23 property search tips

In years gone by, price info was only the preserve of agents and brokers. Now, with the web, you can check any property for free. To see what any house, anywhere, went for, over a good few years, try sold-price sites such as Nethouseprices and Zoopla.

To help answer the question "72 Acacia Avenue went for £300,000, but was it a neglected bedsit or a plush 3-bed with kitchen island and walnut floors?", home search giant Rightmove matches up sold prices with detailed old property ads, including pics, asking prices, descriptions and floor plans.

Also see our Free house price valuations guide, which features 28 ways of finding out more about a property, such as its local amenities, crime stats and flood risk.

Will that sea view be replaced by a high-rise in a couple of months? For England and Wales, the Gov.uk website helps avoid nasty surprises by directing you to planning applications made in your area. You can search by postcode and area.

This way, if you know the street you're looking at will be part of a building site for the next three years while a new development is built, you'll not be surprised if building starts the week you move in. Check before you put in an offer.

Don't waste megabucks on a survey only to discover obvious problems. If you're doing second or third viewings, take an expert or realistic friend or family member to get their honest opinion of the property.

• Spot damp. Check for wet spots, mould, peely wallpaper & condensation on windows. Also check the floor – is it uneven, suggesting damp? Check cupboards too. Does the house smell musty?
   

• Look up at ceilings. Look for cracks, brown stains, slow drips, mould and problem leaks – all indicators of bad plumbing.
   

• Open doors and windows. And shut every door behind you to make sure they all work. Open cupboards and drawers to check they close properly. Remember, you're giving them £100,000s.
   

• Flick switches. Turn lights on and off, especially those with older switches. Fire up the cooker. Also check the wiring's age, as updating electrics can cost a lot.
   

• Count power points. Mark out power point locations in each room on the floorplan. Check sockets carefully – do they look like they'll work? If in doubt, test them.
   

• Inspect the plumbing. Flush toilets and turn taps on. Check cupboards underneath sinks are dry. Check water pressure and that it gets hot. If you're feeling brave, go outside, lift the drain covers, get someone to flush the loo and check the drain's flow.
   

• Feel the heat. Ask the seller to switch on the boiler and turn on the central heating. Check the radiators for leaks and rust. Make sure they all get hot, right across the surface of the radiator.
   

• Locks are key. Ensure door locks are up to insurance standards. Most insurers require doors to be fitted with a five-lever mortice deadlock. Check windows for locks and the front door for break-in signs.
   

• Watch out for woodchip. Buying a house with woodchip or other textured wallpaper slapped all over it usually means excavating through layers of paper. And probably pulling half the plaster off.
   

• Lift mats and rugs. Check for stains lurking underneath.
   

• Check your phone. Confirm it's not a 4G/5G dead zone.
   

• Audit the attic. Inspecting the loft in daylight is a great way to gauge the state of the property's woodwork. Check timbers for rot, as well as cracks or holes.
   

• Observe outside walls. Check for cracks, mould & rotten woodwork.
   

• Hit the roof. Take binoculars and check for missing/slipped tiles. Eye up the gutters and woodwork too. If possible, go on a rainy day, to see if the gutters leak.
   

• Avoid kitchen nightmares. In the kitchen, pretend you're preparing a dinner. Is there enough room, or are you struggling?
   

• Take a compass. Check if the promises of a sunny south facing garden are true.
   

• Pry next door. Alarm bells should ring if neighbours' properties are run-down. Their problems can quickly become yours.
   

• Vet the seller. If they strike you as unreliable, think twice. A property's not good value if the vendor doesn't want to sell it. You could waste £1,000s in fees.

Small issues such as a broken kitchen drawer needn't be a deal-breaker. But make a list, so you can ask the seller to fix them before you get the keys.

Auction properties can be cheaper than market values but buying this way comes with risk. There are properties out there for under £40,000, but auctions don't always equal bargains. Research and renovations are usually needed.

Considering bidding? Go to a couple of auctions first to get a feel for the process. Visit properties several times. You must get a survey to reveal any horrors – there could be hidden defects that meant the seller had to go to auction.

Always enlist a solicitor to inspect the auction pack. If you buy a property with major legal issues that need sorting, it may not be the bargain you thought it would be. And remember that the contract comes into force on the fall of the auctioneer's hammer, so you cannot pull out after the auction without huge cost.

We've got a whole guide on how House auctions work if you're considering a repossession.