Property Viewing Checklist: What to Check
Quick Overview
This is the comprehensive, printable list of everything to check when you're walking through a property. Tick items off, make notes, and you'll never walk out wondering what you forgot to look at.
Essential Checks
Good Checks
Download printable PDF
Use this during and after every viewing. Tick items off, make notes, and you'll never walk out wondering what you forgot to look at.
Why These Items Matter
You might feel awkward running taps, opening cupboards, and inspecting walls while the agent stands there watching. Do it anyway. This is potentially the biggest purchase of your life.
The Expensive Three
Damp, roof condition, and boiler age. These are the items that can cost £5,000-15,000 to fix after you've bought. Check them thoroughly, even if you feel uncomfortable.
Structural Cracks
Hairline cracks in plaster are usually cosmetic and harmless. Diagonal cracks, especially near windows or doors, can indicate subsidence or structural movement. Note them and ask.
Water Pressure
If it's weak during a viewing, it'll be weak when you live there. Poor pressure affects showers, filling baths, and running appliances.
Phone Signal
This seems minor until you're living somewhere where you have to stand by the kitchen window to make calls. Check it in every room.
Common Mistakes
After 47 viewings, I made plenty of these. Learn from my experience.
Only checking "good" rooms
Agents start with best features. Make sure you see the boiler cupboard, loft hatch, and the least attractive bedroom. If they rush you, look closer.
Forgetting the outside
You'll look at kitchens and bathrooms but forget to properly inspect the roof, gutters, and exterior walls where expensive problems hide.
Not testing things
Run taps. Flush toilets. Turn on lights. Open windows. Check that things actually work, don't just look at them.
Not visiting at different times
One Saturday viewing won't reveal weekday traffic or evening parking chaos. Go back at different times.
After the Viewing
Make notes immediately—within 10 minutes of leaving. You'd be amazed how quickly details blur together, especially if you're viewing multiple properties.
Record your overall feeling, top three positives, top three concerns, and questions for a second viewing. Compare notes across properties—patterns will emerge about what actually matters to you.
Tip
A useful approach: photograph this checklist with your notes after each viewing. Six months later, you'll still remember exactly what concerned you about each property.
Frequently asked questions
We've compiled the most important information to help you get the most out of your viewings. Can't find what you're looking for? Contact us.
Absolutely. Agents see serious buyers with lists all the time. You can use your phone notes if you prefer something more discreet, but there's nothing wrong with a printed checklist—it shows you're thorough.
Request a second viewing. It's completely normal to go back and check things you missed, especially if you're seriously considering the property. Agents expect this.
A surveyor will spot structural issues, damp, and major defects. But they won't check mobile signal, test every tap, or tell you whether your sofa fits. You're checking different things.
Most buyers do at least two viewings before offering on a property—an initial viewing and a more detailed second look. In very competitive markets, you might need to move faster, but one viewing is rarely enough.
No — there's no need to announce it. Most agents have seen dozens of checklists and won't comment. If anything, it signals you're a serious buyer.
Thorough enough to notice anything that would materially change your offer or make you walk away. You're not a surveyor — you're a buyer trying to rule out showstoppers.
Still have questions?
Have questions or need assistance? Our team is here to help!
Save your viewing notes in Really
Keep every viewing's notes, photos, and flags in one place so you can compare properties at a glance.
Was this guide helpful?
Related guides
Your First Property Viewing: What to Expect
Step-by-step guide to your first property viewing. Learn what happens, what to bring, how to behave, and how to manage the nerves and uncertainty.
Questions to Ask at a Property Viewing
Essential questions for estate agents that reveal seller motivation, time on market, and sale dynamics. Learn what agents won't answer and how to read between the lines.
Property Survey Types Explained
Compare Level 1, 2, and 3 surveys. Understand which property survey type is right for your home and how to choose.