How to identify the weak points of a private home before purchasing it? First Inspection Guide

Let's get acquainted with the layout

Comfort directly depends on the correct layout of a country house. Housing must be:

Spacious, especially if you are buying a home for a large family.
The living room, hall, and kitchen should “smoothly” flow into each other.
The best option is if there is an arch rather than a door between the living room and the hall.
With several bedrooms (one for each family member plus one guest room).

Carefully examine the technical room for communications - it should be spacious and well-lit.

A convenient and safe staircase between floors is also an important element. Make sure it has reliable fences (railings), because your safety depends on it.

It is advisable to purchase a house with many windows. Natural light is more beneficial for health than artificial light. In addition, in the summer, when natural light constantly enters the rooms, less electrical energy is wasted.

Of course, the site should have a garage for one, or better yet, several cars. It is advisable that it “adjacent” directly to the house - you go down to the first floor and immediately get to your own car. This is especially convenient in winter, when starting a car in the cold is not very convenient or pleasant.

Complete turnkey apartment renovation

Everything is included The cost of repairs includes everything: work, materials, documents.
Without your participation After agreeing on the project, we only bother the owners when the repairs are completed.
The price is known in advance. The cost of repairs is fixed in the contract.
Fixed repair period Turnkey apartment renovation in 3.5 months. The term is fixed in the contract.

There are many offers, but nothing to choose from...

Most buyers today face similar problems. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that in recent years the construction of new cottage villages has practically stopped. And buyers are forced to look for ready-made homes on the secondary market, often with some wear and tear, someone else’s renovations, outdated design and finishing.

Meanwhile, there is always a demand for quality houses, even during a crisis. And such objects “don’t lie dormant.” The same cannot be said about old houses, of which there are many times more. And they are the ones who shape the market picture today. In the Moscow region alone, thousands of cottages and townhouses are put up for sale (and we are talking about ready-made houses, not counting new buildings, apartments, turnkey construction proposals). Even for experienced real estate agents, finding a profitable and sought-after offer on the countryside real estate market today is very difficult.

Naturally, with such a variety of choices, the buyer is simply lost, and physically cannot analyze each object. And here it would be more correct to hire an experienced realtor, but he needs to pay a commission (which most buyers do not want to do). If you decide to look for a home on your own, you should be prepared for the fact that it may take months.

How to speed up this process? Is it even possible to find an option that suits all your “wants”? Are there offers below the market? You will find answers to all these questions in this article.

Checking the roof

When purchasing a cottage or summer house, carefully inspect the condition of the roof. It should not leak, and the roofing material should lie flat. Also check the condition of the drain. The upper edge of the tray laid on it should not reach the edge of the roof.

No belongings of the owners of the building should be stored in the attic or attic. In fact, you'll be lucky if you buy a building when it's raining to ensure there aren't any leaks or the roof needs repairs. It is important that it is insulated, especially if you are going to live in the house all year round. The best roof insulation materials are:

mineral wool – has a relatively inexpensive cost and excellent sound insulation properties;
basalt wool - also has good sound insulation, but it is not hygroscopic;
foam plastic is the cheapest material for roof insulation;
expanded polystyrene - stronger than polystyrene foam, has a lower thermal conductivity coefficient;
Pitched and mansard roofs are treated with polyurethane foam;
ecological wool is an expensive but effective material;
Often houses are insulated using expanded clay.

It is unlikely that you will be able to determine the type of insulation “by eye”; be sure to ask the previous owners about this.

Mortgage: pros and cons

Nowadays, such a pleasure as a mortgage has become available. It would seem quite convenient - you pay fees every month and live comfortably in your apartment, without throwing money away, as is the case with renting. However, not everything is as smooth as it seems.

Firstly, you need to be one hundred percent confident in your solvency. The bank will not be interested in the reasons why its client refused to make the obligatory monthly contribution; they are not interested in everyday problems or illnesses. And since there is no stability in life now, this is a rather risky undertaking.

The second aspect will affect mainly young families. During a divorce, dividing an apartment taken on a mortgage is quite problematic, it is difficult to sell it, and no one needs housing with encumbrances. This is also worth thinking about seriously.

