Inspecting an old house starts the moment you walk up the garden path. Look around the gardens and grounds as you make your way up to the house. If there are trees near the house, this can mean settlement of the foundations if the soil underneath the house is clay based. The trees will remove the water from the soil and you should spend some time finding out what type of soil the house is built on.
If the subsoil is gravel or sand based, make sure you check the house drains which, if leaky, can remove the finer, smaller particles from the subsoil and increase the risk of settlement. Cracks, even small ones, in the external walls of the side of house nearest the trees is one sign that settlement of the house may already have occurred. Continue reading ‘Buying an Old Home To Sell or Rent’ »