There comes a time in your life where you need to consider moving home. People have various reasons for looking for a new home, such as outgrowing your current home, relocating or simply wanting to.
The last thing you want is to decide where you will spend the rest of your life or even the next few in a quick 20-minute viewing. Choosing where to live and knowing what to look for in your new property is something that needs time and preparation.
What should you be looking for when buying a new house?
Damp
Damp is a major indicator something is wrong and needs further investigation. In some cases, it can be an accumulation of condensation from not having a windows pen. But mostly damp means water is getting into your property from somewhere, and it needs checking out and rectifying. Look out for damp walls, wet ceilings and floorboards.
A big giveaway is if the room or an area has been freshly painted and nowhere else has been or if furniture has been strategically placed, move it and see what is behind it. Even lift carpets or peel away wallpaper that has started to lift from the walls to look at underneath. Don’t forget to check the ceiling for signs of roof damage and leaks entering in via the roof.
Structural Issues
Although you are looking for large issues such as ceiling to wall cracks that are expansive, you should also expect some smaller cracks. Pay close attention to the areas where extensions meet, end-of-terrace walls, and bay windows, as all of these can begin to slump or bend away from the rest of the home if not maintained properly.
At this point you want to be looking for issues that you can bring to the attention of the homeowner or estate agent, and then you can ask your surveyor to check into them later. However, you can only look for what you are familiar with; a chartered surveyor with years of experience is trained to identify dangers and recognise when something needs to be addressed.
Storage Space
Many newer homes don’t always have much storage space, and for families, this can be a problem. So always investigate where storage space in the house or areas you can delegate for storage. If you need to build or add your own storage, this will take away space from the room, making it smaller.
Room Sizes
It is doubtful that you will buy all new furniture for your new home, so making sure the rooms can accommodate the size of your current furniture is a must. Measure up your furniture, and then take a tape measure with you when you view a home so you can see how the room will look with your furniture in it.
Check the Windows
External window frames are an excellent indicator of the state of the house; if they are well-maintained, the remainder is likely to be as well. Wooden window frames that are easily pushed into are frequently rotten. Condensation between double-glazed windows indicates a problem. Installing new windows requires a FENSA or comparable certificate, which typically comes with guarantees.
