Your Compete Property Buying Guide 8 INSPECTING PROPERTIES Take advantage of an open home and use the time to performa thorough property inspection. Later on, you’ll want to engage the services of a professional to inspect the building’s structure, but it’s a good idea to use your initial tour of the home to perform your own inspection. So what should you really be focusing on in an open home? The dwelling’s structure When inspecting a property, chances are the current owners are going to present the interior of the property in the best possible light. They will have cleaned and tidied, perhaps they have added a new coat of paint, or even had the home styled with beautiful furniture. Whilst these things will help you to appreciate what the home could look like for you, at this stage, it’s more important to focus on the structure of the dwelling. Things to look for: • Poor construction. Windows and doors that jar, or cracks in the walls around doors and windows may be signs of poor construction. • Leaky building. Cracks and splits in the cladding or joints, moisture staining or other visible water damage, musty smells, efflorescence (a white chalky substance) at junctions or cracks, mould, moss or colour degradation, blistering or fading paintwork and bubbling or peeling wallpaper. • Condensation. Wet spots on walls or ceilings can lead tomould build-up, timber decay, leaks, corrosion and even loss of structural integrity. • Shifting building. Some small cracks in a home’s foundation can be harmless, but large cracks either running down the foundation or across couldmean a home is shifting, whichmay cause significant structural damage over time. If you’re not entirely sure if what you’re seeing is cause for concern, and you are interested in the property, enlist the services of a qualified building inspector. The neighbours If you’ve got to the stage where you’re inspecting the property, then you probably know a bit about the neighbourhood you’re looking in. What about the neighbours? Take a look at the properties on each adjoining border of the property for any clues. • Are the neighbours’ yards neat and tidy? It might not directly impact on the property you’re considering, but what about when it comes time to sell the property? Would untidy yards next to yours reflect poorly on the area? • Do they have pets? It might not be an issue, particularly if you have pets of your own, but look for problempets. • Is a neighbour’s dog barking non-stop during the inspection? Are animals loose or roaming? Is there evidence of pet damage to shared fences or common areas? • Do you have a comfortable level of privacy? Take a look at different angles around the home, particularly on smaller allotments or apartments.
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