Purchasing your own new home is always a good investment. The most important thing is to approach everything wisely and be able to calculate all the risks so as not to get into a difficult situation.

If you want to read how to buy an apartment through an agency, follow the link.

Inspection of external walls, ceilings and floors

When inspecting the external walls of a building, you should pay attention to such points as:

the presence of cracks (they will only grow over time);
plaster on the walls (under it, most likely, there are the same cracks that will grow);
brick, as well as wooden walls, must be insulated, at least with the help of mineral wool.

Be sure to examine the condition of the internal floors. Pay special attention to the ceiling of the lower floor - if you notice even a slight deflection, this may indicate an insufficient cross-sectional area of the beams, which means that this deflection will increase over time. It will take quite a lot of money to strengthen the floors. Also evaluate the soundproofness of the floors.

Use a level to check the floors are level. It does not matter what kind of flooring the owners used - laminate, parquet, linoleum. If the floors are wooden, make sure they are level and have no cracks or gaps.

It is equally important to check the condition of the foundation. The strength and reliability of the entire structure directly depends on it. It is advisable to contact professional appraisers. They can not only conduct research that concerns the foundation of the building, but also give some advice on how to strengthen it.

Roof and basement

Look into the attic and basement of the house - they will tell you about the true condition of the house as a whole. Check the condition of the roof and beams. Take a closer look to see if there are any smudges or other defects.

The presence of cracks, mold and excess moisture in the basement indicates that the waterproofing is not installed correctly or that groundwater is located too close.

If you notice fresh whitewash or paint in these areas, be wary. Take a closer look to see if there are any traces of spot repairs - perhaps this is the seller’s way of hiding serious flaws.

We pay attention to engineering systems

When checking engineering systems, you need to pay attention to a number of important points:

When inspecting the water supply system, ask the owner for information about the source from which water enters the house - from a well or well. Ask your neighbors what quality it is. Be sure to check all pipes and valves. The water pressure should be acceptable, the taps should be working, and the pipes should be free of rust and leaks.
To make sure that the sewage system is in working order, you need to follow a simple algorithm - first fill the bathtub and drain the accumulated volume of water. This process should take no more than a couple of minutes. If it is more, it is worth thinking about the reliability of the sewer system. In addition, you need to check the condition of the sewer pipes - there should be no accumulation of moisture on them.
The condition of the heating system can only be assessed during the cold season. If you are checking the house in the summer, ask the owners to start the boiler and after about half an hour, touch the radiators - hot water should flow into them stably. By the way, do not forget to check the boiler itself - it must be in good working order and work without interruptions (do not forget to check the valves, the system on and off buttons and the condition of the radiators - they should not leak).
When checking electrical wiring, you should use a device to measure the current strength or simply turn the lights on and off, try to use the maximum number of sockets (charge your phone, for example).
To check the ventilation in a cottage, experts use an anemometer, but you can use a piece of paper - if, when you open a window to receive fresh air, it “sticks” tightly to the ventilation grille, then the system has sufficient draft.

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Taking a closer look at windows and doors

The insulation of slopes is of great importance. The soundproofing of the windows should also be at the level - to check it, you need to close the window openings and listen to whether noise is heard from the street. Naturally, you should make sure that the fittings work flawlessly, otherwise you will have to subsequently change the entire double-glazed windows. When inspecting the doors, pay attention to the absence of any distortions. They should not jam. If the house is built using laminated veneer lumber, it is advisable to use the services of specialists in conducting construction expertise, since such cottages shrink only 2-3 years after construction.

Why is it so difficult to find a cheap home to buy?

There are several reasons for this.

Location

Real estate is therefore called “immovable” because it is tied to a specific site and environment. And no matter how wonderful the house is, and how wonderful its price is, if next to it there is a noisy highway, high-rise buildings, an industrial zone - all this can reduce all its advantages to nothing.

That is why it is so important to determine the location of the future home, study the ecology, air quality, distance from the city and the availability of transport and infrastructure, prospects for development nearby, etc. Today, many buyers also pay attention to the prospects of the place - this greatly affects the cost of the house and its liquidity (the ability to quickly sell a house when the need arises).

