Home viewing checklist

1. What happens when you view a home?

While there’s no one-size-fits-all process for home viewings, the following should generally be part of the visit:

• Location and surrounding environment

• Plot

• Garden/yard

• Building

• All rooms including the basement and attic

2. How long does it take to view a home?

Make sure that you plan enough time for the viewing. The duration of a home viewing depends on the size of the property and the number of potential buyers. To view a single-family home, you should plan at least one hour.

Good to know: serious buyers often want to schedule a second viewing, usually with the help of a property appraiser. You should schedule more time for this appointment than for the initial viewing.

3. Preparation checklist: before a home viewing

To ensure a successful home viewing, both sellers and buyers should be well prepared. Here we’ll discuss what arrangements sellers should make, and what buyers should clarify in advance.

Preparation checklist for buyers

Buyers should approach the home viewing process well prepared. Houses and apartments in prime locations get sold quickly. You should think about what requirements the property needs to fulfil before you show up to the viewing appointment. This will make your decision easier.

You should consider the following aspects before the viewing:

Request and review the property brochure

Be sure to request important documents before the visit in order to get a good first impression of the property. It’s particularly useful to note the following points:

• Floor plan and room layout

• Age of the building’s components and any renovations that have been carried out

• Orientation of the property towards the sun

• Any building law restrictions in the land register

Property location

• How good are the public transport connections?

• How close is the nearest motorway? Do frequent traffic jams occur on the roads near the property?

• How far away is the property from your place of work?

• How far away is the property from family and friends?

Infrastructure: amenities and activities in the new place of residence

• Are there enough shops nearby? Are there small shops like bakeries, confectionery shops, butchers, etc.? Is there a weekly farmers’ market?

• Does it have health facilities such as hospitals, pharmacies and medical practices nearby?

• What kind of leisure activities are available in terms of restaurants, theatres, sports facilities, local recreation areas, etc.?

• Are there schools and daycare centres nearby? Would your child have other children to play with in the area?

Be aware of possible nuisances

• Are there any industrial operations in the area (such as pig farming) that could cause unpleasant odours? 

• What is the level of noise around the property? Is the property near a motorway or busy road? What about schools, churches or cow pastures?

Check tax rates, health insurance premiums, interest rates and family allowances

• How high are taxes at the new location?

• How much are health insurance premiums in your new area?

• What are mortgage rates like in the canton?

• How much are family allowances in the canton?

Preparation checklist for sellers

A property valuation has been done. Now you’re ready to put the property on the market.

If you’d like to organize the viewings yourself, then the following points can help:

• Prepare your documents: get all of the important documents for the property in order. This includes the sales documentation and the land register extract. You can find more information in the following article: Selling a property: document checklist.

• Arrange viewing appointments: decide whether you’d like to have individual or group viewings. Hold the appointments at a reasonable time of day.

• Find out about buyers’ financing plans: ask in advance about how potential buyers intend to finance the property. Even though buyers’ financing plans will likely still be incomplete at this stage, you can use this information to find out who is serious about making the purchase and who is potentially wasting your time.

• Spruce up your property: now is the time to complete any final pre-sale renovations on the house or apartment. Clean the property thoroughly and stage your home in preparation for viewings.

• Be prepared for questions: potential buyers will have questions during the viewing, so you should think about how you are going to answer them in advance.

4. Checklist: during the home viewing

Important points can easily get forgotten during a home viewing. This checklist can help both sellers and buyers have a successful viewing experience.

Home viewing checklist for buyers

Planning to visit a property soon? Here you can find out what you should keep in mind as a buyer, and what pitfalls to avoid.

What to keep in mind at a property viewing

• Check the condition of the building: what kind of condition are the façade and interior rooms in? Any cracks in the walls? Mould? How is the building insulated? Any damage to the roof? Will you need to renovate?

• Look at the room distribution: do the rooms meet your needs? Is there enough storage space? How light are the rooms? Is the work surface in the kitchen adequate? Are there enough bathrooms? Are the floors in good shape? Are any improvements required?

• Check the electrics and household appliances: are there enough power outlets? What is the telephone reception like? Is there a fibre-optic connection? Does the house need to be rewired? Do the appliances work?

• Heating and hot water: what kind of heating system is installed? How old is it? Is it energy efficient? How is water heated? How old is the water heating system, and how many litres can it handle? What is the water hardness level?

• Maintenance and upkeep: has the property been well maintained? Have the bathrooms been properly cared for? What level of upkeep will the outside areas of the property require? Is there anything that will need a lot of maintenance?

• Think about safety: is the property sufficiently secured against burglary? Are there unsecured windows or utility areas (cellar, garage, attic, etc.)?

• Look at the garden design: is the garden in line with your expectations? What condition are the plants in (particularly the trees and hedges)? How time-consuming will it be to maintain the garden?

• Don’t forget historic preservation requirements: is the property a protected building? Or is it on the list of properties requiring special preservation? Will this restrict any construction or renovation plans?

• Check the floor area ratio: the floor area ratio refers to the percentage of the plot that may legally be built on. It is calculated using the ratio between the gross floor area and the area of the plot. The higher the ratio, the more square metres you can use as living space. For older properties, this ratio is often not fully utilized, which opens up more possibilities for making your dream home a reality.

Home viewing pitfalls

• Not arranging a second visit: if the property makes it onto your shortlist, you should schedule an appointment for a second viewing. For older properties, you should bring a professional property appraiser: they can detect hidden defects and assess the renovations that will be required. Schedule the appointment at a different time of day and on a different day of the week. This will help you get a better impression of life in the neighbourhood, the availability of natural light, and the general level of noise.

• Rushing directly to close the purchase: a trustworthy seller will give you time to reach a decision after the second viewing. If they try to rush you into signing the contract, it may be better to withdraw your offer.

• Not checking the documents properly: read all the documents carefully and make sure they are complete. If any questions arise, you can ask the seller at the viewing. If you’re seriously interested in the property, it’s best to have the documents reviewed by a property expert as well.

• Viewing the property at night: you’ll get a better impression of the property if you visit during daylight hours. You can only properly see how bright the rooms are when natural light is present. It’s also difficult to notice flaws in the property when it’s too dark.

Home viewing checklist for sellers