My TOP 10 House-Hunting Rules

1) Check property websites several times a day. New ads are added normally early in the morning, but also anytime during the day. Do not take into account ads added more than 3 days ago, they are probably arranged already. There is a website I used the most called Zoopla. Most of the agencies use it, so I found it a very useful searching engine when I was house-hunting. Other websites that might be useful too: Gumtree, Primelocation and Rightmove.

2) Arrange viewings on the phone. Although some websites encourage contacting agencies by email, if there is a telephone number, call. Some agencies take a while to reply to emails, and other might not even reply. I found the telephone the most efficient way to arrange viewings. Visiting the agencies physically do not help much. Most of them will tell you to check their websites to see what's on the market.

3) Arrange viewings three days in advance. No more. This is applicable to those who are not in the city yet and would like to arrange viewings in advance. The market, specially in September, is very dynamic. In three days, the flat could be gone. 

4) Leave at least 30 minutes between viewings. You will need time to go from one property to another, or even to take some notes about the property you just visited. It is very common to forget things when you are house-hunting, so I suggest you take notes of the impression you had about the house.

5) Prioritise your priorities. Ask yourself what the property must have and what it should have, for example, number of rooms, furnished/not furnished, washing machine, parking slot, central heating, double-glazzing windows... and check them all during your visit. 

6) Ask for extra furniture. Some landlords have several properties and do not have any objection to move sofas, wardroves and so on from one property to another. If you think you need more chairs, for example, ask for them while you are visiting. 

7) Bills included or excluded? It makes a difference if bills are included in the renting price. Normally, if you are renting a room, bills and council taxes are included. If you are renting the complete property, bills and council taxes are excluded. Make sure you know the council tax band for each property, from A to H, because you will pay depending on the band. Remember, students are exempted from paying council taxex, or a discount will applied in the total bill if there is a tenant in the property who is not a student.

8) Make sure you understand what happens after the minimum contract term. We always worry about the minimum term and very little about what happens after. In some cases, you need a one-month notice if you want to leave the flat after the first 6 months, in other cases, it may be longer. Make sure you understand what happens if one of the tenants wants to leave the house, whether it is your responsibility to find someone to replace the previous tenant or not... 

9) If you are visiting a property which is not empty yet, take the chance to talk to the current tenants. They will give you more information that the agent is not able to provide; experiences, neighbourhood, noise in the area... If you are sharing a house, it is also interesting to get to meet them. First impressions are always important.

10) As soon as you get in love with a property, make the appropriate to close the deal. 

To read the post about my own experience house-hunting, click here.