Before you sign, have an engineer check it over.
I come with you to see the property, go over it from top to bottom and tell you what is wrong and what it costs to fix. So you buy knowing exactly what you are taking on.
The roof
Nobody goes up on the roof during a viewing. A blocked outlet, a badly finished membrane or a drip bead that fails to throw the water clear cannot be seen from below, and the first damp patch turns up months later, once you have moved in. That dark streak under the edge of the slab is left by water that has been running where it should not for a long time, not by dirt.
Cracks and fissures
A fine fissure stays in the render. A crack that goes right through the wall can come from foundation settlement, which is as expensive a repair as there is. The corners of windows and doors are where they show up first, and to the naked eye the two look alike: telling them apart changes the figure completely.
Damp
A fresh coat of paint can be a good sign or a cover-up, and from the outside you cannot tell which. The first winter, the stain comes through in the same place. That white crust at the foot of the wall is salt left behind by water as it evaporated, a sign that the damp has been there a long time. It gets located and measured, including the damp that has yet to show.
Electrics and heating
A consumer unit is judged open, not by its cover. Inside you can see whether there is an earth leakage breaker, how many circuits there really are and what condition the connections are in. A rusted cover inside a closed cupboard points to damp, and there is no worse company for an electrical installation. I go through the consumer unit, the sockets, the boiler and the air conditioning, and I tell you what will hold up and what is living on borrowed time.
Windows and insulation
At the viewing the windows were shut and the weather was fine. Misting trapped between the two panes cannot be wiped off from inside: it means the sealed unit has failed and that opening no longer insulates what the certificate claims. The whole glazing unit has to be replaced, and there is rarely just one.
Everything found, in writing and with a price
Within a few days you have the signed report: every defect with its photograph, how serious it is and the order of magnitude of what it costs to put right. Including what does not catch the eye, such as the stain coming through at the foot of a wall, and the small things too: finishes, doors that catch, water pressure. With it you negotiate the price on evidence, or you walk away in time.
Tell me which property you are buying
Provide the location, the year of construction and when the property can be viewed so I can assess the inspection.
I inspect homes in the provinces of Alicante, Murcia, Albacete and Ciudad Real.
Frequently asked questions about home inspections
What exactly does an inspection look at before you buy?
The real condition of everything a normal viewing never shows: the roof and its rainwater drainage, fissures and cracks on the façade and inside, damp and where it comes from, the consumer unit and the wiring, heating and air conditioning, and the windows and insulation. Also the finishes and the small details that add up: doors that catch, water pressure, ventilation.
When do I get the report, and what does it contain?
Within a few days of the visit, signed. Every defect comes with its photograph, an assessment of how serious it is and the order of magnitude of what it costs to put right, so that you can tell ordinary maintenance apart from a serious repair.
Can I use the report to negotiate the price?
That is its main use. Saying that a property “needs work” is one thing; turning up with a technical document that puts a figure on each defect is another. With it you negotiate on evidence, you ask for the work to be done before completion, or you decide to walk away in time if what comes up is not worth it.
How is it different from the bank valuation?
The valuation works out what the property is worth as security for the loan, and for that the floor area, the location and the general condition are enough. It does not open a consumer unit, measure damp or go up on the roof. It answers a different question: the bank cares about getting its money back, not about saving you a fifteen thousand euro repair.
And from the nota simple or the energy certificate?
The nota simple states who owns the property and what charges are registered against it: it is a legal check, not a technical one. The energy certificate estimates theoretical consumption from data about the building, and it is issued without checking whether the windows close properly or whether the insulation is where the drawings say. Neither of the two looks at the condition of the building itself.
Do I need permission to inspect the property?
All it takes is being able to get in and a visit long enough to go through the property calmly. It is usually arranged with the agency or with the owner, like any other viewing. Nothing is cut open and nothing is left marked: it is a visual and instrumental inspection, and it is non-destructive.
Which areas do you cover?
I inspect homes in the provinces of Alicante, Murcia, Albacete and Ciudad Real. If the property is close to the edge of that area, write to me and we will see.