You are standing at one of the biggest decisions of your life, and your heart is on the bright living room, the garden access or the perfect location. But what happens in the first winter after you move in, when odd patches appear on the wall, or it turns out that the electrical system belongs to the early part of the last century? Clients about to buy a property often tell me they were so relieved to have finally found “the one” that they didn’t dare dig any deeper. Yet a fault invisible to the untrained eye can mean a bill running into millions later on.
A fresh coat of paint works wonders – but it also hides faults perfectly. Many people assume that cracks in the walls or mould in the corners are purely cosmetic; a thorough building survey, however, can reveal whether the real cause is settlement, a serious thermal bridge or long-standing water ingress. A professional eye immediately spots the warning signs an enthusiastic buyer glides past, while serious problems may be hiding behind the walls.
What sits inside the walls is no less critical, because today’s households draw a great deal of power with air conditioning, tumble dryers and induction hobs. If an older property still has its original aluminium wiring, renovation is not an option but a matter of removing a danger to life – and the same applies to the water and drainage system, where a hidden burst pipe or the replacement of ageing waste pipes can mean brutal costs and weeks of disruption after you move in. The energy performance certificate, too, should not be treated as a dusty document to be attached to the contract: it shows exactly what to expect from your heating bill in the winter months, and a preliminary assessment reveals at once where the money is escaping.
The price of a property is not made up of square metres alone, but also of the security those walls provide. Before you sign the preliminary contract or hand over a deposit, it is worth having the home you have chosen looked over with an independent, professional eye – which can save you millions and also gives you the peace of mind of knowing you have made the right decision.
Would you like to know whether the property you have set your heart on is really worth what is being asked for it, beneath the surface? Ask for a professional building survey before you buy, and start on solid foundations.
