Thailand Property Viewing Checklist: What to Record

After several viewings, it is surprisingly easy to remember the attractive balcony and forget which apartment had the damaged cupboard. Use one record for each exact property. Your aim is not to certify the building in an afternoon; it is to decide whether the home fits your brief and identify the checks and agreements still needed.

Make the appointment answer a specific brief

Before visiting, send the agent your budget, intended start date, household needs, daily destinations and non-negotiables. Ask which exact unit you will see, whether the photographs show it, what furniture remains and what terms are currently proposed. A different apartment in the same building is a different option, not automatic evidence that the original advertisement was accurate.

Agree access, attendees and enough time to look at the matters relevant to you. Tell the contact if you need to test a route, understand accessibility or accommodate a particular piece of furniture. Bring your shortlist notes and a way to measure ordinary spaces safely. If the contact cannot confirm the unit or access, resolve that before everyone travels.

Separate what you saw from what you were told

Keep four columns: observed, stated by the contact, documents provided and still to verify. For example, a stain is something you can see. The statement that an old leak has been repaired needs its own supporting evidence and, if material, appropriate assessment. Neither a clean photograph nor a reassuring explanation proves future performance.

Give each unresolved issue an owner and a next step. Record which appliance was present, which repair was promised and which document you have not yet received. A note saying “all fine” is much less useful than an exact description that you and the responsible contact can revisit.

Try the layout as you would actually use it

Think through cooking, working, sleeping, storage and laundry. Check whether doors and cupboards can open around the furniture you plan to keep. Where you measure, note the measurement and method rather than passing on the advertisement’s dimensions as your own observation. Ask about items you cannot safely access or measure.

Notice light, ventilation and noise at the time of your visit, including the effect of the room’s orientation and surrounding activity. Treat that as a dated observation, not a promise about every hour or season. If a feature is essential, arrange a suitable further check instead of hoping the quiet afternoon tells the whole story.

With permission, check the ordinary operation of items the responsible contact can demonstrate safely. Do not open electrical panels, climb into unsafe areas or operate unfamiliar equipment to prove a point. A specialist should assess technical, structural or safety concerns beyond a normal viewing.

Photograph the detail with enough context to find it again

Ask permission before taking photographs. For a visible defect, take a wider contextual picture and a closer detail so the location is clear. Link the photo to the property record and the item concerned. Avoid photographing other occupants, identification, private correspondence or security information; keep the record in an appropriate private channel.

Here is a hypothetical example of useful wording: “Small scuff on the lower cupboard door beside the kitchen entrance; photographed during the viewing; contact to confirm whether it will be repaired before handover.” It records an observation and a pending answer without accusing anyone or pretending a repair has already happened.

Walk the routes that affect ordinary life where practical: the building entrance, transport connection, parking access or nearby services you depend on. Ask about rules relevant to your use, such as pets, work arrangements or access times, and obtain the applicable confirmation. Do not rely on a listing label to settle a building-rule question.

Turn the record into an offer, then revisit it at handover

After the viewing, compare the home with the brief before its appearance fades into a general impression. Mark it as a candidate, unsuitable or awaiting evidence, and explain why. Use the exact ThaiProps listing link in the comparison, but keep private notes and condition photographs out of public comments. The listing is a starting point, not an independent inspection report.

Discuss price and the other terms together: dates, inclusions, repairs, payments and responsibilities. Have material conditions recorded in the agreement and seek appropriate advice on unclear commitments. For a purchase, coordinate the legal and technical checks your advisers require; for a tenancy, make the agreed condition and support arrangements clear before committing.

At handover, make a fresh record of the condition actually delivered, inventory, keys and meter readings. Compare it with the promised work and note anything outstanding. Agree the repair contact and response process. Where ongoing agent support is included, arrange a post-move check-in and clear follow-up through repairs, renewal and move-out. RICS communication guidance is a professional reference for clear records and expectations, not a requirement that every Thai agent be a RICS member.

Why clear records matter

RICS guidance on communicating with clients, checked on 21 October 2026, supports keeping communication records, confirming key points in writing and setting response expectations. It is a professional reference, not a Thai legal rule. The viewing checklist and cupboard example here are practical illustrations: they do not certify a building or describe a real customer’s inspection.

• RICS: communicating with clients

Cover: generated editorial illustration, not a verified listing, real transaction or ThaiProps employee.