Buying a house is definitely not an easy thing to do, and if you manage to get into a financial position where it’s possible, the last thing you’ll want is to make any kind of mistake and choose a house that’s not value for money or that could cost you more than you expected. That’s why it’s absolutely vital to carry out a house inspection before you sign anything or part with any money. Ideally, you’ll have a professional home inspection carried out (many mortgage companies insist on it), but by that time, you’ll be well into negotiations and you might have paid your solicitor some money, for example. It’s actually wise to know how to inspect a house yourself earlier in the process so you’re more confident that you’re making a good choice initially. Read on to find out how to do it.
Look For Water Damage
There are lots of different issues you’ll need to look out for when you’re inspecting a property, of course, but one that can cause a huge amount of damage and that’s relatively easy to spot once you know what to look for is water damage. Water damage can cost a lot to put right, and it might not be something your insurance would cover - in fact, in some cases, water damage might make a house uninsurable. Things to look out for are water stains on the wall or ceiling, a damp feeling in the air, mould, holes in the roof, and overflowing gutters. Some of these issues are easy to fix - you can call an expert gutter cleaning service, for example, but others are much more of a problem, and it can sometimes be better to walk away than to have to deal with putting in an entirely new roof or fixing rotting foundations.
Check The Storage Space
Don’t worry about invading someone’s privacy - if you’re thinking about buying a house, you need to be able to look into every nook and cranny, and the vendor should be happy to allow it (within reason, of course) if they really want to sell. That’s what you’ll need to do when you’re inspecting a house before you buy it, because you’ll have to be entirely sure that there’s enough storage. You can find a beautiful house with all the rooms you want and in the ideal location, but if there’s not enough storage, you might have to think again. That can be an absolute deal-breaker for some people, whereas for others, they’ll be happy to pay for more storage to be put in - if that’s possible. You’ll need to decide for yourself, but unless you know in advance, you won’t get that chance.
Is It Energy Efficient?
How energy efficient a property is can really make a big difference as to whether or not it’s a good deal - it might be that its energy efficiency rating is really low, and it’s going to take a lot of work (new insulation, new windows and doors, better appliances, and so on) to fix things. In the meantime, it’s going to cost a lot in terms of energy to live there, plus it’s bad for the environment. On the other hand, an energy-efficient home will cost you less, and you might even be happier to pay more for it initially - find out and you can make the right choice for you.
