House Buyer's Handbook

House Buyer's Handbook

[in colour]

An essential Handbook for anyone who is buying, or owns domestic property.

Suffering with mould on your walls, furniture and clothes? - This book explains why and how to get rid of it

Suffering with condensation, ruined decorations and a damp home? - We look at the science behind what is actually causing the condensation and what practical steps to prevent it happening.

Want to improve the thermal insulation and reduce your energy bills? - We look at several different options: External insulation - and why it isn't what they crack it up to be. Retro cavity insulation - and the problems it can cause. Is it really doing what they claim, or is it just 'sales patter'. What is the most efficient system including the pros and cons.

Read about Sir Richard Head's theories on thermal insulation.

Buying property? - Plenty of practical tips on what to look out for and ways that can save you literally thousands of pounds. We expose some of the 'myths' presented even on highly respected Websites. For example about building surveys. Examples of things that can cost you dearly taken from REAL building surveys.

The different types of insurance cover and what it does and doesn't cover.

The technical jargon is explained in plain English things like: 'Covenants', 'Run with the land', 'Easements', 'Regularisation', 'Retrospective planning' plus many more.

"Can you get my best side?"

Security - Whether you are just about to buy and move in, or are thinking about better security. We look at the pros and cons of: Alarms, Cameras, and Locks. Practical information about how to change the locks, what the pros and cons of different types of locks.

Energy Saving - Is triple glazing worth the extra money? Does cladding the outside of your property with insulation actually reduce your energy bills? Read about Sir Richard Head - the knight who thought he would wear his woollen comb's over his steel suit of armour.

Is spraying foam insulation onto the inside of your roof going to reduce your heating bill, or cost you possibly tens of thousands to rectify? All is explained.

Retro-cavity insulation. Several different insulating materials - do they improve the thermal insulation, or create a nightmare?

Condensation and mould can be major issues. Surveyors often say 'It's the occupant's lifestyle'. In most cases it is, but what can be done practically to overcome the problem. It is a battle field, so we look at the armoury required, the plan of attack, and how to win the battle.

Written by a building surveyor with over 50 years experience in the world of construction. The basic science is presented highlighting the myths and misinformation given out by companies and Institutions.

Quite simply, it isn't just another book about house buying.

It is a handbook for Home Owners

Contents

Introduction

About the author

01 Stress free Property Buying

Desktop survey
Flooding
Potential noise
Flats and maisonettes
Curry and chips
Schools
Do you have or intend to have a car?
Neighbouring property
Disputes with neighbours
Leasehold property
Freehold property
Covenants
Private roads
Traffic
Planning Permission
Some real life examples
Resolutions
Regularisation Certificate
Retrospective Planning Applications
Bad Advice
House hunting Checklist

02 Surveys

Why do I want or need a Building Survey?
A pig in a poke?
What’s the problem though?
Employing a surveyor
What a Building Surveyor can, and cannot do
Property Surveys
Valuation Surveys
Retentions
So what’s the market value? Isn’t it what the Estate Agent advertises it for?
Conditions Survey
Home Buyers Report (Survey)
So why the guessing?
Reinstatement value
Buildings Insurance
More ‘gobbledygook’
Full Building Survey
EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
Must I use a Chartered Building Surveyor?
So what can you expect for your money?
Do I need to have property surveyed? The mortgage company surveyed it.
So what is a Structural Survey then?
Reasons for employing a Building Surveyor
Why then have a Building Survey?

03 Buying property

Doing your homework
Putting in an offer
Getting a professional opinion
Instructing your solicitor
Contract for the sale
Exchanging contracts
Getting ready to move
Collecting the keys

04 Moving Day

Finally have a plan of approach
Lucky dip
Before you move
When you have moved in – Meter reading

Electricity meters

Gas meters

Water meters

Prior to moving Checklist
Moving out Checklist

05 Settling In

Cracks in buildings
A point of interest that could save you thousands

06 Security

The day you move in
How to change a cylinder lock
How to replace a Yale design cylinder
How to replace a Eurolock cylinder
Mortice or Rim lock
General comments
Specialist locks
Why change a perfectly good door lock?
Risk assessment – What can you do to reduce the risks?
What about an intruder alarm?
What about commercially fitted alarms?
What about hard wired alarms?
“Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?”
Will good door locks and intruder alarm be 100%
What about Security cameras?
The reason for using a UV post code on valuables
Some useful tips
So what is the answer?
“We leave the small fanlight windows open – surely no-one can get in there?
Lock snappers

07 Utilities and Services

Sewage and drainage
Services
Electricity – Saving your life
How to use an electrical test screwdriver
Are electrical test screwdrivers safe?
Electricity can kill
Replacing switches, sockets and light fittings
This section provides background information about electricity

Amps

Watts

Cable size and fuse rating

Earthing

Changing a ceiling rose
Why are there 2 thicknesses used on lighting circuits
How to calculate amps (amperage)
Consumer Units
Consumer Unit (CU)
Replacing light switches
“All the lights and electricity have gone off”
“What should I do if the RCD is working and 1 of the MCBs keeps turning off?”
What happens if it is a lighting MCB that keeps tripping?
Fuse boxes – how to mend a cartridge fuse
How do I re-wire a fuse?
Plug in sockets – a smidgeon of history
What size fuse do I need?
Emergencies [Gas]
Emergencies [Water]
“Water is gushing out all over the kitchen floor!”
“What happens if I can’t turn the stopcock off enough to stop the water?”
“Water is coming through the ceiling and running down the light!”
Possible causes
What to do?
“The radiator is leaking water!”

08 Basic tools

Basic tools list
Carbon monoxide meters (CO meter)

09 Insurance

What are the various types of insurance?
Buildings insurance
Contents insurance
Why advertise to be burgled?

10 Heating your home

The wet system
System 1, Indirect hot water system [A]
m 2. Direct hot water system [B] The Combi Boiler Central Heating System
Water pressure and Combi boilers
What do I do if the gauge shows the pressure has gone over the maximum?
Other types of gas boilers
Cold rooms and luke warm radiators
What happens if there is sludge in the system? What can I do?
Procedure: [Combi Boiler System]
Flushing through (Procedure for Combi boiler system)
Procedure: [Conventional Boiler and older design boiler systems]
Procedure: [Old design boiler indirect systems]
Water dripping from the overflow pipe
How to stop the water
Economics
How to actually save money?
A plea on behalf of the plumbers and gas fitting engineers
Does triple glazing really make much difference?
Now the technical bit
Great – what does all that actually mean though?
10 ways to reduce your heating bills
Old radiant heaters
Flat plate heaters
Storage heaters

11 Thermal Insulation

Does it matter where the thermal insulation is put?
Moisture
Cavity wall retro cavity insulation
Injected plastic foam
Blown fibre insulation
Expanded polystyrene bead insulation
Placing orders

12 Damp and mould

That’s all well and good – but what can I do about mould in my home?
A real life example
Back to the 21st century
Now a reconnoitre has taken place of the enemy lines, what is the plan of attack?
How to significantly reduce mould in your home
How to reduce the relative humidity inside the building? PREVENTION
How to reduce water vapour in your home
Does opening a window do much to reduce condensation?
Humidity and condensation
So back to economics for a minute
How to remove mould