A survey is a crucial step when you're buying a home, and a property expert has outlined some red flags to be aware of before signing on the dotted line, including an innocent-looking plant that could cause problems costing thousands of pounds.
Surprisingly, a thorough check it not a legal requirement before getting a mortgage, but it can be helpful to hire an expert to give the bricks and mortar the once over.
There are a number of options available, including a basic condition check-up to a full building survey.
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Terry Fisher from We Buy Any Home said it's always a good idea to get the very best survey you can afford, especially if the home is on the older side. He added: "It’s common sense to carry out a full check of something you are about to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on.
"Not only will it flag up any major issues that could affect your decision to buy the property, it will also give you an idea of the problems that will need sorting at some point down the line.
"For instance, a survey could reveal the roof needs £10,000 of repair work immediately. This will enable you to go back to the buyer and either agree to knock some money off the overall price, or ask them to carry out the work before you exchange contracts."
Invasive plant Japanese Knotweed is notoriously expensive to get rid of and can "cause serious structural damage", Terry said.
"It can therefore knock thousands off the price of a house and could mean a mortgage company is unwilling to lend."
Other pricey problems include dodgy electrics, windows that don't close properly and poor insulation.
Terry said the quality of insulation "will indicate how costly it will be to heat and light your property, and what its carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be".
He added: "Something as simple as new loft insulation or even swapping older light bulbs for energy saving ones can have an impact on this."
Damp is also a major red flag. Terry said: "This is one of the most common issues that surveyors look for as when water makes its way into a home it can cause structural damage."
Signs of cracking on the walls, and windows and doors not opening or closing properly are among the signs of structural issues and also a red flag.
While most small cracks are normal, larger ones could indicate bigger problems.
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