Things to Look Out for When Inspecting Your Newly Purchased or Renovated Home

Whether you’ve recently renovated your home or are thinking about purchasing an older or sub-sale home, it’s a good idea to inspect it for quality. When checking your newly remodelled house, there are several important aspects to look for to ensure that the renovation was done professionally to meet your needs.

We recommend hiring a Professional Building Surveyor who can perform a thorough, professional inspection. If you choose not to or want to do a preliminary inspection, here are some things to look out for:

• Start With the Surface

Look at the walls and floors and see if there are cracks, unlevelled surfaces, or yellowed or damp stains for signs of water damage. While a crack or unlevelled surface might seem minor, it might be telling of a bigger structural problem. Be sure to check with your contractor or interior designer on the cause of the problem.

Tap the tiles on the floor to see if its hollow, as tiles might not be laid properly. If the house has parquet floors, look out for water damage, as such floors are sensitive to water and might require re-flooring.

Are there gaps in your window seals, between counters and walls, and between bathroom tiles? Also, ensure that light switches are laid flush against the walls without gaps or angles. Gaps or unlevelled corners might indicate rushed or poor-quality work.

• Pay Attention to Plumbing

Turn on the taps in the kitchen and bathrooms to check if the heater and water pressure are satisfactory. Test the draining by turning the tap to maximum flow and see that water drains easily without slowing down or backing up. Similarly, pour a large bucket of water down the shower and bathtub drains to test water flow.

If you notice sewage or funky smells in the bathroom or kitchen, the plumbing system might be old or ill-maintained. Make sure to discuss this with the seller or with your home interior professional.

Switch all lights and appliances on and off to ensure they work properly. Unless specifically discussed before the renovation, most lights should have their own switches so as not to overload the system.

Open and close the doors and windows to see if they function well. Unlevelled doors and windows, or ones that don’t open and close properly, might indicate larger structural problems.

Open all the cabinet drawers to see that they don’t hit each other, as that’s a sign of poor design. Also, look for scratches or uneven surfaces.

Beyond surface checks, look into the cabinets under sinks to ensure the pipes don’t look old. Spray-painted plumbing is a tell-tale sign of old pipes.

If you spot any problems or have any concerns during your inspection, make a note of them and address them with the contractor or other professionals participating in the renovation. To ensure that issues are resolved quickly and to your satisfaction, it is important to bring them up as soon as possible.

Get in touch with reputable and experienced professionals here if you need assistance with house modifications or improvements.

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