Tips When Viewing an empty property

BUYING A PROPERTY is a major decision to make. You need to make sure the property is right for you and everything is functioning as expected. Since most property sales take place while the current owners are still living there, some buyers can be a little wary of viewing empty properties.

But there’s really no reason for this trepidation if you’ve considered the advantages and disadvantages in advance and know what to expect.

ADVANTAGES OF VIEWING EMPTY PROPERTIES

1. Without furniture in the space, you can get a clearer view of the structure and condition of the property. For example, if there are cracks in the walls, signs of damp or stains on a carpet, these will be on full display, not hidden behind a wardrobe or cabinet.
2. Someone else’s furnishings can influence your view of a property, especially if you have different taste. In an empty property, you won’t have this distraction. You can picture your own furniture there instead.
3. The buying process of an empty property may be faster and simpler than a furnished property, since there is no one who needs to move out and therefore no chain.

DISADVANTAGES OF VIEWING EMPTY PROPERTIES

1. Without furniture, it can be more difficult to judge the size of the property accurately. For example, it’s hard to tell if a small bedroom has enough space for a double bed along with other furniture if you can’t see it all in position.
2. When relying on your imagination, it can be difficult to see a property’s full potential. Staging a property for viewings is an important part of the selling process for just that reason. For example, a space that seems dark and dingy can be hugely improved with accessories and lighting, but if all you see is an empty room, it’s hard to tell.
3. There may be a reason why a property is sitting empty, and you’ll need to ask some questions to establish this and decide if it’s an issue that matters to you.
4. Take care when buying a repossessed house, as you can’t always tell if it has non-standard construction, which will limit your mortgage options.

None of these disadvantages should stop you viewing an empty property, but you might want to plan for how you’ll handle them.

ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS

You’ll want to get the full story on why a property is currently empty and how long it’s been empty for.

TAKE A TAPE MEASURE

Instead of trusting your judgement on the dimensions of a room and how much furniture will fit inside, measure it for yourself. You could also measure your furniture at home to see if there’s enough space, or just learn the sizes of common items, for example, a standard double bed is around 1.9m x 1.4m.

USE VISUAL AIDS

If you don’t have a visual imagination, you might need some prompts to help you see the potential of the full space. This could be photos of your current furniture or other furniture you like, paint swatches or inspiring interior design photos.

LOOK AT SIMILAR PROPERTIES

You can search online for properties in the same street or nearby. Scrolling through the photos will show you how other people have furnished a similar home.