Considerations when viewing properties to rent

Searching for a new property to rent is a very exciting time; as the person, couple or family considers a new life in an intriguing new location. However, as exciting as it is, there is also a rather stressful element as the realisation that choosing the wrong property or not considering the decision carefully enough could leave the prospective new tenant or tenants in a bad situation they have no escape from.

Therefore, there are a number of considerations which anyone looking for a property to rent should make as part of their decision making process:

Location

When it comes to finding a property, location is key to any and every decision. There is a reason why Channel 4 decided to use the word "location" three times when naming their property hunting programme and this was to underline the importance of the concept.

Of course, every person and family's needs will be different as they search for a property. Therefore proximity to schools and other amenities such as dentists may be essential considerations for those with families, whilst career minded people might be more concerned with their closeness to road and other travel links.

Situation

The actual location and situation of the property should be given careful thought. For example, a person with limited mobility might want to avoid steps, as might people with young children if they are likely to need to carry small, sleeping children from cars into the house.

Furthermore, shared amenities such as the garden or drive could create issues for some people, as shared duties can quickly lead to disagreements, especially if one party feels they are doing more than the other to maintain the property or feels their neighbour is taking advantage of the shared space.

Neighbourhood

A neighbourhood which is noisy or overly quiet can quickly lead to misery for many, as they are either disturbed by noise or made to feel that their own sounds are causing issues to an otherwise quiet neighbourhood. To get a clear idea of how a neighbourhood really feels and sounds, many experts recommend several visits at different times of the day and week.

The Actual Property

Of course, the exterior features and benefits of a property are very important. However, the actual property is a more urgent consideration as the perfect neighbourhood, situation and location might still house an unsuitable property.

For this reason, it is often considered a good idea for the viewing tenants in waiting to create a list of their specific needs from a property prior to viewing. They may need a certain number of bedrooms, a larger or small kitchen, extensive garden space or more than one bedroom. These factors are entirely subjective but are vitally important.

Also essential to consider are the potential bills for the property. Checking the council tax band for the property, and considering room size and in turn how much it would take to heat and power the property could save nasty surprises in the long term. 

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