Property viewing checklist in Cambodia

Showroom · site visit · remote video · building systems · updated July 2026

A good viewing is not a showroom walk. A buyer needs to see access roads, neighbouring plots, noise, sun, lobby, lifts, corridors, real units, building systems and the documents behind promises.

Before viewing

Request layout, floor, unit number, price sheet and payment schedule.
Ask whether you will see a showroom, construction site, completed unit or comparable unit.

Identify exactly what is being shown

Before entering, record the project, building, floor, unit code and status of the property: showroom, selected apartment, comparable unit, construction site or handed-over unit. For a completed apartment, reconcile the door and floor number with the plan, seller's offer and future SPA annexes; for a comparable, record every known difference from the selected unit.

Do not transfer the observed view, ceiling height, column position, balcony, service points or furnishing to another apartment without documentary confirmation. Where the exact unit is unavailable, the viewing remains preliminary and later access to that unit should become a separate condition before an irreversible payment.

Prepare SPA, defects, area basis, finishes, handover and title-route questions.
Ask for the route map, project entrance and list of areas that can be filmed.

Assess a construction site through documents and a safe route

Before the visit, confirm the permitted areas, escort, protective requirements and filming rules. Do not enter closed zones, exposed edges, temporary stairs, lifting areas or live plant rooms for an additional image. Cambodia's Law on Construction places responsibility on builders for security, safety, order and environmental protection at construction sites.

Visible activity does not prove compliance with the permit or an advertised completion percentage. Request a dated formal progress report, the relevant review by an authorised certifier and the connection between completed work and approved design documents; use photographs as supporting records rather than replacements for those documents.

What to check during a property viewing

A useful viewing tests the neighbourhood, building and day-to-day usability as well as the apartment itself. For a remote inspection, ask for continuous video, clear close-ups and proof that the correct unit is being shown.

Arrival and surroundings

Repeat important checks under relevant conditions

A single daytime visit is not enough to conclude on noise, sun, lifts, parking, street lighting or actual journey time. Where these factors matter, repeat the route and external inspection during the hours when the buyer or intended tenant is likely to use the property.

Assess rainy-season access and drainage through visible water paths, slopes and operating drains rather than a statement that flooding never occurs. Record the date, time, weather, route origin and unusual circumstances for every visit so that projects remain comparable.

Check	What to record	Why
Approach road	Traffic, road surface, rainy-season access	Marketing maps do not show the daily route
Neighbouring plots	Construction, empty land, future towers, noise	View and quiet can change
Drainage	Puddles, road slope, basement parking entrance	Flooding risk is better checked before payment
Street life	Lighting, pavements, shops, transport, evening safety	The district should not be judged only at noon

Building and systems

Ask to see the lobby, lifts, emergency stairs, generator area, water tanks/pumps, fire equipment, parking, corridors, waste area and common facilities. This does not replace an engineer, but it shows where to ask more questions.

For a completed building, verify occupancy and control history

For a completed property, establish the occupancy-authorisation date and the exact part of the development it covers. Then compare the building’s age with the control cycle: Cambodia’s Law on Construction provides for residential quality and safety review within 10 years of authorisation and at least every 10 years thereafter, while fire systems are checked every two years.

Once the relevant date has passed, ask for the latest report, the findings, remedy deadlines and evidence of reinspection rather than a general assurance from management. During the viewing, compare those records with visible signs such as leaks, cracking, escape-route condition and common-system performance; an occupancy document is not a current condition report for the selected unit.

A visual viewing is not a systems test

Running water, a draining outlet, a light, an opening window or operating air conditioning only shows observable performance at that moment. It does not establish design capacity, concealed leakage, wiring condition, waterproofing, fire-system integrity or performance under full load.

The RICS Home Survey Standard distinguishes levels of visual inspection, requires inaccessible and concealed areas to be identified and calls for further investigation where a confident conclusion is not possible. Do not force panels, apply pressure or operate equipment without permission and safe conditions; record a concern for a relevant engineer rather than diagnosing its cause.

Inside the unit

Sun, view, noise, privacy and neighbouring windows.
Windows, doors, balcony, ceiling height, floor and wall condition.
Water pressure, drainage, electrical sockets and AC position.
Differences from showroom, brochure, render and specification list.

Keep a showroom variance schedule

Compare the display unit against a dated specification rather than memory of the marketing: wall and floor finishes, windows and doors, sanitary fittings, kitchen, air conditioning, sockets, lighting, built-in furniture and every item excluded from delivery. For each difference, state whether it is display-only decoration or changes the mandatory specification.

Ask for agreed characteristics and permitted substitutions to be carried into the SPA or a signed annex. A sales statement that the delivered unit will be “the same or better” is not a substitute for materials, models, minimum performance and a process for approving replacements.

Corridor and lift-lobby condition on the same floor.

Remote video shot list

Drive or walk from main road to the project entrance.
Facade, lobby, lift and corridor.
One continuous shot entering the unit.
Every room corner to corner.
Window or balcony view with sound.
Plumbing, water, electricity and AC.
Common areas, parking and waste area.
Street surroundings outside the building.

Make a remote viewing verifiable

At the start of a live session, ask the filmer to show the date and time on another device, the project name, building identifier, floor sign and unit number, then enter from the common corridor in one continuous shot. Every edit, pre-recorded segment and inaccessible area should be disclosed.

Repeat material actions live: open accessible windows and doors, record the view and ambient sound without music, operate permitted fixtures and show a visible defect together with its position in the room. Avoid recording residents' faces, vehicle plates, access codes and neighbouring interiors without need and consent.

After viewing

Split your notes into three lists: facts verified, questions for developer and documents needed before payment. Do not pay a booking fee only because the video looked good. Showroom, construction site, delivered unit and surrounding district answer different questions.

End the viewing with a decision record, not an impression

Give every observation a status: visually confirmed, document required, engineer required, not inspected because access was unavailable or conflicting with another source. An inaccessible area is not marked clear; it remains an inspection limitation.

After the visit, name the stop conditions, documents and specialist work required before the next payment, and the conditions for re-viewing the exact unit. A separate handover inspection remains necessary because the unit and common areas can change between an early viewing and delivery.

Need a remote viewing? We can prepare a shot list and agent questions before the video call, so the recording helps the decision instead of becoming a polished walk-through.

FAQ

Can a visual viewing replace inspection?

No. A viewing helps collect questions and early signs of risk, but it does not replace an engineer, lawyer, handover inspection or document checks.

What should be filmed in a remote video viewing?

Film the road to the project, entrance, lobby, lift, corridor, continuous entry into the unit, every room, window or balcony view with sound, water, electricity, AC, common areas and street surroundings.

Is there an official viewing form for Cambodia?

No official Cambodia-wide viewing form or mandatory video shot list was confirmed in open sources. This page is a practical buyer workflow.

Sources

NovAsia building and neighbourhood assessment research · remote-purchase research · showroom limitations, brochure promises and defects materials · checked July 2026. An official Cambodia-wide viewing form or mandatory video shot list was not verified. This information is for general orientation and is not an engineering or legal opinion.