A viewing lasts twenty minutes and a contract lasts a year. It is worth spending those twenty minutes on what is expensive to fix later.
Water
Open every tap at once and watch the pressure. Run the hot water and count the seconds until it warms up. Look under the sinks for stains or swollen wood.
Electricity
Ask to see the consumer unit. Count the breakers and look for signs of old wiring, such as fabric-sheathed cable. Switch on what you can and check nothing trips.
Windows and heating
Open and close them all. Feel for draughts at the seals. Ask how the place is heated and ask for a winter bill, which tells you more than any description.
Signs of damp
Ceiling corners, behind doors and inside bathroom cabinets. A closed-up smell on a dry day is usually a sign.
On handover day
Photograph everything, including small damage, and email it to the landlord the same day. It is the cheapest way to protect your deposit.
To get the new place gleaming before you move in, the OSCAR app has cleaning at a fixed price.