest movement or timber issues.
    • Separate cosmetic decoration from condition risk: fresh paint may hide previous defects.

    Electrics and safety paperwork

    • Inspect sockets, switches and the consumer unit for obvious age or damage.
    • Ask whether recent electrical safety checks, certificates or appliance records are available.
    • Older installations are not automatically unsafe, but upgrades can be expensive.

    Heating, plumbing and drainage

    • Ask for boiler age, service history, warranty information and known repair issues.
    • Check visible pipework, under-sink areas and ceilings below bathrooms for evidence of leaks.
    • Run taps where possible and ask about low pressure, slow drainage or repeat plumbing repairs.

    Location checks

    A good home also has to work as a place to live.

    The building may be right, but the surroundings still need to suit your daily life, future plans and resale expectations.

    Noise and neighbouring use

    Visit the property more than one time of day if you can. Traffic, nearby businesses, schools and neighbour activity can feel very different in the evening or early morning.

    Transport and parking

    Check walking routes to public transport, main-road access, parking restrictions and how realistic your commute would be during peak times.

    Amenities and resale appeal

    Nearby shops, GP surgeries, parks, schools and leisure facilities affect everyday living and can also influence future buyer demand.

    Broadband and mobile signal

    Test mobile reception during the viewing and check available broadband speeds before exchange, particularly if you work from home.

    Questions to ask

    Make the agent, seller and paperwork
    do some of the work.

    Keep notes after every viewing. If an answer affects risk, cost or legal responsibility, ask for it to be confirmed in writing through the proper purchase process.
    • How long has the property been on the market?
    • Have any offers fallen through, and if so, why?
    • Have there been leaks, damp issues, insurance claims or structural repairs?
    • When were the boiler, electrics, roof and windows last serviced or upgraded?
    • Are there guarantees, warranties, planning documents or building-control records?
    • What is included in the sale, and are there shared access or boundary responsibilities?

    Common questions

    House viewings and checklists, answered.

    What should I check when viewing a house?

    Start outside with the roof, chimneys, guttering, brickwork and render, then work inside through damp, walls, ceilings, floors, electrics, heating and plumbing. Finish with the location: noise, transport, parking, amenities and broadband. Decoration is the easiest thing to change, so give it the least weight.

    What are the warning signs to look for in a property?

    Damp staining, peeling paper, musty smells, wide or stepped cracking in brickwork, sagging roof lines, blocked or leaking gutters, sticking windows and doors, and freshly painted patches in otherwise tired rooms. None is conclusive on its own, but each is a reason to ask a direct question.

    How long should a house viewing take?

    Allow at least 30 minutes and do not let an agent rush it. A first viewing establishes whether the property works for you; a second, longer viewing is where you check condition properly and test windows, taps and doors.

    What questions should I ask the estate agent?

    How long the property has been on the market, whether any offers have fallen through and why, whether there have been leaks, damp problems, insurance claims or structural repairs, when the boiler, electrics, roof and windows were last upgraded, what guarantees or building control records exist, and exactly what is included in the sale.

    Should I get a survey after using a viewing checklist?

    Yes. A checklist tells you what to ask about; a survey tells you what is actually wrong. Viewings are short, properties are usually occupied and decoration hides a great deal, so the independent inspection is what turns a shortlist into a safe decision.

    Do I need to visit a property more than once?

    Most buyers benefit from two or three visits, ideally at different times of day and in different weather. Traffic, light, noise and how the neighbours use the street all change through the week, and rain is the fastest way to find a drainage or guttering problem.

    Why surveys matter

    A viewing is useful. An independent survey is protection.

    Buyers naturally focus on layout, light and whether the home feels right. A survey brings an objective condition check into the decision, helping identify hidden defects, maintenance risks and potential negotiation points before exchange.

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