Situational Snags to Check for Before Buying Your New Home

If you've found a suitable-looking property for your new home, you'll need to check out its situation and surroundings before reaching a final decision on it. There are all sorts of potential snags to look out for, and it can be hard to think of them all, so here is a general checklist to refer to.

Noise

Wander around outside, preferably on more than one occasion and at different times of day, to assess the level of background noise. There might be intermittent disturbance from traffic, trains or a nearby factory, for instance. Neighbors can also be noisy; you might not want to live next door to barking dogs, noisy children or bikers, for instance. You can expect a little background noise, especially in an urban area, but it will need to be of a type and level you can live with.

Public view

 Is the property overlooked by tall or closely positioned buildings, or by a busy street? If so, will this affect your privacy? These are questions you'll need to consider if privacy is important to you. Some people use net curtains or blinds to prevent strangers looking in, but windows are for letting in the daylight and providing a view, so you'll want to avoid such measures if you can.

Smell

Check whether the property is near a place that emits a strong smell, such as a restaurant, factory or farm. Some aromas may be inoffensive, or even pleasant, but less appealing ones could become intolerable over time.  Again, check at different times of day. A restaurant might smell tempting at lunchtime, when delicious food is being served, but less so at the cooking stage, while the extractor fan is on, and afterwards, when the refuse bins are put outside. Even beautiful countryside may have unpleasant odors. Farm stock can produce a stench, for instance, as can fertilizers.

Garbage

 Have a look around to see how clean and tidy the neighborhood looks. If the streets are strewn with litter or dog mess, you might want to look elsewhere for a property. Revisit the streets at different times and on different days, to see if there is any variation. If there's a night club or cinema complex nearby, for instance, it may draw crowds on Saturday nights, resulting in messy streets on Sundays.

Disturbance

Frequent disturbances can be hard to live with. If your home is situated near a school, gas station or supermarket, or any place where people and vehicles are constantly coming and going, the daily disturbance could get on your nerves. Perhaps some major building work is in progress across the street, in which case, consider whether it's likely to continue for months or even longer, and how it might affect you. Take note of all potential disturbances in the area, and assess their long term impact on your peace.

Inconvenience

If you travel to work by public transport, you'll want a bus stop or train station nearby. If you drive to work, you may wish to be near a particular highway or junction. You may have young children, or a family member with a mobility problem, in which case steep hills and steps could be problematic. Consider the logistics of living your daily life in this particular place. What are the local amenities like? Check the distance to the nearest shops, park and restaurant, and any other facilities you're likely to need.

Natural hazards

No one can accurately predict the weather for the long term future, but you can find out whether a property is in an area susceptible to extreme weather hazards, such as high winds or flooding. If you know of any such problems in the region, ask local residents whether this particular part of it has been affected recently.  

Building plans

Check whether there are any building plans for the area, or ask your solicitor to make inquiries for you. You wouldn't want to find a multi-story car park or tower block rising up in front of your windows, six months after moving in.

You may have other environmental concerns to consider, so allow time to investigate them all thoroughly before making an offer on the house of your dreams. If no major drawbacks are revealed, you can go ahead with extra confidence, knowing all is clear.