A first-time home purchase may be a thrilling and life-changing event. Owning your own house not only represents one of the most significant financial investments of your life, but it also firmly establishes you as an adult in every sense of the word.
The passage of time alone qualifies a person as an adult; nevertheless, the choices they make after they are an adult can shape who they become in their adulthood. One of those occasions is when you finally have your own place. It is not a decision that should be made on a whim or if there is the slightest bit of uncertainty about it; the responsibility of purchasing your first house and keeping up with the mortgage payments is enormous.
Before you put your name on the dotted line, you need to go into this procedure with your eyes wide open and have a complete understanding of what you are getting yourself into. Nobody likes to find out after purchasing their first house that it comes with a few unpleasant shocks that they were not expecting.
Exterior
Look at the exterior of the building before going inside so that you get an idea of what the interior will be like. Examine the brickwork for any cracks, since these might be an indication of a more significant problem such as sinking. Give everything a thorough inspection—you may even touch the walls if you want—and see if there is anything obvious that stands out as something that might turn out to be a problem later on.
The next step is to raise both your eyes and your focus to look towards the ceiling of the room. Do any obvious problems jump out at you? Holes? Do you have trouble with the guttering?
Plumbing.
If you are serious about buying the house, checking the plumbing is usually a big part of the due diligence process. Instead of only turning the taps on and off, you should truly get your hands dirty and inspect all areas of the plumbing. From checking for leaks and/or mould around pipes to turning on the boiler and determining its age and the condition of repair it is in, there are a variety of things that need to be done. The last thing you want to have to do is get plumbers in as soon as you move in, so check thoroughly.
While you are there looking at the plumbing, have a look at the radiators as well. Do they function in the way that they should? Do you need to replace them, or can you cure any aesthetic faults with a little bit of TLC? In the event that you are already intending to replace them, this will not be an issue. Nonetheless, having the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your home will be appropriately heated over the cooler months may be a significant mental relief.
Mouldy and wet conditions.
When it comes to detecting dampness and mould, you should make use of your senses. Examine the walls for any telltale evidence, such as stains or markings caused by water, or even drops of water. The fact that something that should not be wet is really wet is a very strong indicator that something is not as it should be.
The most important lesson to learn from purchasing your first house is to not be hesitant to inquire further. After all, if you go ahead and make the purchase, any problems that you are unaware of will be your responsibility to fix, and this is when things may get really pricey for you.