Tips for the house viewing... please help!!!

Good morning everyone,

I know we are probably not exactly in the right place here, but we’ll still try our luck. My partner and I are viewing an existing property this afternoon. It is a city villa built in 2006 with 128m² living space on an approximately 1000m² plot. The price is 219,000€ negotiable and is located in a rather rural area. At first glance, the price seems very fair and reasonable. The house is plastered on the outside and not brick-faced. We haven’t viewed many houses yet, so we’re turning to you again. What should I pay attention to during the viewing? What questions should definitely be asked? For example, what kind of stone the house was built with, which developer? How is the house insulated? If we like it, should the "young" house be inspected a second time with an expert? Is it important which type of heating system is in the house, i.e. which manufacturer? What are your experiences regarding normal gas consumption for a family of four? Please post as many questions as possible for us. We also don’t want to come across as complete novices at the viewing. And of course, we want to pay attention to as much as possible. The whole thing is also handled by a real estate agent.

I would be very grateful for a few helpful answers.

Best regards Zausel

Focus on the first impression. Would you feel comfortable?

On the second visit, with an appraiser, it gets serious.

Ask about load-bearing walls, the type of wood used for the windows, any past renovations, whether there has ever been water damage, and have the utility bills shown to you.
With a basement? How is it founded? [Weisse Wanne]?

Oh, I’m just reading… built in 2006… there shouldn’t be many "hiding places" then. The documents from the house construction should also still be available, which you could ask to be provided.

Pay attention to smells. If it gets more serious, I might also ask the direct neighbors. Usually, they have noticed if something was wrong with the house. And if you really want to buy, then go through the house with an expert. He doesn’t have to write a report for you, usually it’s enough if he takes the time for the inspection and checks if something might be wrong. That usually doesn’t cost much either. And it has already saved my a**!!

An expert definitely gives you a better feeling. On the other hand, a [Bj. 2006] is still quite young. One of the most important things in the end is not the possibly low price, but your gut feeling. Just walk through the house (and the property) alone, without any realtor chatter, and let it sink in. Can you feel comfortable here, can you make it your home? That is something you cannot change later, no matter how much money you have. What you should also pay attention to with small children is whether other young families live nearby/in the same street. Unfortunately, that was not the case with our first house, so we were constantly shuttling back and forth. Then calmly take a look at what kind of neighbors there actually are. We once had a sort of hobby car workshop next door, so the noise level was accordingly high. You should definitely visit the house several times without a realtor and at different times of the day to look and listen.

Hello,

If it gets more serious, I might also ask the direct neighbors.

The sellers apparently have the right to decide for themselves who is informed about their intention to sell and who is not Just because a real estate agent is involved, this does not necessarily mean that everyone in the immediate vicinity of the property is informed about the intention to sell!

Rhenish greetings

The sellers probably have the right to decide for themselves who is informed about their intention to sell and who is not

Does he really have that?!

And if you are determined to buy the property, wouldn’t you try to gather as many sources of information about the building as possible? Just to possibly keep the owner's "secret," which shortly after the purchase wouldn’t be a secret anymore? Very commendable of you! Whether it is wise is another question... And if the agent or owner tells you to keep silent, then that’s okay, but that is rather rare. At least, I have not experienced it in about 10-15 house viewings. The usual case was always an advertisement on the common real estate portals and partly also signs in front of the house. And if agents or owners would ask me to remain silent or not to speak to the neighbors, my alarm bells would ring all the louder...