What to inspect when inspecting homes for sale
So you’ve done your first round of research (using last weeks guide ‘How to check if you should buy the house before leaving yours’) and decided to venture out of your house to inspect theirs! Hooray, activities!
Hand sanitiser at the ready, you’ve arrived at the property… but what should you really be looking for?
Streetscape
Before heading inside, hang out and have a wander down the street. There is nothing worse than moving into your dream home only to find you’ve bought the best house on the worst street - Capital growth suicide! We all know location is super important, and a wide tree-lined street never goes out of style.
We try to steer clear of purchasing property on bus routes, mainly because of the noise factor, though the change in traffic conditions and effect on-street parking can be less than ideal…. so check for nearby bus stops!
Are there a number of speed humps in the street? This can be an indication that drivers have a history of hooning past your front door. Though the council has put measures in place at some stage to help slow them down, it can cause a new set of issues… squeaky breaks at bedtime anyone?
Check out the other properties in the street, are you surrounded by large apartment blocks? Have most of the old homes been knocked down and replaced with two mediocre townhouses? And are they generally well maintained? Or perhaps it’s quite obvious that you have a few transient share houses nearby…
These are all good things to take note of when deciding if it’s the right spot for you.
Neighbouring properties
Given most properties have been heavily made up for market, the neighbour’s house can give insight into things that have been airbrushed away on the property for sale. You may find that the neighbour has an aversion to the lawnmower and a penchant for collecting used car parts… but more importantly, have a closer look at the structural integrity of neighbouring houses. Particularly if you are looking at a semi or attached house. In the early stages of inspection, you can check for some obvious indicators that the structure may be compromised in some way. Wonky roof lines and a large number of deep external cracks can indicate a deeper issue, like way deep down in the foundations which can be an expensive rabbit hole to dive into. Of course, should you wish to pursue the property we would always recommend a building inspection by a professional when it gets down to crunch time.
Property Exterior
Orientation; In Melbourne, you want as much access to Northern light as possible. So when we talk about which direction the property faces, we are not referring to the front door… we are talking backyard and living areas. In what we would consider an A-Grade property, your living zones would ideally open up to your outdoor area which would be north-facing, filling your home with sunlight all day/year long!
Check the access for any advertised ‘off-street parking’, even though it has been advertised our creative cousins in the sales world may be expecting you to trade your current ride for a smart car with wings to get into it! This may mean you need to ask the agent to open up the back gate so you can see the laneway/rear access, have a look at the turning circle, check the width of the lane, access points etc to ensure it is going to work for you. Also ensure you see a crossover if the parking is at the front of the property, where there is no crossover, there is no council approval for said parking! And the council may make you reinstate any fence that has been illegally removed.
Property Interior
Floor plan - ahhhh the floor plan, it is the first thing we look at after location. Where glossy photos and lust-worthy styling can lure you into ignoring the fact the second bedroom is more of a glorified closet… A floor plan don’t lie. Even if you were thinking you wouldn’t mind dipping your toe in the DIY pond and getting stuck into some minor cosmetic work, when you’re looking at a cute little bathroom at the rear of the property, accessed off the kitchen, and the only access to the outdoor area is through a bedroom or laundry? You’re basically talking gut job/knockdown if you want to actually add value with your reno. Purchasing a property with a central bathroom, living leading directly to the outdoor area and an open plan kitchen will make your life A LOT easier in the long run.
Of course, there are countless other highly important things to look for when inspecting property, but we can’t give ALL our secrets away!!
Happy inspecting... you never know we might see you out there! From a safe distance of course.
By Sam Davenport