4 Things To Check Before Buying A Property To Renovate
With house prices on the rise, so many people are struggling to find the money to buy a new home. New
build properties are simply out of the question for a lot of people and instead, they’re buying older
properties and renovating them. You can save yourself quite a lot of money if you’re willing to put the
work in and you can do a lot of it yourself without having to pay contractors. A lot of people prefer older
properties anyway because they tend to be a bit more unique than new builds and they have a bit more
character.
build properties are simply out of the question for a lot of people and instead, they’re buying older
properties and renovating them. You can save yourself quite a lot of money if you’re willing to put the
work in and you can do a lot of it yourself without having to pay contractors. A lot of people prefer older
properties anyway because they tend to be a bit more unique than new builds and they have a bit more
character.
However, taking on a big renovation project like this is tough and if you aren’t fully prepared, you might
find yourself in a difficult situation. A lot of the cosmetic issues with older properties are fairly easy to
deal with and you can either do the work yourself or, if you decide to pay somebody, it shouldn’t be too
expensive. But if you buy a property that has some severe maintenance issues that need to be dealt
with before you can move in, you might find that you aren’t saving any money at all and you are in fact
spending way more than you can afford to on this house.
find yourself in a difficult situation. A lot of the cosmetic issues with older properties are fairly easy to
deal with and you can either do the work yourself or, if you decide to pay somebody, it shouldn’t be too
expensive. But if you buy a property that has some severe maintenance issues that need to be dealt
with before you can move in, you might find that you aren’t saving any money at all and you are in fact
spending way more than you can afford to on this house.
If you want to avoid this situation, you need to make sure that you buy the right house and you check for
any big problems before you sign the paperwork. These are the things you need to look out for when
you’re viewing a renovation property.
any big problems before you sign the paperwork. These are the things you need to look out for when
you’re viewing a renovation property.
Structural Issues
If you take on a house with structural issues, it’s going to be so expensive to fix and you won’t be able to
move into the house until you do. There are a few ways to tell if there are structural issues with the
house when you are looking around. The most obvious thing to look out for is uneven floors. If the floors
slope downward toward one side of the house, that’s a big red flag and you should think twice about
buying the house.
move into the house until you do. There are a few ways to tell if there are structural issues with the
house when you are looking around. The most obvious thing to look out for is uneven floors. If the floors
slope downward toward one side of the house, that’s a big red flag and you should think twice about
buying the house.
Cracks in the wall can also indicate that there could be problems with the foundations of the house. If
there are some small cracks around windows, that’s probably normal wear and tear, however, if you’ve got large cracks down the walls or on the floor of the house then that is a bad sign.
there are some small cracks around windows, that’s probably normal wear and tear, however, if you’ve got large cracks down the walls or on the floor of the house then that is a bad sign.
You should also check all of the doors and windows in the house while you’re there because if the
foundations of the house are damaged, they will often get stuck. In an old property, it’s normal for a few
of the doors to get stuck and it’s probably just a case of sanding down the edges or adjusting the hinges.
But if all of the doors and windows in the house are sticking, you should ask about foundation issues.
foundations of the house are damaged, they will often get stuck. In an old property, it’s normal for a few
of the doors to get stuck and it’s probably just a case of sanding down the edges or adjusting the hinges.
But if all of the doors and windows in the house are sticking, you should ask about foundation issues.
More obvious signs include bowed walls, a collapsing chimney, and large gaps between the windows
and the walls. If you see any of these signs when you’re viewing the house, you shouldn’t buy it.
and the walls. If you see any of these signs when you’re viewing the house, you shouldn’t buy it.
Roof Damage
Roof damage is such a huge problem and it can be fairly expensive to fix if it is severe. A lot of people
get caught out because they view the house in the spring and summer and then they move in, only to
find that the roof starts leaking when the winter rolls around. If you have a damaged roof and it leaks,
you’ll end up with a lot of flood and water damage to your home which you will need to repair on top of
fixing the roof. Even if the leak is a lot smaller and you don’t have large amounts of water leaking into the
home, you’ll still have problems with damp that spread throughout the house. Damp is a real pain
because once it takes hold, it’s very expensive and invasive to fix properly.
get caught out because they view the house in the spring and summer and then they move in, only to
find that the roof starts leaking when the winter rolls around. If you have a damaged roof and it leaks,
you’ll end up with a lot of flood and water damage to your home which you will need to repair on top of
fixing the roof. Even if the leak is a lot smaller and you don’t have large amounts of water leaking into the
home, you’ll still have problems with damp that spread throughout the house. Damp is a real pain
because once it takes hold, it’s very expensive and invasive to fix properly.
Whenever you look around a property, you need to check over the roof properly and see whether there
is any damage there. If you find roof damage, it doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t buy the house,
it depends on how bad the damage is. If it’s only minimal, it won’t be that expensive to fix and it’s not a
problem. However, if there is some serious damage and it’s going to be very difficult to fix, there is a
chance that the whole roof is going to need replacing and that’s when you should think twice about
buying the place.
is any damage there. If you find roof damage, it doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t buy the house,
it depends on how bad the damage is. If it’s only minimal, it won’t be that expensive to fix and it’s not a
problem. However, if there is some serious damage and it’s going to be very difficult to fix, there is a
chance that the whole roof is going to need replacing and that’s when you should think twice about
buying the place.
Electrics
Older properties often have very outdated wiring in them and that’s something that you should check.
Older wiring doesn’t have the capacity to run lots of modern appliances and you’ll find that it’s likely to
cut out if you plug too many things in at once. It can also be quite dangerous compared to modern wiring
so the house isn’t really liveable if the wiring is all outdated. You should check this before you buy
because replacing the wiring in the whole house is going to be very expensive and time consuming.
You’ll often find that the previous owners have already done a lot of this work so if it’s just a small amount
of work that needs doing you should be fine but if none of the electrics have been updated, it’s too much
work to take on.
Older wiring doesn’t have the capacity to run lots of modern appliances and you’ll find that it’s likely to
cut out if you plug too many things in at once. It can also be quite dangerous compared to modern wiring
so the house isn’t really liveable if the wiring is all outdated. You should check this before you buy
because replacing the wiring in the whole house is going to be very expensive and time consuming.
You’ll often find that the previous owners have already done a lot of this work so if it’s just a small amount
of work that needs doing you should be fine but if none of the electrics have been updated, it’s too much
work to take on.
Exterior Damage
The exterior of the home is likely to have some damage if the home is older, but it’s important that you
check how bad it is. Looking after the exterior is important because it protects the inside of your home
and if you have damage to the outside, you’re likely to get leaks or drafts in the house. If it just needs
a fresh coat of paint, for example, that’s nothing to worry about. But if it’s got a lot of big cracks in the
exterior walls, that will be more difficult to fix. You should check the windows as well, especially if they’re
the old wooden ones. Small cracks are fine but if all of the window frames are rotting, that’s a big task to
take on because they will all need replacing.
check how bad it is. Looking after the exterior is important because it protects the inside of your home
and if you have damage to the outside, you’re likely to get leaks or drafts in the house. If it just needs
a fresh coat of paint, for example, that’s nothing to worry about. But if it’s got a lot of big cracks in the
exterior walls, that will be more difficult to fix. You should check the windows as well, especially if they’re
the old wooden ones. Small cracks are fine but if all of the window frames are rotting, that’s a big task to
take on because they will all need replacing.
Before you buy a renovation property, you need to check for all of these things, otherwise, you might
take on a project that you can’t handle.
take on a project that you can’t handle.
