Going For A Property Visit? Don't Forget To Carry This Checklist

Ravi Dubey, 39, bought a property in Gurgaon's Sohna Road but two months later he started finding faults in it. At home, electronic boards were all shaky, in the society powers cuts were more of a norm than an incident, and outside, roads were in real poor condition. During the site visit, Dubey only focused on the location and price of the property. This is where he went wrong.

Before you go for a property site visit, here is a checklist you should be carrying with you (take a printout of this comprehensive house visit checklist for beginners):

Construction quality: Check for the ceilings, flooring, and other hardware. See if there are any leaks or damp corners.

Interiors: If you are visiting a furnished property, see whether the interiors, including kitchen cabinets, almirah and sanitaryware, is of good quality.

Building approvals: In case of a housing society, check for all the approvals including fire safety, security and even construction approval certificates are available.

Also read: 5 Home Problems You Can Easily Uncover In Your First Property Visit

Elevators: Check how quick the elevators are and how secure they are from the inside. They should have an emergency phone, an emergency alarm and if in a premium society should have a liftman, too. All these services should be available 24x7.

Security measures: Keep a keen eye on the security measures taken in the society. This includes security cameras, security guard and intercom facility. Ensure that these are operational and maintenance is up to the mark. Check with the neighbours if there have been any break-ins in the society.

Power backup: Make sure that a power back-up facility is available in case of an emergency.

Plumbing and wiring: Check that all plumbing and wiring is well connected and in working condition. To give a thorough check, switch on all the electricity buttons and turn on taps to check the supply.

Phone signals: This is very important. There can be locations where your operator's signals are not available. So, make sure you are getting proper signals for both calling and internet services.

Also read: 5 Tips To Hunt For The 'Right' Property In A New City

Sunlight: Enter every possible nook and corner and see how much daylight do they get to soak in. By spending some time here, you will also be able to figure out if the walls are too thin and all sorts of voices enter the premises.

Weather check: All properties look good when the weather is fair. Do not forget to pay a visit when it might be raining. This would give you a clear idea about how effectively the neighbourhood is equipped to handle water accumulated during the rainy season.

Take an expert: If you take a property inspector along with you, they will help you have a clearer understanding on the viability of the property. An expert is more likely to catch points that might not be obvious to a lay man's eye.

Do not forget to take photos: This is a must. Pictures will help you compare properties with one another when you are back home and are about to take a final decision.