When you are buying a house, it is important that you get as much information as possible before you buy. Often, people will see their dream home (or what they think is their dream home) buy it, and only then start to discover that it has lots of hidden problems that are then expensive to fix, something that they likely have not budgeted for and mean that the house is not as attractive as it once was.
To reduce your chances of buying a house that you later come to regret, here are some of the things that you should have checked out before you buy…
The Heating – A boiler can be an expensive thing to repair or replace, and if you are going to have to do this, it is better to go into it knowing that you are so that you can factor this into your budget. Boilers that are broken can also be dangerous, so this is another reason why getting the boiler checked out before you buy is important. There are things that you can look out for yourself when you go to view the property – turning on hot taps and making sure that they are warm, as well as listening to the sounds coming from the boiler are two examples of this.
The Drains – Because drains are underground and cannot be seen, they can often be a problem that is not noticed. The only way to really check that drains are in good condition, is to get a professional like this CCTV drainage surveys Kingsbury based company wilkinson-env.co.uk/drainage-services-cctv-surveys-midlands/drain-jetting/drain-jetting-kingsbury/ to come and check them for you. They have all the right equipment and skills to do this, giving you the peace of mind that you need.
The Structure of the Building – This is really important and especially if you are buying an older building it is worth getting a very detailed survey done to check this – your estate agent and solicitor is also likely to recommend this. Making sure that the whole building is structurally sound and not about to collapse on you or suffer from expensive to fix issues like subsidence is essential!
Invasive Plants – The garden shouldn’t escape your notice either – plants like bamboo and Japanese knotweed have roots that can cause problems for the foundations of your property, and will need to be removed by a professional in order to stop this from happening.