There comes a time in your life when buying a house becomes a reality, whether that might be your first house or a bigger home so that you can start a family to live and grow in.
Many people buying a home often only ever see how it looks, how big the rooms are, and whether it has a good view, but do you know what to look out for?
Not everyone knows what they should be looking out for while buying their next home, and these things could be vital in the future.
So if you are looking to buy your first home or maybe a new home, we’ve got your back! Here are the top 5 things to look out for.
Is there Damp?
Dampness is a huge problem for homeowners, so keep your eyes out for any signs when you are viewing a property. If you can smell any moldy scent or see flaky plaster or even watermarked walls or ceilings, this is a huge sign.
Other clues might be if the room has been repainted, which could be a cover-up of any potential dampness.
One of the major issues behind dampness is often dry rot which might occur due to moisture in the walls allowing the spores to grow. If you notice this and buy the house, you may need to get dry rot treatments immediately.
Is the building well structured?
Any big cracks in the building would be a huge issue when buying a new home. So be sure to look out for those. Any hairline cracks can be expected, but if they are big, you need to keep an eye on them.
You can find these cracks around any extension joint, end of terrace walls, and bay windows. These can fall away from the house over time, so note them down and ask the estate agent or a surveyor like Jerry Pinkas real estate about them when you can.
Is the plumbing up a top scratch?
This one might seem like an obvious thing to look out for, but many people just don’t think about it.
You can run the taps to see if the water pressure is okay or ask the estate agent if the pipes are insulated.
Try asking other questions such as do the radiators work? How old is the boiler? Where can you find the water tank, and how old is it? Does it need to be replaced soon? These questions are important as they may save you problems in the future.
How old is the roof?
If the roof of your future home is new, there could be a chance that it may need replacing soon. This is because many new roofs last around 15-20 years, depending on the material, which can be very expensive.
You should also check out the material that the roof is sealed in if it is a flat roof. This is because new roofs often have a membrane that is far better than asphalt or gravel, which may leave seams and edges unsealed.
Is the double glazing still intact?
This may also seem obvious to look out for, but it’s important to do. If you can easily push your finger into the window frame, it means that they are rotten, and if you can see condensation between the double glazed windows, that’s a sign of being faulty.
Be sure to ask if the windows have had an inspection and if they have a certificate.
So these are the five most important things to look out for while searching for a new home. If you have any of these problems, they could be very expensive to fix. If not, then you might have found your next home.