Once you’ve found your dream home, it’s easy to fall head over heals with the property and overlook important considerations that may affect your living conditions later down the line. What was once your ideal house can soon descend into a nightmare situation if you fail to do your research prior to buying. Whilst you will be eager to sign the cheque and move in straight away, it helps to do some practical investigation into the property and its surrounding area for peace of mind in knowing that you’ve made the right choice.

Check the neighbourhood

If you’re new to the area, it’s always worth checking the local community to make sure that it has everything you need to suit you and your family’s lifestyle. Local newspapers, community websites and government sites can provide you with everything you need to know about the area and provide you with important information regarding future events, developments and any issues that may affect the neighbourhood.

When conducting research, you should pay attention to the prices of comparable houses, the reputation of local schools, facilities, community activities and the crime rate of the area. You may also want to visit the house at different times of the day to gain an insight into how quiet or busy the neighbourhood will be throughout the day.

Think about your future plans

If you’ve found your dream home, chances are that you plan on living there for a long time, and considering your future plans is therefore crucial. If you’re thinking of extending your family for example, you will need to realistically consider whether or not you have enough room and make sure that you have planning permission for extensions.

You should also think about any cosmetic improvements that you may want to do later on. Upgrading the interior of your home may not be on the cards right now, but is likely to creep into your thoughts after you have settled in. Likewise, it’s important to budget for future expenses and think about the costs of maintaining the property.

Security

Security is something that is often forgotten about amidst the excitement of buying a new house. To ensure that you feel safe on a daily basis, it’s important that you plan for the unexpected and take measures to reduce the chance of any devastating losses. A thorough security check of the house should be conducted, at the very least making sure that the building has a working alarm system and that all doors and windows have secure locks.

If you are completely in love with the property but find that it has an unfavourable crime rate or inadequate security protection, you may want to take extra precautions for added reassurance. Installing a CCTV system, security lighting or infra-red sensors may help to deter would-be burglars. Security equipment for your home is available from most DIY stores or from reputable online security suppliers, such as Big Brother Systems.

 Home inspections

Before buying, you should also schedule a home inspection to ensure that you are fully aware of any structural repairs or improvements that may need to be made. After all, being fully informed of the building’s condition from the outset will help you to avoid any unwanted surprises later down the line.

Try to avoid getting too excited about the house and remember to ask yourself all the necessary practical questions. For example, can I afford to run a house this big? How safe is a detached garage? Has the house got enough privacy? How long will the commute to work be?

Whilst you might have found the perfect house in the perfect neighbourhood, if the answer to these questions is no, it might not be worth it in the long run.