18 Per Cent Fail To Check Central Heating In New Home
It’s important to conduct a thorough survey when viewing a property. Done correctly, it can save you two essential elements of the entire house purchasing process: time and money.
A new survey by comparethemarket.com has revealed the important things that buyers are most likely to miss when viewing a new house, and the cost of putting it right, reports Property Wire.
An analysis of the results shows that 77 per cent of Brits have spotted a fault after completing a purchase and moving in, with the most common missed things including:
1. Damp or mould (24 per cent)
2. Poor electrics (22 per cent)
3. Poor plumbing (20 per cent)
4. Cosmetic issues with walls/ceilings/internal fixings (19 per cent)
5. Poor or no central heating (18 per cent)
The list also included not enough or inconvenient plug sockets (17 per cent), poor water pressure (17 per cent), and lack of sunlight in the garden (15 per cent).
It can cost homeowners a vast sum to rectify the problems. The average cost of putting them right is £4,936.37, and 4 per cent of respondents to the survey have spent between £15,000 and £20,000 and a further 4 per cent have shelled out over £20,000.
The results of the survey show how important it is to conduct a thorough check of a property before buying it, however, 13 per cent of Brits do not feel comfortable doing these checks during a house viewing.
Those who are comfortable about checking are likely to investigate the following:
Inspecting windows and window frames (31 per cent)
Asking how much utility/council tax bills are (31 per cent)
Opening and checking cupboards (31 per cent)
Checking walls for damp (30 per cent)
Asking about the neighbours (29 per cent)
In comparison, the least likely things to be checked include lifting rugs (22 per cent), moving furniture to check underneath it (19 per cent) and videoing the viewing (9 per cent).
The survey took in the opinions of both first-time and experienced buyers and found notable differences between the two. 84 per cent of first-time buyers claimed they spotted faults during their house viewing, but just 67 per cent of experienced buyers said the same.
The results seem to suggest that first-time buyers are more likely to move furniture and rugs, and look for things on and beneath the surface, while experienced buyers will ask questions concerning bills and checking for issues that could cause problems further down the line.
It will be little surprise to discover that 37 per cent of experienced buyers spend under £1,000 on fixing any problems when they move it, but for first-time buyers, it is just 22 per cent who found they needed to spend this amount.
The housing market has remained open during the lockdown, and buyers are rushing to complete their purchases to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday. But potential savings of up to £15,000 will not go far if they move in to discover they are living in a cold house and need to replace their central heating.
If you’re looking for central heating installation in Hull, then get in touch today.