What to prepare before your first property viewing

Viewings are short. The difference between a productive viewing and a wasted afternoon is usually preparation done the evening before.

Write down the three things that would make you walk away. Non-negotiables are far easier to apply in the moment than to reconstruct afterwards, and they keep a good-looking property from overriding a practical constraint.

Bring a tape measure and the dimensions of anything large you already own. Rooms photograph generously; furniture does not shrink to match.

Finally, note what you can hear as much as what you can see. Traffic, plant equipment and neighbouring uses are the details buyers most often report noticing only after moving in.