Buying a new house is the dream of many people, however, turning that dream into a reality is often quite difficult. With many aspects to factor in, one can easily get lost in the detail and up purchasing a new abode that will be anything other than a sweet home. To save you a trip down the “What If” memory lane, what follows is a break down of the essentials that should be your guiding light.

1) Start with the roof

Right off the bat, you should straight away take a good look at how the exterior pans out particularly the roof. A dilapidated one will undoubtedly cost you more money while a relatively newer structure, conversely, will save you a couple of bucks and will also result in lower insurance rates. A sturdy roof also means better protection against the elements and alleviation of potential claims that come with weather disasters.

2) Look beyond the paint job

Do not be swayed by the beautiful façade of freshly painted walls or alluring décor rather look past the aesthetics and into the structural layout e.g. loose wires, deteriorating appliances and wall integrity among others. That’s not to say that the visual appeal of a house doesn’t matter, because it does, but the foundation aspects of the house take first priority.

3) Check the heating conditions

What you see is often what you get with a new house so if it looks like its best days are behind it, then that’s probably the case. And this goes for cooling and heating systems as well which are costly to repair or replace while inefficient ones will attract eye-watering bills at the end of the month. Therefore, ensure every such system is in optimal working condition and still has a couple of years of service still left in them.

4) Determine your specific needs

What is your definition of the ideal home? Are you looking for a house that affords extra space for your book collection or a vast backyard to hold barbecuing get-togethers? Or are you in need of one with an extra bedroom for the guests or kids? Whatever it is that drives your search, be sure to keep that in mind as well as any possible deal breakers.

5) Don’t just smell the roses, smell everything else too

How is the gas or sewage situation like? If you can get a whiff of pungent orders, then that’s sufficient indication that something is amiss. However, not all the time can you literally smell problems where they lie and it might be best to have a professional plumbing company take a look at the sewage systems in order to identify any structural damage or clogging.

6) Get a home inspection done

It’s important that you also get a second opinion from a professional point of view through a home inspection. Your senses aren’t as adept at picking out structural flaws as home inspectors who have years of experience under their belt and can sniff out problems that the untrained eye can easily miss.

Lastly, you really need to be hands-on when double checking that everything is in working order. Leave no light/faucet unturned, no door/window unopened and no toilet unflushed; be thorough and scour every last corner of the house to identify where potential issues lie so that an affordable solution can be agreed upon.