In This Guide

Choosing an area

Getting in

Leaving

Lettings agents

Living

Looking for property

Renting introduction

Tenancy agreements

Viewing property

   1. Before you go

   2. What to do when you're there

   3. What to ask when you're there

   4. Getting value for money

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Viewing property

Before you go

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If you are lucky, there will be a range of properties available for rent that fall withinyour price range. You may not have the time or energy to choose which ones to view and you would probably be seeing a lot of properties that really aren't all that suitable if you visited them all. Consider how much time you've got and how many you can see in one go. Then pick the ones which are the closest match to what you want and visit those ones.

Before you go:

• Try to ask as much as you can about the property on the phone to find out whether or not it is worth viewing.
  
  
• Check the postcode or street address on a map to find out exactly where it is. Landlords and agents have a habit of referring to it as being in a well known or desirable area, when really it is only on the fringes or even sometimes in a completely different area.
  
  
• Put a comfortable pair of shoes on - you could be doing fair amount of walking.
  
  
• If you are visiting a number of properties, try to eat a reasonable meal - viewing on an empty stomach can leave you distracted and sometimes a bit irritable.
  
  
• Try to go with someone else. Your partner is best, but anyone whose opinion you trust is worth taking along - they may spot something you miss, or stop you getting carried away. There is also the issue of security, don't forget.
  
  
• If you are moving into a shared house with people you don't know, think about the sorts of questions you will need answers to. Put together a mental list of things to find out that may be better known before you move in rather than later.
  
  
• Contact the landlord before you go just to reconfirm your appointment. It's amazing how many landlords find a tenant but fail to contact people with whom they have arranged appointments.

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