A home buyers guide Part 1

A guide to property buying…

Part One

Home buying tips - Our Principal Matthew Harris takes you on walk through of how to assess a property you’re looking to buy

Looking at purchasing a property? Here are Matt’s top home buying tips to avoid some common pitfalls

“One of the biggest problems in today’s property market is the lack of housing stock out there and one of the many issues that our clients are coming across, is going out there, finding the house of their dreams, going through the application process and then finding 5, 6, 7 weeks down the line when they have their survey, that the property needs more work than they thought it did”

Start your viewing by crossing the road and viewing the property from across the street. This will afford you a better view and allow you to compare the condition of properties similar to the one you’re considering buying.

1. Inspect the roof line/apex - check for bowing or undulation

The Apex (excluding any chimney stack) is the highest point of your roof and generally runs the length of the property. Your Roof Joists also known as Rafters, connect to the Apex and span down to the wall plate that sits atop your outer walls. Purlins also form part of the roof structure and run parallel to the wall plate, supporting the roof further up by resting on the gable end and or party walls. See Video at 00:50 for more details

2. Look for bowing in the roof itself

A roof structure is designed to support up to a certain weight. Over time however roofs and in particular the roof joists and purlins can experience bowing due to the weight put upon them or the altering of the timber due to age and conditions. A common factor of roof bowing is often caused by older lighter tiles being replaced by heavier ones putting additional strain on the roof structure. See Video at 01:05 for more details

3. Inspect the guttering

Effective guttering should take rain fall from the roof safely away from the property to a drain at ground level. Poorly fitting guttering can allow water to penetrate brickwork and cause damp and other issues. The gutter-line is any length of gutter that has a start point and an end point at a down-pipe (the part that takes the water to a lower level or to ground level). A gutter-line should have a gradual and consistent fall (The standard rain gutter slope is half of an inch for every 10 feet). Take a look at the guttering both from across the street and directly underneath. In particular look to see that there are no brackets or supports missing from the gutter-line, look to identify any breaks or gaps in the guttering were leaks can occur. From beneath, check to see that you cannot see daylight, as this will likely mean the guttering is not catching all of the rainwater that runs off your roof. See Video at 01:49 for more details

4. Identify the presence of, or lack of a Damp Proof Course

A Damp Proof Course (DPC) can come in a number of forms. The damp proof course is usually about 3 or more bricks high (Good practice suggests that this should be no less than 150mm above ground level). Slate was commonly used in the past, but more commonly now you will see a Damp Proof membrane (a thin layer of plastic embedded in the cement between brick courses) or evidence of Damp Proof Injections (where brickwork has been drilled at specific intervals and injected with a cream or gel and plugged by small rubber bungs). A damp proof course acts as barrier to stop moisture from rising from the ground above the DPC. See Video at 02:12 for more details

5. Inspect windows and doors

Windows and doors will almost certainly need replacing/upgrading over time. Identifying if yours will need replacing in the near future can avoid unexpected costs in the near term after buying the property. Look for simple things like sticking, fogging, rot, deterioration and ask questions about their age and installation. See Video at 03:38 for more details

Continue to Part 2 of this Blog or view Matt’s full home buying tips video by clicking here.