How to identify the weak points of a private home before purchasing it? First Inspection Guide

16.4.2018
30616

Before buying a private house, among other things, it would be nice to find out what kind of cigarettes the seller smokes and what kind of car he drives. This will tell you a lot about the condition of the building... The first acquaintance with a finished house using inspection techniques is more difficult than any apartment. If urban housing, one way or another, can have standard designs, then private houses are rarely similar. The matter of choice is complicated by the properties of the land plot. To use the time allotted by the seller and find out as much information as possible about the property, you need an action plan.

There are so many finished or almost finished houses on the market today that if the desire to buy a house is really strong, then it’s not difficult to find an interesting option. The main thing is to weed out clearly problematic ones as early as possible.

Buying a country house traditionally begins with searching for current offers on the Internet. Currently, the METRTV.ru portal contains more than a thousand advertisements for the sale of cottages, summer houses, and gardens.

“I’ll start with cucumbers and tomatoes, and then I’ll get chickens and rabbits”

If you plan to grow not only rare varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers on your plot, then you need to take into account the purpose of the land and the rules of SNT. You can’t just have rabbits or chickens - in the end, everything can end in tears and end up in court because of disgruntled neighbors.

— It all comes down to the fact that, in accordance with the law “On Gardening and Vegetable Farming by Citizens,” there is a definition of what a garden plot of land is. It is intended for recreation of citizens and cultivation of agricultural plants. Nothing is said about animals. And judicial practice proceeds from the fact that the intended purpose of such plots is only for growing plants, and then there cannot be any chickens, rabbits or other animals,” said lawyer Konstantin Zinoviev.

He added that courts often side with outraged neighbors over animal smells and sounds that disturb other people.

“It is in this regard that the courts recognize the placement of animals in SNT as illegal. Although if the charter of the partnership states that breeding chickens, rabbits or other animals is allowed, then this can be done,” the lawyer added.

May is a great time to arrange a summer house. We went shopping and found out where you can find the most beautiful, cheap and original things for the site. We have also compiled a selection of the most interesting country houses under 1 million rubles that you can now buy.

The most common mistakes when buying a house

As practice shows, among all incorrectly executed transactions for the purchase and sale of a house, the following three are most common:

the seller, with a properly registered house, does not have rights to the land;
an unregistered building is being sold on an officially registered plot of land;
fraudulent sale using a false power of attorney.

In the first case, the law does not allow the new owner to completely dispose of the land, for example, to sell the plot or inherit. And since the land does not belong to the owner of the house, part of the plot can be transferred to another person. If an unregistered house is purchased, it is considered an unauthorized construction and it will be very difficult to register it in the future without legal proceedings.

Advantages and disadvantages of choosing a private house

There are more than enough advantages to owning your own home:

Parking space It would seem that in such a huge country the question of where to park the car should not arise in principle. However, in any city with a population of 200 thousand or more, parking becomes a real quest. Paid parking is not a cheap pleasure: it can cost up to 24,000 rubles in a year. And how nice it is in such conditions to realize that near your house you have your own nook for the “swallow”, or even a whole garage!
Buildings according to your wishes
Do you want to make your local area an ideal place to relax with a swimming pool, sauna, barbecue, and so on? Who will stop you? As they say, every whim is for your money.

Choosing a garden

The plot will cost more if you have a vegetable garden. Plants require constant care, especially in cold and hot seasons. You need to choose a garden based on: territory, soil, crops, and additional criteria.

If the design of the garden and garden is beautiful and appropriate, the future owner will want to continue the exciting and relaxing activity of gardening. A beautiful vegetable garden with plants of different colors and shades will delight the eye every day. Properly planted crops create ornaments and patterns.

When choosing a garden, you need to take into account the yield. Fencing and the presence of gazebos and benches in the garden are also important. A stone fence decorated with climbing plants looks impressive. The hedge looks beautiful and well-groomed.

You can make a real exhibition out of your garden and vegetable garden. A properly thought out garden layout looks interesting. If there is a fountain or pond on the site, the cost will be higher. You can simply choose a plot with a large territory and make a vegetable garden and plant trees yourself, but this will take a lot of time and effort.

Don't trust and check

You need to get as much information as possible about the object that is selected for purchase. No matter how impeccably honest the seller may seem, you ALWAYS need to double-check what he says and order an extract from the Unified State Register yourself (the law allows you to request an extract about any real estate property in general).

In this way, you can avoid the main danger of buying a property that has already been sold to someone. The seller can provide the buyer with an extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate, which was received before he sold it to a third party. You should try to get the most up-to-date information; the closer the statement is to the transaction date, the better.

