The first thing you should ask yourself is: why am I viewing the property?
Is it because you want to buy the place or are you just simply looking around at what’s out there? If your reason for viewing a house is because you want to start an initial search, then viewing the home alone with other people is probably not necessary.
But sometimes you are further along in the home buying journey. You might be wondering if having more people to give you their opinions in your ear is going to help you decide.
Here’s why it might be helpful to view with a second person:
1. Other People Have Already Bought Homes
You may have already done some viewings before, but it doesn’t mean that when you’re looking at different homes you are picking up on all the potential issues. These can be easily overlooked.
Having someone on hand who has done the home buying process before and knows what to look for can save you some headaches down the road. They can help you home in on the property that has potential, and steer you away from homes that will end up leaving you with regrets.
You might think you’ll get used to walking up the stairs on a 4th floor apartment, or the loud family next door won’t bother you. But your friend can help you put these things into perspective.
It’s good to have a network of home buying mentors. Parents and friends who have already gone through the process can be really helpful and give loads of support when you feel unsure about things.
2. Someone Else Might Have Renovation Experience
If you’re looking at a home that might need some work, having someone on hand who knows how much things cost is going to help you decide if it’s worth it or not. A new bathroom can easily cost you £10,000 if you haven’t got control over your budget. Remember that you need to factor in labour costs when planning renovations. And these can sometimes end up being more expensive than the materials.
You may have grand plans for moving walls around and redoing all of the plumbing. A friend who has done some building work can help you understand what projects are going to hit your wallet.
If you think you’ll be the kind of person drawn towards an older home with period features, make sure you pinch yourself every now and again. Although these kind of homes have a lot of character and history, renovations in these kind of properties can quickly turn into a very expensive mistake.
3. They Can Help You Ask The Right Questions To The Agent.
Asking too many questions might make you feel naive or stupid – but it’s normally the best way to learn about buying a home. The problem a lot of people have is not knowing the right questions to ask. This is especially relevant when home buying.
We hope this site gives you lots of valuable information and lets you think of the right questions to ask. However it’s also helpful to have someone there who knows how things work and can help you progress through the home buying process.
Some of the questions you’ll think of easily – like “does the property come with a parking space”. But you might forget to ask the other questions that are key:
“what are the service charges in the building?”
“why is the seller wanting to sell now?”
4. You Won’t Remember Everything Yourself
If you’re viewing a home on your own, it’s really difficult to remember everything from 15 minutes of looking around. Regardless of your home buying knowledge, you’ll get home and forget a few things.
Most people make the mistake of only remembering the key features that they get drawn towards. A new kitchen cooker can sometimes distract people from checking the other cabinets for damage. Having an extra person with you will be an extra pair of eyes and ears to remember things you won’t.
That’s why if you think you’ve found the home for you – we recommend doing a second viewing and checking for all the hidden issues in a home.
5. They Can Help You Negotiate Effectively
If you view a home alone, the agent may sense your inexperience and give you less time and information. Even though it’s you who is providing the money as a home buyer, you need the agent to best present your offer to the seller and be as helpful to you as they can.
If you and a second person start to negotiate with the agent shortly after the viewing, they will sense you mean business and can indicate to the seller that you are a credible buyer.
6. You Can Split Viewings Between Both Of You
If your friend is helping you on viewings, you could ask them to go and view a few of the ‘maybe’ pile properties by themselves. If they come back to you with good feedback, two things happen:
- You’ve just got a recommendation from a trusted person and can pursue a home
- You’ve been able to see another home in the meantime which you can either discount or put on the buying list.
Having a home on your buying list that you haven’t viewed is risky. It’s hard to visualize what it will be like when you finally see the home in person. But if this home has been recommended by someone whose opinion you value, there should be less of a chance that you’ll be disappointed when you view it yourself.
Are there any downsides to viewing a house with a friend?
7. Longer Time To Organise
If you’re viewing the home with a friend, you’ll both need to arrange your days off and possibly find someone to watch children and do chores whilst you are both engaged. It may take longer to get organised than if you were viewing on your own.
In a hot property market the delay in getting a viewing can mean the difference between making an offer and missing out on the deal.
8. You Might Like Different Things
Your home viewing companion may value different things in the home than you do. They might like a home with character and charm, whereas you prefer a home that is more modern and contemporary.
They might find certain things bother them that really don’t matter to you. Some people hate being far away from public transport to get around. And other people want to live further away to be around green spaces and the outdoors.
9. Your Friend Might Not Be Knowledgeable
Some of your friends won’t have bought a house before. And others will have bought without really understanding most of the process. To them, home buying is going through the motions of having to sign a few documents. Some buyers just want to get the difficult paperwork done and move in before they worry about anything in the house.
Although these type of people are your friends, they won’t really be helpful for you house hunt.
Conclusion
If you have a good friend who sounds like they know about the home buying process – think about taking them along for a few viewings. If they prove to be helpful and it looks like they enjoy doing the rounds with you – you might have found your perfect companion to help you with this journey.