It’s easy to get caught up in the moment when viewing a house! But this could become your home for at least a year, so it is very important that you consider all of the features a house has to offer.
That’s why we have put together a list compiling all the things you need to consider when viewing a home.
Bathrooms
First thing to consider is the amount of bathrooms. The typical rule of thumb is three people per one bathroom, so if you are viewing with four of your friends, make sure there is a second bathroom. You also want to check the water pressure and temperature of all showers and taps. Another thing to consider is the amount of storage in the bathroom – this is not vital as there are other storage solutions for bathroom stuff, but it is something you might want to think about.
Kitchen
We cannot stress this enough! Make sure there is enough storage for all that plan to live there. Ideally you want one food cupboard, one dish cupboard and one drawer per person – this would give you the amount of storage space you really need in the kitchen. Fridges and freezers follow the same rule of thumb as bathrooms, you want to make sure that it’s around three people to one appliance. So if there are six of you, make sure there are at least two fridges and two freezers. Another thing to consider in the kitchen is the amount of plug sockets for small appliances as well as storage space for cleaning products.
Laundry
In general, if you’re doing washing as a household, then one washing machine and one dryer would suffice. However, if everybody plans to do individual washes, you want to follow the same rule of thumb you do for the bathrooms and appliances. Three people to one washer/dryer; this gives everybody in the home a comfortable amount of wiggle room when it comes to doing laundry.
Lounge and Dining
Everybody has different dynamics when it comes to living in a shared household – some operate the way a family would, whereas others live very separate lives. Regardless of this, you want to make sure that there is enough space for everybody to get together in the communal areas and not feel as though you are sitting on top of each other. You also want to watch for the amount of plug sockets that are available in the lounge. It is also worth asking if a TV licence and WIFI are included within the bills, or if this is something you are expected to sort yourself.
Bedrooms
This is where you will most likely be spending most of your time, therefore this room is the most important to get right. You want to make sure all of the windows open and close securely. It’s also important to check how much storage you have, and whether this can be amended. You want to be sure the door closes and locks properly, and finally, that there are enough plug sockets in accessible places.