Ignore the gardener's book

IkaRusMosFORUMHOUSE Member

I only have a gardener's book. Is it possible to rewrite the membership book to a new “buyer”, who will himself arrange for privatization of this plot?

The above question from our user describes a common, unfortunately, situation when, instead of a certificate or extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate, the seller tries to slip in a gardener’s book. The buyer must immediately refuse such a transaction.

A gardener's book is not a document of title and does not confirm ownership of an object.

The buyer can rewrite the book in his name, but this will not make him the legal owner of the purchased dacha.

kOra AllaFORUMHOUSE participant

The neighbors do not have legal rights to the plot, so they cannot register it. The previous owner had no rights to sell it.

“I always dreamed of a cottage by the water”

Every year in the Novosibirsk region dozens of areas are flooded due to their location.
The water will definitely rise in the spring, and your house may end up in the river. The first to suffer every year are the owners of dachas in the SNT "Geologist" and "Stroymashevets", which are located between Matveevka and Nizhnyaya Eltsovka - their dachas are located on the very shore. “Geodesist” also drowns plots in the village of Pikhtovka, in the village of Chernovka, in the village of Gavrilovsky.

— Those who want a dacha near a reservoir should calculate in advance how long the hike to it will take. At the same time, you need to remember about flooding. If the dacha is closer than a kilometer from the river and there are roads, then this is one question. It won't take long to get there. And if there are no roads, then it will be difficult to take advantage of this advantage, if you can do it at all,” notes Evgeniy Trushko, author of the service for selling real estate on land Domogis.

In the flooding zone, there are usually also areas near the water in the villages of Legostaevo, Chernokurya, Kochki, Krasnaya Siberia, Reshety, Chernovka, Kyshtovka, Kubovaya, Severnoe.

An important stage in choosing a cottage is the state of engineering systems

The comfort of living in a country house largely depends on the state of communications. Therefore, when choosing a cottage to buy, you need to check them very carefully.

Water supply
Water pipes are examined for the presence of microcracks. Traces of rust may be found in defective areas. You should also inspect the section of the pipeline from the well to the house, laid along the street. Make sure that its thermal insulation is not damaged, otherwise the pipes will burst in frost.
Sewerage
You can assess the condition of the sewer by pouring a large amount of water into it. To do this, fill the bathtub and open the drain. If the water drains slowly, then there is definitely a problem. It is also necessary to inspect the sewer pipes themselves - traces of moisture may indicate cracks.
If there is no central sewer system, you will need to check the cesspool or septic tank. Assess how well the volume of the storage tank corresponds to the standards and what the walls are made of - it should be concrete, brick or stone. An almost full hole may indicate poor drainage.
Heating system
You can only find out how well the heating works in your home in winter. If you have to choose a cottage to buy in the summer, you can turn on the boiler for half an hour and then control the degree of heating of the appliances. The radiators must be warm in all rooms, make sure that the end radiators are equipped with Mayevsky taps, and that there are no leaks in all elements of the heating system.
Examine the boiler. If it is working properly, then you will not smell gas and will not see traces of rust or water on the floor.
Electrical system
Electrical systems also need to be carefully inspected. Pay attention to what kind of wiring is installed around the house - aluminum or copper. Aluminum wires have not been used for a long time as they do not meet modern requirements. But in some houses you can still find them. It is enough to open the outlet cover to see exactly what wires are laid in the house.
It is also important how much load the network can withstand. To do this, ask the owners to turn on all the appliances in the house. If this does not lead to the operation of the machines and various emergency situations, then the network is normal and in the future you will be able to simultaneously turn on, for example, an electric oven and an iron.
Ventilation
Ventilation ensures the flow of fresh air into the room, without which it is impossible to maintain a healthy microclimate. The comfortable living of people largely depends on its proper functioning. Therefore, when choosing a cottage for purchase, you should evaluate how ventilation is carried out and how the forced system works, if available. A specially equipped ventilation system is an additional plus, since it provides more efficient air exchange compared to natural ventilation, although, of course, it costs more.
Read also: Title documents for a house or apartment: how to draw them up, change and restore them
Check if the ventilation holes are clogged. If the ventilation works poorly or does not work at all, then dampness, mold, and an unpleasant odor will appear in the house. The result of this will be accelerated destruction of the structure and health complications for residents.

What to look for

There are a large number of articles on how to choose the right dacha. They help determine the main search criteria. The following are considered important: infrastructure, nature, location, shape and area of the site, logistics. It is worth comparing all offers on the market and selecting 7-10 objects. It is best to come to the site with a lawyer or builder you know. When choosing a summer house, a fresh look from a specialist is important.

