Purchasing a new home in the UK can be both exciting and daunting. We know that finding the perfect property holds endless possibilities, but it can certainly be a scary process if you don’t know what to look for in a new home.
The most important factors to consider are your budget, the location and what you need from a living space. But, as architectural designers, we look at purchasing your dream home a little differently. Here are a few things you should consider when buying a new home – from our perspective.
Look for potential for future changes
An important factor to consider when purchasing a new home is the fact that you may want to renovate. This may not be an immediate goal if you’re happy with the home the way it is. But, over time, you may want to make alterations. Having a property that offers easy adaption will help.
It is especially important that your bathrooms and kitchen are well-located as these are costly areas to move and will make future renovations more complex.
Look at the size of the backyard
As architectural designers, we recommend that you consider the size of rear gardens. Any extensions you may want to add on to your new home cannot exceed more than half the size of your garden in the UK.
Look for a property with a loft
If you’re looking for a home that you can truly make your own, think about purchasing a property with a loft. If your internal loft height is more than 2.2 metres from floor to ceiling, it can easily be converted into an additional living space. Learn more about our loft conversion services here.
Look for a house with space to extend
One thing we highly recommend you consider when purchasing a new home is if there is space on the side of the home to extend the property. An extension is something you may want in the future as it provides you with more living space and adds value to your property.
Learn more about extending your home here.
Look out for poor quality renovations
Be sure to take a closer look at any obvious renovations that have been done to the property. Poorly carried out renovations can devalue a property as there will end up being a lot more work that needs to be done. Make sure you examine the quality of the workmanship of any renovations and ask questions about the alterations you see.
Look at surrounding properties
Sussing out your neighbourhood – and how it impacts the property you are looking to buy – is essential. For example, do other properties overshadow your whole backyard and render it dark or damp, year-round? You want to make sure that the surrounding properties do not impede on any future changes you would want to make to the house as these are not things that can be easily changed.
As architectural designers, we advise that the most vital thing to look for when purchasing a new home is its potential. Book a free consultation with us to get expert advice on renovations, extensions, and conversions for your new home.