Check a property before you buy

The asking price is chosen by the seller and estate agent. It is a starting point for marketing and negotiation, not proof of what the property is worth. Look for the property's previous recorded sale, recent nearby sales and homes that are genuinely comparable in type, size, tenure and location.

Compare the asking price with that evidence rather than simply applying a standard discount. A house can be poor value after a reduction if it was priced too high to begin with. Equally, paying close to the asking price can be reasonable when comparable sales and demand support it. Our guide to deciding whether a house looks overpriced explains this in more detail.

Confirm the basic facts used to describe the home. Property type, approximate floor area, tenure, age and Energy Performance Certificate can all affect how useful a comparison is. A larger floor area does not automatically make one home better value, but it can help explain why two apparently similar properties sold for different amounts.

• EPC: note the current rating, potential rating and suggested improvements. The certificate is useful evidence, but it is not a building survey.
• Alterations: ask whether extensions, loft conversions or structural changes have the relevant approvals and guarantees.
• Condition: separate visible decoration from work that may require specialist inspection, such as damp, roofing or movement.
• Tenure and charges: confirm whether the property is freehold or leasehold and ask for the current service-charge and ground-rent position where relevant.

The street and surrounding area can matter as much as the building. Check current and recent planning activity for nearby development that could affect light, privacy, overlooking, traffic, parking or construction noise. SashMark can bring available planning evidence into the report, but the relevant local authority planning register remains the place to inspect full applications and documents.

Flood evidence should cover more than rivers and the sea. Surface-water flooding can affect places away from a river, particularly after intense rainfall. If screening suggests elevated risk, investigate further through official sources, your conveyancer and an appropriate environmental search. Read our practical guides to checking planning and checking flood risk.

Recorded crime, schools, transport and connectivity need context. Crime figures describe reported incidents for an area; they do not predict what will happen at one address. School information can change, and admissions depend on more than straight-line distance. Treat both as prompts for further research rather than simple pass-or-fail labels.

For noise, use available road and rail mapping alongside visits at different times. Open windows, spend time in the garden and listen during rush hour, evenings and weekends if possible. Modelled environmental information cannot identify neighbours, temporary building work, aircraft on every route or occasional events. Our noise-checking guide explains how to combine mapped evidence with a visit.

Check broadband availability at the exact address rather than relying only on area-level claims. If reliable connectivity matters for work, ask the current occupier what service they use and check the providers available to that property.

Good research should make the next conversation more useful. Ask the agent or seller about anything that does not line up: a long gap since the last sale, an extension absent from planning records, unexpectedly high energy use, a nearby application, visible drainage work or a material difference from comparable homes.

Keep a short list for the viewing, surveyor and conveyancer. Some questions can be answered before an offer; others belong in the survey or legal process. SashMark is designed to organise the available early evidence and highlight matters worth investigating, not to replace a survey, valuation or conveyancing search.