We make sure to clarify the cost of housing and communal services. You need to get to know your neighbors and find out how suitable the area is for living. A lot of information about country houses has been collected on forums. On the Internet, people discuss pressing problems, share good news and give recommendations regarding the purchase of real estate.

It is necessary to buy a country house with a plot after a detailed review of the documents. If everything is fine with them, then we make inquiries about the environmental situation. You cannot live next to landfills, industrial enterprises, or highways. If a multi-storey building is planned nearby, then extraneous sounds will constantly disturb you and prevent you from resting.

The question of which dacha to choose must be approached with full responsibility. It is worth making sure that communications are working properly, and that the operating services are conscientious and decent.

Please note:

Transport interchange and access roads. Roads must be in good condition so that if something happens, rescuers, firefighters, and medical workers can reach the site.
Communications, in particular electricity and water supply. Very often in winter there may be no power for 2-3 hours a day, so you need to find out if such incidents occur. You also need to find out whether the water service is turned off during the cold season. If there is an independent source of water supply (well, borehole or standpipe), then this is one of the advantages.
Is the residential premises and, in particular, the entire village protected? It’s good if the place where the house is located is well lit and there are at least some cameras. Safety comes first, so if the security of summer cottages is organized and there are guards or responsible persons, then you can put a plus sign next to this criterion.
Facilities. Sometimes you may need to choose heating for your dacha yourself, but if you already have a heating system, then you need to check whether the ceilings are insulated, whether heat is retained, what kind of flooring and windows are in the house. A thorough inspection will allow you to maintain a comfortable temperature in the rooms during the cold season.
Technical condition of the cottage and equipment. We check the water supply, stove, stove, fireplace, boiler, and sewage system. It is important what the condition of the fence is.
Ground water level. An important criterion, since it determines whether the dacha will be flooded during rainstorms or melting snow. We inspect the subfloor of the house and basement for damp stains and mold.

If only cosmetic repairs are needed, then this is good news. The main thing is that the future owner does not encounter poor-quality installation of electrical wiring. If the load capacity of the electrical networks is incorrect, then living in the house will be unsafe.

Ecology

A summer house must be built from environmentally friendly raw materials. It is best if the building is made of wood. If you think about where to choose a suburban area, the answer immediately appears - away from city noise and a lot of transport.

There should be no sources of environmental hazard near the country house. You cannot buy housing near stations that transmit radio signals. Industrial production facilities, including factories, negatively affect the environmental background.

It is worth checking the radiation background on the site and the quality of the soil before buying real estate. To obtain reliable data about the land, it is recommended to conduct a geological survey. Sandy soil is ideal for building premises and living rooms.

Clay soil is also suitable for construction, but experts note that the financial costs will be greater. The indicators taken into account are the bearing capacity of the soil and groundwater.

Picturesque

Almost every person likes nature and a beautiful view from the window. Country houses with views of the mountains, river and forest have their pros and cons. A building erected on the bank of a river can be regularly flooded. If there are dense trees around the house, then the sun's rays will become rare.

In the question of where to choose a dacha, the criterion of picturesqueness is relevant, but not always the key one, since frogs, moles, snakes, and mosquitoes are found near ponds and forest plantations. If buyers are not afraid of insects, then the picturesque view and fresh air will delight them every day and will not bring any discomfort.

If you buy a dacha with a view of beautiful nature, then it is best to come to the settlement with the whole family for the weekend, and not live on a permanent basis.

Village infrastructure

When viewing advertisements for dachas, you need to pay due attention to the infrastructure. It is advisable to find as much data as possible about the location where the site is located. The developed transport infrastructure allows you to get to the house through various highways using a personal car or public transport.

If there is a train station and a bus stop near your house, then this is great news. Transport that travels to the city and other villages regularly becomes an advantage of the area.

The infrastructure of a village is considered good if it has:

kindergarten and school;
hospital and clinic;
mail;
several shops;
cafe;
auto repair shop and gas station;
beauty salon, fitness room.

Shopping centers, entertainment venues, a cinema - this is an incomplete list of what will please buyers of country houses.

Transport connection

Realtors tell you which house to choose for your summer cottage and what to pay attention to while staying on the site. Summer residents often use different types of transport. Usually this is a personal means of transportation, but minibuses, commuter buses, and trains can be useful.

Good transport links will make living in the settlement comfortable. We need to inspect the access roads. If the road is very bad, then due to such a deficiency there is a possibility of regularly contacting auto centers.

The buyer should look at how wide the street is to accommodate 2 or more cars and whether the area allows for off-street parking.

Before you buy a plot, you need to find out how often transport runs in summer and winter. We need to think about whether the pedestrian routes to and from the bus stop are convenient. If public transport passes through the village, then it will be possible to travel to the city without waiting a long time for the bus.