Got a viewing booked?
Check the house before you go.
A viewing is short, and the agent is there to sell. Look up the official records for the postcode first, so you walk in knowing what to ask and what to look for.
Free to start with a postcode. No account needed. See the viewing list in an example report.
Before, during and after the viewing
- Before you goCheck the postcode, freeFlood zones, planning applications nearby, what homes sold for, schools, crime, and broadband and mobile signal. It takes a minute and needs no account.
- At the viewingTake questions for that houseThe full report turns what the records show into a list: what to ask the agent or seller, and what to look for in each room and outside. Copy it to your phone or print the one-page brief.
- If you offerHand it to your solicitor and surveyorThe same report has questions for your solicitor and surveyor, each tied to its source. Add Buyer Watch and we'll email you if the home's records change before you complete.
What the records can tell you to ask
Generic checklists ask everyone the same things. The full report adds questions only when the records for that house raise them. Some examples:
If the house is in a flood zone, or at risk of surface water flooding
Ask: Has the house or garden ever flooded, and has it affected the buildings insurance?
Look for: Damp or tide marks low on walls, a musty smell, and ground or drives that slope towards the house.
If the energy certificates show a bigger home, or a new room in the roof
Ask: When was the extension or conversion done, and is there planning permission and building regulations sign-off?
Look for: In a loft room: the stairs, the head height and a safe way out in a fire.
If the ground nearby is rated significant for shrinking clay or other movement
Ask: Has the house had subsidence, underpinning or an insurance claim for movement?
Look for: Diagonal cracks wider than a pound coin, especially above windows and doors, and doors that stick.
If a busy road or railway shows on the official noise maps
Look for: Go back at rush hour. Note which bedrooms face the noise and whether the windows are double glazed.
If it sold less than two years ago
Ask: Why is the house back on the market so soon after its last sale?
If a large development is planned or undecided nearby
Ask: Does the agent or seller know what's planned nearby, and how it might affect traffic, views or noise?
Questions for every viewing
Why is the seller moving, and is there a chain? How long has it been on the market? What's included in the sale? Run the taps, check your phone signal in each room, and look at the roof and gutters from outside.
The full list of questions to ask when viewing a house →Common questions
What should I check before a house viewing?
Check what you can from the official records before you go: whether the postcode is in a flood zone, recent planning applications nearby, what similar homes sold for, and broadband and mobile coverage. Then you can use the viewing to ask about what you found and look for the signs on the spot.
Is the area check free?
Yes. Enter a postcode for a free area check, with no account needed. The full report for a particular house, including its own list of viewing questions, is a one-off payment.
Can I use this if I've already viewed the house?
Yes. Many buyers check after a first viewing and take their questions to a second one, or to the agent before they make an offer.
Will you tell me whether to buy the house?
No. We show what the official records say, with their sources, and the questions they raise. We never score homes or tell you whether to buy. That's your decision, with your solicitor and surveyor.
Official records, not advice. We never score properties or tell you whether to buy. Check a postcode before your viewing