11 Important Things You Consider Before Buying a House
If you’re a first time home buyer, there’s a chance that you may make rookie blunders that you regret at a later point. Hence it’s always essential to do ample research about the property and the area before deciding to buy.
Here’s a checklist of often-overlooked factors in homeownership that you need to consider before signing on the dotted line and investing in real estate:
Table of Contents:
Connectivity
Utilities
Child Safety
Closet Space
Fire Safety
Sanitation
Pests
Bathroom Layout
Ventilation and Lighting
Power Outlets
Exterior Lights
1. Phone Network and Internet Connectivity
It is interesting that, given how important smartphones have become in our daily life, this aspect does not make it to many checklists. Just imagine living in a house with a bad network or no network. Not only is it very inconvenient, but it can hamper your everyday life and work, as it is incredibly necessary today to remain connected. This is especially true in the new normal of ‘Work From Home’ and remaining socially distant. To ensure that there is a strong network reception in the house, make sure to visit numerous rooms in the house that you have shortlisted and check the reception. Also checking with the neighbours is a quick way to get the facts.
2. Water Quality and Power Backup
Two crucial elements to consider when buying a house are the continuous and stable supply of water and electricity. Power outages and poor water quality can cause serious discomfort and health issues. Make sure to check the quality of water supplied, you can even get it tested for contaminants to ensure that your family’s health is not at risk.
3. Child Safety
We always make sure that we choose a safe neighbourhood, but how often do we consider a child’s protection inside the house?
Factors such as the kind of nosing of the stairs, the use of sharp edges, the kinds of locks used, etc. are necessary to note. These variables decide a child’s wellbeing, avoid serious injury during a fall and help you curb any mishaps. Some of the choices that you need to make to ensure safe indoors are; to opt for handles instead of knobs, secure railings for balconies, rounded nosing for landing, etc. If the house is child/baby-proofed, you don’t need to invest extra and can rest assured that your children are safe.
4. Closet Space
Room sizes are one of the factors that we consider significant. But sometimes, we don’t check the available closet space or look at the proper location of a closet section. It is necessary to have a private, spacious and well-facilitated closet, and this aspect is often ignored when shortlisting homes. The wardrobe layout, spacing, and preparation also play a key role in your home’s organisation. No closet space or cramped storage can lead to clutter building up in your living spaces.
5. Fire Safety
Fire protection is another aspect that seldom shows up while viewing a house checklist. Although this is taken care of by most reputed and trustworthy builders, it is still very important for a person to check how secure the house is in the event of a fire. Prior to shortlisting a house, testing the distance to the fire escape, availability of fire fighting equipment, etc should be reviewed.
6.Drainage Management of the Area
Monsoons are definitely one of the more pleasant times of the year, especially if you are enjoying it from your balcony with a hot cup of tea. However, at the same time, they pose the trouble of dealing with waterlogged streets, especially if you live in a city such a Mumbai or Chennai. There’s also a huge risk of your vehicle getting damaged in the rain due to flood damage. In such a scenario it is essential to find out about the drainage system in the area and ensure that your house construction is slightly elevated to avoid waterlogging.
7. Pests and Other Menaces
Do not forget to check for rodents, insects, etc when you hunt for your dream house. There could be major issues with water stagnation, open drains, garbage, etc. in certain areas, leading to an increased number of mosquitoes and thus, infections. It is best to survey the location during different timings and ask the current residents about these issues before selecting a house.
8. Location and Number of Bathrooms
Bathrooms might seem like a no-brainer, but they may pose a variety of problems. Watch for unusual places, like bathrooms that are too close to dining spaces. At least one bathroom for every 2 bedrooms is a reasonable rule of thumb.
9. Ventilation and Lighting
Is there enough sun during day time? Does the house smell fresh and dry? Does opening windows allow for cross ventilation? These are some factors that may look small initially but when considered, will improve the lifestyle quality to a great extent. A well lit and ventilated house ensures a positive environment and boosts your energy. Check for the natural smell surrounding the house and look for any water bodies or garbage dumps nearby that may hamper this. Post-Covid, people should emphasise on buying houses that get enough sun and air movement to allow for a germ-free environment. Dim lit houses will also incur the additional cost of artificial lighting in the future.
10. Power Outlets
Ensure that your devices and small appliances have enough outlets without a cord stretching across the floor or bed. Also, make sure you look behind dressers and big pieces of furniture. Every 12 feet, rooms should have an electrical outlet so that you never have to extend a cord in any direction longer than 6 feet.
11. Exterior Lights
Exterior lights will go a long way in making a home look luxurious and they are also a great safety measure. Ensure that there are enough exterior lights in the home. If you intend to renovate with external lights, just be mindful of any brightness limitations the housing society of the neighbourhood can have.
Buying your Dream Home or Apartment
We hope that this home buying checklist will help make your journey towards homeownership a lot easier. Navigating your journey towards homeownership is much easier when you rely on a brand that you can trust. A reputed builder is less likely to cut corners when it comes to your home as any customer dissatisfaction can have a ripple effect on demand across multiple projects.
Puravankara has been in the real estate development space since 1975 and is well known for uncompromising values, customer-centricity, robust engineering, and transparency in business operations. If you’re on the market for your first home, going for a Puravankara apartment or villa can help you get the peace of mind you desire. You can rest assured that the property meets the highest quality, safety, and innovation standards.
