What to check for when buying a new house

There are many things you need to check when buying a house to ensure your hard earned pennies don't go to waste after saving up to move up the housing ladder. We put together a list to help you with the thought process of making sure you've checked everything before parting with any money and to make sure your dream home doesn't potentially turn into a nightmare buy.

The estate agent will aways turn the lights on to make the house look really bright and airy, but this is not how you will live in the house most of the time so make sure you turn some light off to get a more realistic view of things.

If there is any background noise such as music playing or the TV in the background make sure you ask for these to be turned off so you can experience the house in the quiet and check fro unwanted traffic noise or the sound of trains in the distance.

Baking bread or making coffee is also a really common trick that homeowners use when trying to sell their property, but don't be fooled by this, make sure you put your practical head on and see the property for what it is without these atmospheric enhancers.

You should always accurately measure the rooms and take into account that some rooms may have smaller furniture in them to make the rooms look much larger than they actually are. Make sure that you also check the sizes against the floor plans to account for any discrepancies.

Following on from this, the next thing to check is whether the layout of the house is suitable for your requirements. If you're into cooking does the kitchen fit your requirements? Or is the living room suitable for throwing social gatherings?

Look at the ceilings, roof, walls and windows. Is there any signs of damp on the walls and ceiling or even worse leaks in the roof of the property. Flat roofs tend to be more prone to repair so it may be worth asking a roofing expert such as Pro-Dec Roofing to assess the health of the property.

What's the mobile phone reception like? It may sound like a strange tip, but most people are extremely reliant on their phone these days and if there's no reception it can be extremely annoying.

Check whether there is running hot water in the property. If there isn't this may be a sign that the boiler isn't working effectively.

Check whether the walls are flat and free from ripples and that there are no cracks. Small hairline cracks are probably nothing to worry about, but larger cracks may be a telltale sign of subsidence and bumpy walls could indicate problems with damp.