Viewing a potential new home is exciting, but many buyers and renters get caught up in the decor and the layout and ignore some potential red flags that may mean they’ll regret their choice a few months down the line.
Property expert, Jamie Williams, from Pure Property Finance, published five mistakes to avoid when looking at potential homes.
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Forgetting to check the mobile signal
“There is nothing worse than moving into a new house, especially if you’re working from home, if you can’t make any calls or use your laptop at an appropriate speed.
“Most phone websites now have a software where you can enter your postcode and it’ll tell you how well the coverage will be, before you commit to signing any sort of contract.
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“This is something you need to check beforehand especially if you’re loyal to one specific network or you’re stuck in a phone contract for another year or two.”
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Not noticing the noise levels
“If you’re interested in a property and you’re close to signing on the dotted line, then take a drive by at different times of the day first.
“If you’re someone that doesn’t like the loud noises at night, take a late night drive to see if there are any neighbourhood parties that go on that may irritate you.
“You don’t want to move in just for a few weeks down the line, you find yourself not being able to settle at night because there are some loud events taking place outside your window.”
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Not checking for damp and mould
“Damp can be pretty hard to get rid of, and when you get rid of it, there may be an underlying problem that can be pretty costly to fix.
“Check behind furniture, near the windows and in the corners of your ceilings.
“Homeowners may be tactically placing furniture around the room to hide any damp that could sway you away from purchasing their property.”
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Neglecting to check for natural light
“Light is known to affect the overall mood and even how large and spacious a place can feel.
“Plus, on a hot day, you’ll want the sun to shine through to decrease any heating bills.
“Take a look at which ways the windows face and how much daylight is in each room and any blockers such as trees that may come from outside.”
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Forgeting to check storage space
“If you’re noting a lot of objects around the house that you think should be in some sort of cupboard, then you need to ask yourself, is there enough storage here?
“Having things such as shoe racks out of cupboards and coats on the backs of doors can be a sign of not having enough storage space.”
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Choosing a location without doing your homework
“If you’re new to a town and city completely and you don’t have much information on the area, then it would be good to join the local community groups on Facebook to get a rough feel.
“Are people talking about cars being stolen? Are people talking about gangs late at night? I’m also sure that neighbours wouldn’t mind if you knocked on their doors to ask a couple of questions, although keep in mind that they might be bias towards the area.”
