4 Things You Might Forget During House Viewing

Going to your first house viewing can be exciting and overwhelming.

There are so many things for you to consider and do while checking out the premises that you’re likely to forget some of the smaller but important things.

Once you sign the lease, all problems inherent in the house that you did not raise to the landlord prior to signing become your responsibility.

To prevent that and other issues you may have, here are just four things you should pay careful attention to;

1. Damages:
Before signing the lease, investigate every single nook and cranny in the house. Look behind the cabinets and under the shelves.

Every single scratch, hairline fracture, crack and other defects must be documented. This means you take out your phone or a camera and start snapping pictures to indemnify yourself.

2. Bugs:
Insects are a problem everywhere but unfortunately, not everybody takes care of this problem as regularly as needed.

You’ll want to check in the dark places such as behind the fridge and cabinets. Use a flashlight to help.

It may seem a little rude but it’s certainly preferable to suffering an infestation of ants or roaches in the future.

Make sure you look under shelves in the kitchen and in the corners because those places are often missed and are likely the most common locations bugs tend to gather at.

3. Defects:
Check that everything in the house is in working order. Play with the switches and turn the water faucets on and off.

Make sure you have hot water and that the pressure is fine. Check for any damages in the electrical cables.

4. Neighbors:
Your neighbors are really your eyes and ears to the neighborhood and your landlord. Does your landlord like to do spot checks on tenants without informing them?

Your neighbors are likely to know. Are the walls so thin that you can hear everything your neighbors do or do barks tend to bark late at night? Your neighbors can help you here.

You might feel a little embarrassed to speak to the neighbors when the landlord is around or you might think it’s a little rude to do so. It’s not.

The landlord cannot stop you from speaking to the neighbors and it is well within your right (and you should) to speak with them.

After all, if you do move in, you’ll want to come across as friendly and approachable so why not start before you sign the lease?