The most active development in the Moscow region is currently taking place in the area of New Moscow - where it is planned to create a new “garden city”, with modern roads, improved transport (buses, trams, metro, railways), social and budgetary infrastructure and jobs . Given the pace of construction, there is no doubt that in the next 10 years New Moscow will become one of the most popular places to live, which will lead to rising housing prices.

Another center of country life in the Moscow region has become New Riga (Novorizhskoe Highway). Only, unlike New Moscow, everything here has already been built and everything is functioning, that is, you can live here and now. In addition, Novorizhskoe Highway is (for now) the fastest way to get to Moscow. This is an important factor if you plan to work in the capital.

Obviously, in such locations, land alone can cost millions of rubles. Therefore, if you want to buy a house in the Moscow region in a good location, you should be prepared for the fact that half of its price may be the cost of the plot.

Materials

The second important factor in the quality of a house is the materials of construction. Today, suburban construction in Russia is developing at a rapid pace, new materials and technologies are constantly appearing, a new understanding of quality and comfort.

Gone are the wooden shacks with wood stoves and outdoor toilets. Today, in terms of quality of comfort, a country house is in no way inferior to city apartments and in many respects even better, but the price is lower and the area is larger. In many houses you will find spacious kitchens and rooms, high ceilings, large windows, comfortable staircases, modern internal communications, and designer renovations. All these are trends in a modern country house.

However, not all houses in the Moscow region are equally good. And the main problem that buyers face when searching for houses on their own is incorrect information in advertising. Many unscrupulous sellers and realtors try to embellish their offer by attributing qualities to the house that it does not have. As a rule, the older the house (year it was built), the greater the likelihood of such a story. Therefore, finding a suitable option among old country houses and dachas is usually not easy.

Another aspect when choosing a house based on its materials is, of course, its durability. On our website Nedvio.com we have already touched on this issue many times; in short, we will say that the service life of wooden houses is usually 30-40 years, then reconstruction is needed. The service life of brick and concrete buildings is much longer - from 50-70 years (foam concrete) to 150 years or more (brick). Of course, these are approximate figures. Because a lot depends on the operating conditions of the house and, of course, on its owner.

Today, houses for year-round use are built mainly from brick, concrete blocks, timber, and also using the so-called frame technology. Wooden houses are cheaper than stone ones, but they are subject to deformation and shrinkage for several years after construction. Although it all depends on the technology. Thus, houses made of laminated veneer lumber have minimal shrinkage and are quickly built (with a certain thickness of beams and quality of installation).

Foam block and brick are more stable materials than wood, but brick and concrete houses are much heavier than wooden ones, which means greater requirements and costs for the foundation. Monolithic concrete houses are built using permanent or removable formwork technology or in combination with other materials. This technology is very reliable and is used in the construction of multi-story buildings.

Of course, there are other materials and technologies, which we often talk about on the pages of our website. Modern energy-efficient houses save on heating the house (heating in winter is 2-3 times cheaper than using traditional technologies). There are also modular, passive houses, etc.

If we talk about prices, you should understand that for 1/1.5/2/2.5 million you will not buy a brick, concrete or monolithic house in the Moscow region. This is unrealistic. For that kind of money you can only buy a wooden cottage or a frame one, or one made from SIP panels.

Each material has its own cost, plus the cost of construction. For example, brick houses are more expensive and take longer to build than foam concrete houses, and frame cottages are built faster than wooden log houses. All this comes at a price. Therefore, if you want to find a quality stone house, you should not be under the illusion that someone will put it up and sell it for next to nothing.

Home readiness and quality

Many buyers want to buy a ready-made house in the Moscow region in order to immediately sell the apartment and move to live in it. However, finding a modern, beautiful and affordable home with the right renovations and in the right location is sometimes very difficult, and such houses sell quite quickly.

Most offers of houses for sale in the Moscow region are usually illiquid: these are obsolete cottages, with old renovations, or garden houses that are not suitable for living in in winter.

Even if you have found a suitable option, another problem arises - how to check the quality of its construction? Without proper construction experience and knowledge, you will not see all the problems and hidden defects. Buying a house without an inspection is a waste of money, and it will be very difficult to sell it.

