Check to see if it has Chancel liability
if so take a taxi in the opposite direction
also check the drainage
older terraced houses often have shared drains running behind them, they are too small and clog easily, especially if modern things like washing machines are used, trees and plants cause them to move, and you are liable for 70 percent of the next door house, 60 percent of the next one 50 of the next one and so on !!
if the shared drains run along the front, in the gardens, you will find one or two neighbours have removed the gardens to park their SUVs and fat people carriers, guess what that does to the drains ?? and you are liable for that
also check the incoming electrical supply cable, either overhead and cleated along the walls, or below ground and likely to be paper insulated, oil filled, sheathed with lead, and bitumen wrapped, in many older properties the maximum load it can supply is 40 amps, it will also need an external earth electrode as they are mainly TT systems
so if you want electric showers, cookers, and modern things, you will need to contact the supply authority and make a request, you may have to wait until the supply network is upgraded, also in many older properties the cut out and meter are next to the front door, if you want to re locate it, you need to make arrangements and put your hand in your pocket
check the water supply pipes, if they are lead, the frontage is going to need digging up soon to replace them
check the gas supply pipework, likewise it may also be due for replacement
nothing worse than finishing a house, and the supply companies come and dig up the frontage, then stick a big ugly cheap shitty GRP crack and fade cabinet for the meters on the front wall, which you then need to get removed as its listed
the ******* tried that with use, I told them to dig the drive and put it under the stairs where the old one was or dont bother
lazy bastards
check for flooding in the area, older drainage systems cannot cope now that the companies no longer employ skilled men to maintain them
walk around and night, check car parking, noise, smell of drugs, a mate of mine was going to buy a house in Bristol, looked good, till I did a few out of hours checks,the local COMMUNITY used his street for overspill parking for the mosque
the smell of Ganga and the beat of reggae added to the lively back ground, and at 6 am traffic racing into the city made the house vibrate
also avoid buying a house where their are lots of rental properties, or students
they are inclined to be noisy inconsiderate and untidy
we have four rented houses near us, all of the tenants, have massive german cars on Private plates, all of the cars are wrecks, we get idiots turning up at all hours and driving like its the local council estate, vehicles left on footpaths etc, and things being stolen from front gardens
also if you are planning on doing lots of building work, where are the tradesmen going to park ?
will they clean up every day, sweep the footpath and the road clean of nails and junk
( the ones next door to us didnt, pig ignorant they were)
where will you put a skip, are you permitted to place a skip on the highway ( dont forget lights)
what about noise created and the neighbours
we fell out with our neighbours, the builders are slobs, left rubbish everywhere, stuff blew all over the place from the skips, my drive was often blocked, dirt and rubbish everywhere, plus scaffolding on my drive, which they still have not re imbursed me for
again you may need scaffolding
will the neighbours permit it on their land, they can say no
we grudgingly said yes and charged them a small sum for it
building security while scaffold in place
safe working practises and pedestrians protected
if you really fancy buying it employ the services of a proper chartered surveyor, not some muppet with a weeks training and some software ( next door did that)
he will point out all the problems and legal requirements
then employ a RIBA architect to plan and oversee the rebuild, and any extension
again it costs, but much cheaper than having to correct poor workmanship
also when getting quotes for work, they will soon spot the shysters and billy big mouths and know who to choose
buy cheap pay twice
I know some one who purchased a Listed property, she knew everything it seems !
full of herself , turned up in her AUDI Q7 told the builders what she wanted
got the cheapest quotes
purchased materials herself to pervent the builders making a profit on them
what the stuck up moo didnt know about was
lead times
storage
material quality and service life
after 2 years of arguments ( I avoided getting involved at the first meeting by telling her to get stuffed)
the house was sold at a loss
materials were left outside in the rain
materials were stolen by the pikeys
non compatible materials were used
carlite browning on salt glazed bricks
wrong roof tiles
wrong gutters and downpipes
plastic fascia boards and soffits
disaster
went to auction, a proper qualified time served builder purchased it, the house is still empty 3 years later, and is being refurbished when he and the skilled tradesmen can fit it in
its covered with scaffold and a temporary roof at present but once finished will sell for about 3 million
