Viewings
Viewing a home: a practical checklist
A viewing goes fast and first impressions dominate. A short checklist keeps the practical questions from getting lost.
The building
- Open a window: how loud is the street?
- Look for damp — corners, window frames, the cellar if there is one.
- Ask the year of the roof, boiler and wiring, not just the house.
- Check the state of the frames and paintwork outside.
The paperwork
- Energy label, and what was done to earn it.
- For apartments: the owners’ association (VvE) — monthly contribution, reserve fund, planned maintenance.
- Ground lease (erfpacht) or freehold, and until when.
Afterwards
- Photograph anything you’ll want to check again.
- Study the floorplan against what you saw — it shows what the photos crop out.
- Sleep on it once. Bid with conditions, not with doubts.