Home Viewing Guide in St Lucia

Realty

9 years ago

Home Viewing Guide in St Lucia checklist

Take a look at Realty St Lucia quick guide below on what to watch out for when you view a home.

Is the garden private?
What type of parking is available?
Which orientation is the garden?
If it rains is there a sheltered area?
Is the property safe for children? Are walls needed? Is the pool secure? Etc.
Does the property have all necessary safety devices? E.g. fire and burglar alarm.
Are there steep slopes to and from the beach?
What is security like? This is a factor if the property is likely to remain unoccupied for long periods of time.
Is the noise level acceptable? E.g. road traffic, close to nightlife.
What are the neighbours like?

Get a surveyor to check foundations. Are there any cracks in the foundations?
Look out for any sinking floors. Looking for any dip in the floor can do this. You can also look to see if there is any gap appearing between the floor and the skirting board. If there is this could be the sign of a weak foundation.
Look at floors in detail and check for dry and wet rot.
Stonework. If one part looks newer than the rest it could be to hide poor workmanship behind.
Check for signs of dampness and water damage.
You should ensure there is a damp course.
Knock on every wall to test the strength of the walls and check to see how much noise can be heard through the walls.
Cracks and fissures, damp, patches or missing render should be examined. If any of this is found get it checked out by a professional as this could be a serious problem.
Check the roof for any bowing, tiles or wood rot problems. Check to see if any new work has been done as this will show that there were prior problems.
Avoid flat roofs if possible.
Check window frames for any sign of damage.
Make sure windows and doors don’t stick.
Do the ceilings have any stains, cracks or signs of water damage.
Look for cracked cement around the window frames.
Are all the pipes, gutters and drains in good repair?
You should check wiring and ask the date it was installed?
Is the area prone to flood or landslides?
If there is a swimming pool make sure the filtration system is in full working order and that the pool is in good repair.

Where does the water come from? Is it mains, well or tank?
Is the water safe to drink?
Is the sewerage attached to the mains or a sceptic tank?
What obligations and shared services come with the property?
Is the gas mains or bottle? If bottle gas is used how easy is it to get a replacement bottle.
Is the Electricity supplied by mains or generator?
Do all the light switches work.
Check the water pressure of sinks and toilets.

When home viewing take plenty of notes and ask plenty of questions.

Make a list before you start to ensure you don’t forget anything.

Don’t miss any aspects of your list when you are walking round.
Take notes and don’t forget to ask lots of questions as you go around the properties.
Make sure your furniture will fit in the rooms.
Don’t bring children as they are a big distraction, they will make it harder to concentrate.
Try not to do too many viewings in one day.