Things To Consider Before Buying A Period Property*

When you’re house hunting, there are a lot of different things that you’ve got to look out for. You need to consider the space that you and your family need, the location of the house and the amenities that are nearby, and the running costs of the home. But it’s important that you don’t get too caught up in all of that stuff and forget about the character of the house. You need to find somewhere that feels like home, not just somewhere that you go to sleep at night. That’s why a lot of people prefer period properties to new houses. They tend to be more unique and have a bit more charm, but there are some downsides. Because they’re older, the chance of costly repairs and recurring issues with the house is a lot higher so you need to take your time when viewing houses. These are some of the things you should consider before buying a period property.

Practical and Safe
If you decide you to go ahead with a period property you firstly need to consider it’s infrastructure and ensure the house isn’t going to fall down on you any time soon. However, if you face too many problems with the property, consider moving into a new house. To find the best options available in your area, consult with a well-informed real estate agent. For instance, Homes By Spencer Hsu can help you find the house you have always wanted to live in. On the other hand, when living in a period home, you also need to ensure it isn’t listed because that could mean problems down the line when it comes to home repairs.

You also need to ensure it isn’t listed because that could mean problems down the line when it comes to home repairs. Allowing for the buildings skeleton to be reinforced before you move in could be a good move as it means you won’t need to deal with building works while you’re living there. Using galvanised steel and aluminum with powdered coatings supplied by Tomburn will ensure your period home is still standing in years to come.

Energy Efficiency
The cost of gas and electricity is always going up and your energy bills are going to be one of your biggest monthly expenses. Newer homes are built with modern materials and they tend to have better insulation, so they keep the heat in better and your energy costs are lower. That doesn’t mean you’re always going to be paying over the odds for energy in a period home, but some of them are very expensive to run so you should consider this when picking a house. Some of them may have had new insulation installed so it shouldn’t be a problem but if they haven’t, you need to consider the cost of doing it for yourself. When you’re looking around houses, you should always ask about the energy rating of the house. Visit https://www.evergreenenergy.co.uk/sustainable-home/what-is-an-epc-rating/ for more information on what energy ratings mean and what you should be looking for.  

Home Warranty
Regardless of how well you choose the house, period properties are always going to need more repairs than new houses, it just comes with the territory. That’s why you need to look into home warranties before you agree to buy a place. Check out https://budgetboost.co/home-warranty-company-review/ for more information on the different types of home warranties and the protection they offer. You can get a warranty to protect the appliances in the home or you can get one to protect the building itself, but it’s often best to go for a hybrid warranty that gives you all around protection. If the house does need some large scale repairs, you won’t have to cover all of the costs yourself.

Potential For Additions
You should view a period property as an investment because you’ll need to spend a bit of money renovating it. That’s why it’s important that you should consider the potential for additions that could add value to the home. Are there any rooms that you could convert into extra bedrooms? Could you knock a wall through to create a bigger living space? Is there room in the garden to add a conservatory? All of these changes will add value to the property and offset the money that you’re spending on renovating it so it’s worth considering before you buy.

If you make bad choices when you’re buying a period property, you could end up with a badly maintained house that drains all of your money. But if you consider these things before you buy, you can avoid any major disasters.