Essential checks when buying a home

A viewing can tell you whether a home feels right, is in a great location for you or your family, but it cannot confirm the property's condition, legal title or likely running costs. The safest approach is to combine your own observations with an independent survey, your solicitor's legal checks and specialist advice where a concern is identified.

What should you check before buying a home?

Check the building, services, documents, legal position and surrounding area. Visit more than once if possible, including at a different time of day, and write down questions rather than relying on memory.

1. Look closely at the outside

• View the roof from ground level for missing or uneven tiles or slates, damaged flashing and visibly sagging areas.
• Look for overflowing gutters, leaking downpipes, staining and ground levels that may direct water towards the building.
• Check walls for significant cracks, bulging, loose render, deteriorated pointing or recently covered areas that deserve explanation.
• Inspect windows, external doors, chimneys, retaining walls, outbuildings and visible boundaries.
• Ask who owns and maintains shared lanes, walls, drains and access areas.

2. Check for damp, condensation and water damage

• Look and smell for mould, mustiness, staining, peeling finishes and damaged skirting.
• Check around windows, chimney breasts, external wall corners, bathrooms and beneath accessible sinks.
• Ask about previous leaks, flooding, damp treatment and insurance claims.
• Do not assume every damp reading has the same cause; persistent moisture may require a suitably qualified inspection.

3. Inspect the roof space and ventilation

If access is safe and permitted, look for signs of water entry, damaged timbers, condensation, compressed or patchy insulation and poorly supported alterations. Check that bathrooms and kitchens have effective extract ventilation and that permanent vents have not been blocked.

4. Understand the heating, hot water and utilities

• Identify the heating fuel and system type, approximate age, controls and available service history.
• Check the visible condition and location of the boiler, hot water cylinder, radiators, oil tank or other major equipment.
• Ask whether the home has mains water and sewerage. For private water or drainage, establish the system, location, maintenance history, permissions and shared responsibilities.
• Ask about water pressure, recurring blockages, power cuts and typical energy use.
• Note the consumer unit and visible electrical condition, but rely on a competent electrician for electrical inspection or testing.

5. Commission the right survey

A mortgage valuation is prepared primarily for the lender and is not a detailed condition survey for you. After your offer is accepted, commission an independent survey appropriate to the property's age, construction, condition and alterations.

A conventional home in reasonable condition may suit a RICS Level 2 Home Survey. An older, extended, unusual, visibly defective or heavily renovated property may justify a more detailed Level 3 survey. Explain your concerns and planned work to the surveyor before agreeing the scope.

6. Ask your solicitor to check the legal position

Your solicitor should investigate the title and relevant searches. Discuss the property's boundaries, access, rights of way, shared areas, covenants, easements or wayleaves, ground rent where applicable and any issue that could restrict how you use or alter the home.

Ask specifically about extensions, loft conversions, garages, structural alterations, replacement windows, septic systems and other work. Planning permission and Building Regulations approval are separate matters; your solicitor can advise what evidence should exist and what further enquiries are needed.

7. Check energy performance and likely running costs

• Review the Energy Performance Certificate, its assumptions and recommended improvements.
• Ask for recent energy bills where the seller is willing to provide them, while allowing for differences in household size and habits.
• Check insulation, glazing, heating controls and ventilation rather than relying on the headline EPC rating alone.
• Estimate rates, insurance, fuel, servicing and immediate maintenance alongside the mortgage payment.

8. Investigate the location and environmental risks

• Visit at different times to assess traffic, parking, noise, lighting and activity nearby.
• Check government flood mapping and ask your solicitor about searches relevant to the location.
• Test mobile coverage and investigate actual broadband availability for the address.
• Consider road access, public transport, schools, services and any nearby development or planning proposal that matters to you.
• Obtain an insurance quotation before you are committed, especially if flooding, subsidence or a non-standard construction is a concern.

9. Request the home's important records

Ask for the EPC, heating service history, electrical or safety reports, guarantees, warranties, planning and Building Regulations documents, manuals, invoices for major work and information about renewable energy systems. Treat documents as evidence to be reviewed, not a substitute for your solicitor's or surveyor's checks.

10. Turn findings into decisions

1. List defects, missing information and unanswered questions.
2. Ask the surveyor to explain significant findings and limitations.
3. Obtain specialist reports or repair estimates where recommended.
4. Send legal and title questions to your solicitor.
5. Assess urgency, likely cost and uncertainty before deciding whether to proceed or revisit the price.

No checklist removes every risk. Its purpose is to expose the issues that deserve professional investigation before you become responsible for the home.