When buying a property, it’s your responsibility as the purchaser to check the quality and suitability of the property before you agree to buy it. You can’t just return a house if it doesn’t fit properly as you can do with a coat. Therefore, if you find your house has a leaky roof, dampness, or drain issues, there’s usually very little you can do about it. That’s why it’s important to carry out certain checks as a buyer before making your final decision. Checks like home buyer’s drain surveys, for example, can be carried out by professionals to identify any faults or potential ones within the system of the house before you commit.
Having a north or south-facing house can be the difference between a home that is full of light and warmth, and a very dark house – especially in summer. Make sure to use your compass app on your phone to determine which way the house is facing so that you can see which rooms will get the most light. With the popularity of bi-fold doors, direct sunlight through the doors can make a room extremely warm, so make sure to spend time here when the sun’s out to get a feel for the temperature.
One thing that tends to be missed is checking that there is enough storage space in the house. Yes, there may be a great amount of room in the living room for all your bits and bobs, but is there a space where you can store away your vacuum cleaner, towels, bed sheets and boxes of things that don’t really have a place in any room? It’s important to check what storage space is available, especially in new builds where storage space can be scarce.
People often ignore the attic, but it’s an important part of the house for storage space – it could even be converted into an extra room! Make sure you check if it is insulated, as this could make a huge difference to your bills – especially in winter.
Checking where the house is situated is super important, but, surprisingly, it is something that is usually missed by potential buyers. Are you near any shops that are in close proximity for you to get milk when you run out? Are you near a busy pub that gets rowdy in the evenings? Are there noisy roads or flight paths nearby? Thinking about what is a deal breaker in your area and checking either by using Google street view or having a drive around will help to avoid heart-dropping surprises after you’ve moved in.
As we live in a tech-focused world, it’s essential you have enough power points to charge your phone whilst sitting on the sofa or enough sockets in the kitchen for all your appliances. This is something that is often missed by home buyers, but it can be frustrating not having conveniently placed power points.
One thing that is normally missed is the quality of the external and internal window frames. This is a great indicator of the state of the house. if you can easily push your finger into a wooden window frame, they are usually rotten, and if there is condensation between double-glazed window panes, this means they are faulty.