Therefore, if you decide to buy a ready-made, already built house, be sure to order its construction and technical expertise. It is also advisable to conduct a geological examination of the site (for the influence of groundwater and soil quality). Especially if you are offered a house at a price below market.

Price

Now we come to the most interesting thing - the price of a country house. This is usually the main problem home buyers face - everyone wants to find a home at the lowest price. However, interesting and ready-made real estate offers can be counted on one hand and, if they have an adequate price, they are sold quite quickly, often to neighbors and acquaintances.

If the house was built according to a modern design, in accordance with all technologies and under construction supervision, it is worth considering that a lot of effort and money were invested in such a house. Such houses are usually not sold; the owners live in them themselves. Even if such objects come on the market, they, despite the higher selling price, sell quite quickly, since there is constant demand for them, especially in the Moscow region.

It is also worth considering that, as a rule, the selling price of a quality home is 40-60% higher than the actual cost of construction. For example, the cost of building a quality house with an area of 200 square meters. meters together with 10 acres of land near Moscow is 8-9 million rubles, so its sale price will be at least 12-15 million rubles. It should be understood that no one will sell such a house for either 5 or 7 million.

Of course, there are many offers on the market with lower prices. As a rule, these are old brick houses that require major repairs. Or poor village houses that have served their time. Experienced builders know that repairing and reconstructing a country house requires significant investment. The result is a home with small rooms, low ceilings and minimal amenities for the price of a new home. Not to mention the erosion of structures and possible hidden defects (especially if the house was operated in winter without heating). The dubious advantage of renovating an old house.

There is another category of offers on the market - houses for summer holidays, unsuitable for living in winter, with a minimum of equipment and comfort. For some reason, the owners of such houses believe that they should cost several million. Yes, it is possible that a lot of money was invested in their construction, but this does not mean that a house made of thin timber can cost the same as a brick or block house.

Many experts advise buying houses in the fall or winter, because when purchasing a house in the summer it is very difficult to evaluate its thermal insulation (how warm it is). This is a common mistake made by inexperienced buyers. And so it often happens that a cozy country house with a wood-burning stove can be completely uninhabitable in winter, and the lack of proper communications can lead to serious problems with the first frost, such as freezing water or wastewater or, even worse, freezing corners of walls or floors .

Today it is fashionable to reduce the cost of construction, save on materials and projects. Many developers have switched to building standard houses (according to standard designs) or semi-detached houses (townhouses, duplexes). Of course, such objects attract a lower price per square meter. However, in terms of comfort, they are, of course, inferior to detached cottages, plus they impose restrictions on layout and communications (you can’t change anything to suit yourself).

We take into account legal subtleties

You have carefully examined the house - you are satisfied with almost everything. This means you can start preparing and, importantly, checking all the documents. To purchase a cottage or dacha you cannot do without:

certificates of state registration of ownership of a plot of country land;
state registration certificates for the construction itself;
purchase and sale agreements;
cadastral passport of the building and plot of land;
technical passport, which clearly states the floor plan of the building and the plan of the land plot;
house register, which will indicate all family members living in the house.

Important!

It is imperative to check the house for the so-called “encumbrance” and all documents must be read carefully: you may encounter unauthorized construction, it turns out that the land under the house is leased and not owned, and even certain types of residents have the right to lifelong residence may persist even after the home is sold.

In addition, you will need an agreement on connection to communication systems. It is advisable to contact a professional lawyer to check the history of previous transactions, the absence of boundary disputes and encumbrances in the form of arrest or pledge.

Documents drawn up during purchase and sale

It is best to entrust the verification of the set of documents presented during the transaction to a specialist who has experience in the purchase and sale of residential and country buildings. When concluding a transaction for the sale of a residential building, the seller is required to provide the following documents to the notary office:

technical passport with plans of each floor and a diagram of the site with all outbuildings;
act of the commission on acceptance of the completed construction project into operation;
extract from the BTI register;
documents confirming the owner’s right to the constructed building;
personal passport and identification code;
state privatization act for land;
documents on expert assessment of the house and the plot for sale;