What’s on your home-buying checklist?

When you picture your first home it might have a massive garden, loads of parking and an interior that looks amazing on social. In reality you might have to make a few compromises, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a home that is right for you. It just means you need to have a clear idea of what’s important to you when it comes to your home-buying checklist so you can really focus your property search.

Home-buying checklist

Good parking

If you have a car then considering what parking is available might be a top priority on your checklist. If the property you’re interested in doesn't have off-road parking, look for parking restrictions, keeping an eye out for ones that apply to specific vehicles like vans or lorries, and restrictions that change based on the time of day. Check the Highway Code for signs or road markings you’re not sure about.

Space to work

Working from home has become more of the norm in recent years. Making sure you have a space you can work in might be important to you, especially if you do this on a regular basis. If there isn’t a suitable space now, there might be an option to add an extension, or if there is space in your garden, perhaps you could add an outdoor office space.

A sunny garden

South-facing gardens are popular for sun worshippers because they get the maximum amount of sunlight. The seller should be able to tell you which way the property faces, but you could also find out for yourself with an app that acts as a compass.

Easy commute

Even though working from home is becoming more popular, if you do need to travel to your place of work, an easy commute is something you might be looking for. If you use public transport do the facilities serve the routes you want them to? You could also find out how long a driving commute might take by programming it into a digital map at rush hour.

En suite bathroom

An essential for some. A luxury for others. It might be a good area of compromise if you’re on the fence. There might even be potential to add your own later on.

Near good schools

If you have children of school age, or will be starting school in the future, being close to good schools might be an essential. Go to Find an Ofsted inspection report to check the rating of schools in your area. But just because good schools are close doesn’t necessarily mean your children will get a place. Check your local government website to find out whether your preferred school has been oversubscribed in previous years - this may give you a rough idea of what chance you have at gaining a school place.

Crime rates

The crime rate can have an impact on the amount of home insurance you’ll have to pay, your car insurance and your ability to sell your property in the future. Police.uk will give you facts about crime rates in the area you’re looking at.

Flood risk

The level of flood risk can make home insurance very expensive and some insurers won’t insure at all if the risk is really high. It can also influence the property's future sale-ability. Check gov.uk for flood maps in your area.

Traffic/noise

Extrium has an online tool that estimates the level of noise pollution. It’s worth visiting the property during morning and evening rush hours, later in the evening and on a Saturday to check how busy the road becomes or if it’s on a popular rat run.

Neighbours

You might be able to tell a lot about potential neighbours by looking at their houses. Talk to the person selling the property too. Ask if the neighbours are noisy, messy or if they throw parties.

Signal

Check your phone while you’re viewing the house to see how strong your signal is and check the strength of the broadband connection by using an online speed checker.

Plumbing and heating

Be sure to check how old the boiler is and whether it’s likely to need replacing soon. Test the water pressure by running the taps, and ask the seller if the pipes are insulated and if the radiators work effectively.

Household bills

Ask the current occupant how much their council tax, water and energy bills are to help with your budgeting. You can use comparison websites such as Money Supermarket to check the average utility costs of houses in your area. Think about the current cost-of-living prices and how theses might increase in the future.

Areas for improvement/renovation

Could you add value to the property with an extension or attic conversion? Ask the seller if the property already has planning rights.

The roof

Have a look for loose tiles on the roof and for wear and tear to chimneys, drains and guttering, especially if it’s an older property.

When you’re buying a home, it might be tempting to rush out and get that insta-worthy look, but pacing yourself financially is important. It might mean you initially have less left over for interiors – but that’s usually something that can be done over the longer term rather than stretching yourself to get everything done at once.