The property visit checklist, point by point

Before the visit, what to prepare

• The local price per m². Check recent DVF sales in the area. You'll know immediately if the listing is in market or 10 % above.
• EPC and diagnostics. Ask for them before the visit. An F rating changes the whole price strategy.
• Géorisques at the address. Flood, clay shrinkage, seismic, radon, industrial sites. Free, 30 seconds, can kill the deal.
• Local plan and developments. A new building going up in front of your balcony in two years is public info. Check at the town hall.
• Kit to bring. Laser tape, torch, plug socket tester (£10), spirit level (phone app), and the printed checklist.

Outside and the building

• The facade. Vertical cracks, black streaks, blistering render, rusty balconies. A facade renovation costs €80 to €200 per m², passed on as your HOA share.
• Hall and common areas. Tagged letterboxes, peeling paint, broken or out-of-service lift. Direct reflection of HOA health.
• The stairwell. Damp smell, water marks on the ceiling, worn steps. Expensive refurbishment ahead.
• Bins and bike room. Dirty, overflowing, locked or not. Small detail, big signal on management.
• Immediate neighbourhood. Bar, school, station, ring road under 100 m. Come back at night to check the real noise.
• Parking. Street parking, paid, controlled zone, or allocated space. Changes daily life and resale.

Inside, room by room

• Entrance. Reinforced front door or not, seals in good shape, landing soundproofing. First barrier against noise and intrusion.
• Living room. Real exposure, overlook, ceiling height, floor, walls, skirting. Check floor levelness with a ball.
• Kitchen. Fitted or not, cabinet condition, working extractor, socket for large appliances, gas or all-electric.
• Bedrooms. Real Carrez surface, storage, double glazing, exposure. A north-facing bedroom with no storage loses 5 to 10 % of value.
• Bathroom. Blackened grout, hollow-sounding tiles, ventilation, taps, water heater recent or to replace.
• Toilet. Separate or not, silent flush mechanism, floor around the bowl (old leak).
• Storage. Cellar, parking, balcony, terrace, attic. Annex surfaces that swing value and quality of life.

Damp, the warning signs

• Musty smell. Especially in a closed room, a cupboard, near a window. Paint that smells of cellar, old leak or no ventilation.
• Ceiling stains. Yellowish rings, especially in corners. Roof leak, balcony above, or neighbouring bathroom.
• Paint blisters. At the bottom of walls, near skirting or around windows. Rising damp or chronic condensation.
• Lifted skirting or warped floor. Near a window or bathroom. Water seeping in regularly, expensive treatment.
• Blackened bathroom grout. Not necessarily serious on the surface, but often a symptom of no ventilation. Treat it or mould returns.
• Cold walls to the touch. Icy feel in a north-facing bedroom means an insulation defect. Jumper required in winter.

Electrics, plumbing, heating

• Electrical panel. Modern breakers or porcelain fuses? 30 mA RCD present? Without it, that's a €2,500 to €5,000 upgrade.
• Sockets and switches. Screwed, in good condition, earthed. Test with a plug socket tester, costs £10, reveals the faults.
• Pipework. Recent copper, PER, or lead? Lead must be replaced. Visible under the sink and near the water meter.
• Water meter. Individual or shared. Shared means water in HOA charges and bills that can double in summer.
• Heating. Individual gas, electric, heat pump, collective oil. Ask for the seller's real annual bill, not the EPC estimate.
• MVHR or ventilation. Present, working, cleaned? A broken MVHR means guaranteed condensation and mould in 6 months.
• Hot water cylinder. Date of commissioning on the label. Over 12 years old, budget €800 to €1,500 to replace.

Neighbours, noise, nuisances

• Come back in the evening. 8pm-10pm on a weekday, ideally Friday. Bars, restaurants, traffic, parties. You'll know whether you'll sleep.
• Come back at the weekend. Market, fairs, demonstrations, café terrace right under your window. Real life of the area.
• Listen through the walls. Ask for 30 seconds of silence during the visit. You'll hear the lift, the upstairs neighbour, the traffic.
• Upstairs neighbours. Parquet with no underlay, heels at 7am, young kids. Ask the agent who lives above.
• Conflict history. Visible in AGM minutes. Court cases, difficult neighbour, divided HOA. The syndic knows it all.
• Industrial nuisances. Factory, mobile mast, high-voltage line within 300 m. Géorisques lists SEVESO sites.

