Buying a new home is unlike any other purchase in you’re ever going to make in your life. It involves quite literally picking up your life and starting anew in a new home, neighborhood, perhaps a city and living standard. It doesn’t matter if you’re buying up or down, regardless of the price you should see the potential home you buy as an investment. Buyers are exposed to massive pressure the selling agent because of the rising demand for homes, which puts a time constraint on almost every property on the market. But rushing a decision can be a detrimental mistake which cannot be rectified easily and can cause irreversible financial harm. So, when you’re looking at a home you’re interested in, take what you see with a pinch of salt. It may not be all that it seems, and looking behind the curtain to see the skeletal health of a property is the laying foundation of a good purchase.
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The heating system A crucial part of buying a home is knowing that it will perform its most basic function of keeping the occupants warm. Moreover, it’s also about being comfortable, so modern homes also have air condition installed as standard for the warmer months. Both systems need to be in full working order, and when you go for a viewing, this test should be high on the checklist. If the home you want has ticked all other boxes, but before you sign on the dotted line you’d rather make sure that all is well under the paint and wallpaper, hire someone for an expert real estate inspection. The heating and cooling system will be checked regarding the piping, electrical hardware, and software that commands this function, and that no leaks are occurring as water moves around the home for the central heating.
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What are the attic and roof like Sometimes an afterthought because the attic isn’t seen as important as the ‘living rooms.’ However it may not be a livable space at the moment, but the importance of an attic is that it should be strong and spacious enough to be used as storage space. The most fragile structure of the home is connected to the attic; the roof. Go into the attic and with your own torch, look for cracks and signs of old age such as mold, rust, erosion and the plates exposing gaps that can let rain and the wind inside the home. Even though the heating system might be fine, the other task is to keep the heat in, and a faulty roof can dissipate the heat inside the home; leading to increased energy bills.
General health When looking around the house, take great notice of the walls, especially at the junctions that meet another wall, the contact with the skirting board and structural support of the roof. What you need to look out for are cracks and paint flaking. These two are the most common signs of an unhealthy or old structure as cracks show withering and softening of the support. Flaking paint is a sign of water damage or mold that has formed inside the wall itself by improper ventilation or a pipe leaking.
