If you're searching for a new property to call your home, you may have already looked at a variety of different houses and understand just how long a process this can be. It's not unusual for a certain amount of fatigue to set in and, after a while, one place starts to look just like the last. In this type of situation, buyers may typically condense the process as much as possible and will tend to make a decision based on assumption or even trust. This is all well and good, but once you do decide to go ahead with the transaction, you will nevertheless need to get into much greater detail. Why should you never assume anything as you sign a contract but schedule a separate inspection instead?

Down to Detail

When you first walked through the property in question, you may have fallen in love with its design or even 'feel' and did not check to see if everything was in good working order. Remember, once you have signed a contract and have actually moved into the property, your rights may well be restricted, and you may not have recourse automatically should you encounter an issue.

Act Now

Certainly, warranties will be included within the contract, and if you come across any major problem, the seller may still be liable. Yet you may uncover a variety of smaller problems, and you should address these before the sale is finalised and not after.

Inspection

Accordingly, set up a pre-settlement inspection several days before closing. Your conveyancer can handle this and coordinate with the seller to make sure that you have access and a sufficient amount of time.

Things to Check

You may want to take a handyman or -woman with you if this is not your forte, but you will certainly need to check all the fixtures and fittings to ensure that they are in good working order. Make sure to:

1. Turn all the light switches on and off and check the power outlets.
2. Turn on all the taps and look underneath the sinks for signs of a leak.
3. Activate each appliance independently and check every feature.
4. Turn the central air conditioning system on, and set it to 'heat' as well. You may rarely use this function if you live in certain parts of the country, but you will want to ensure that it is working from day one, just in case.

Taking Action

If you find something that isn't working or isn't up to an acceptable standard, you will need to communicate this with the seller. Once again, your conveyancer can do this for you and make sure that the issue is fixed or mentioned within the contract. Either way, you'll want to ensure that you are covered so you are not paying out of pocket when you finally get the keys.

Speak with a professional who provides property conveyancing services to learn more.