Documents to request on site

• Full EPC. Not just the rating but the technical sheet with assumptions and works recommendations.
• Mandatory diagnostics. Asbestos, lead, electrics (if over 15 years old), gas, termites, ERP. All free for the buyer.
• Last three AGM minutes. For a flat. Voted works, HOA mood, unpaid charges.
• HOA rules. To check restrictions (pets, short-term let, works). And the exact share.
• Dated statement. To request before signing. Exact amount of current charges and upcoming calls.
• Heating and water bills. Over 2 or 3 years. The EPC is theoretical, the bills are the real picture.
• Council tax notice. To size your annual budget. Varies threefold across communes.

15 questions to ask the agent

• How long has the property been on sale, and have there been price drops?
• Why is the seller selling, and how soon do they want to sign?
• How many offers have been made, and at what price?
• What known defects are recorded in the file?
• Have any works been voted at AGM but not yet billed?
• What is the exact quarterly charge, excluding individual heating?
• Does the building have a reserve fund, and at what level?
• Are there unpaid charges from other owners?
• Is the syndic professional or volunteer, and since when?
• Are you aware of any local planning projects nearby?
• What are the real heating and water bills?
• Has the electrical system been redone, and if so by whom and when?
• Has the balcony or roof waterproofing been redone recently?
• Are there any easements or specific constraints on the lot?
• At what price would the seller actually come down, honestly?

Visit mistakes that cost real money

We see them every day in BienCheck reports. A botched visit costs between €5,000 and €50,000 in nasty surprises after signing.

1. 1

   Visiting only in daylight

   You'll never know what it's like at night, the noise, the artificial light, the street vibe. Come back at night.

2. 2

   Letting the agent rush you

   If they push, book a longer appointment or come back alone. Forty minutes minimum for a real visit.

3. 3

   Forgetting to look up

   Ceilings, corners, where walls meet. That's where leak traces hide.

4. 4

   Not testing the taps

   Water pressure, hot water arriving quickly or not, proper drainage. Thirty seconds, a lot of info.

5. 5

   Not opening cupboards

   Cellar smell, stains, residual damp. A cupboard closed for weeks talks.

6. 6

   Confusing decor and quality

   Fresh paint hides a recent leak. New parquet sometimes hides a rotten floor underneath.

7. 7

   Visiting alone with no framework

   You remember what you like, forget what bothers you. A written checklist forces you to record it all.

8. 8

   Ignoring common areas

   Hall, lift, stairs, bike room. If it's dirty, the HOA is mismanaged, and it'll bite eventually.

9. 9

   Taking the EPC at face value

   The EPC is a theoretical projection. The seller's actual bills tell the truth.

10. 10

    Leaving without photos

    You'll forget the details. Photograph each room, the electrical panel, defects, the boiler.

11. 11

    Not calculating total cost

    Price + notary fees + works + council tax + charges. The real monthly cheque is often 20 % above the loan.

12. 12

    Offering after one visit only

    A crush is normal. But seeing the property cold is mandatory before signing.

What a bad visit can cost you

A few examples from our reports. Defects you can spot in 5 minutes of careful viewing, that go on to cost thousands.

Property visit FAQ

Visit glossary

Carrez law

Law defining the private surface of an HOA lot, excluding walls, partitions, stairs, ducts, recesses. Listed in the offer.

EPC

Energy performance certificate, A to G rating, mandatory in every listing.

ERP

State of risks and pollutions, mandatory document attached to the offer.

MVHR

Mechanical ventilation, essential to evacuate damp.

Clay shrinkage (RGA)

Soil expansion-contraction risk, can cause cracks on houses depending on the ground.

Dated statement

Document from the syndic to the notary detailing what the seller owes the HOA.

AGM minutes

Written record of decisions and votes taken at the co-owners' annual meeting.

Reserve fund

Mandatory HOA savings earmarked for upcoming major works.

Easement

A burden on one property for the benefit of another, e.g. a right of way.

Fraud (dol)

Fraudulent manoeuvre by the seller or agent to hide a defect. Sale can be annulled within five years.

Hidden defects

Non-apparent defects at sale time, making the property unfit for use. Recourse possible within two years.

Compromis de vente

Pre-contract binding both buyer and seller, subject to suspensive clauses.

Going further

A few BienCheck resources that extend this checklist.

• Buying an apartmentThe pillar guide for apartments: HOA, EPC, charges, works.
• Buying a houseRoof, insulation, clay shrinkage, septic, land, easements.
• Understanding a condoAGM minutes, reserve fund, syndic, charges, what to demand.
• Negotiating a propertyConcrete levers to push the price down after the visit.
• Property buying pitfallsHidden defects, dodgy EPC, HOA gone wrong, sloppy contract.
• Understanding the EPCRating, kWh/m², GHG, thermal sieves, what it changes.
• Hidden risks at the addressFlood, clay, seismic, radon, industrial.
• The BienCheck Premium reportThe full report to show the seller for negotiation.