FEATURES TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A HOUSE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28529, 7 March 1958, Page 22

FEATURES TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A HOUSE

It you are planning, buying a house, or just looking at a house in this year’s Parade of Homes, what are the main points you will keep in mind? Here are five features on which most people could judge the success of a plan or house: FLEXIBILITY that will allow for family changes.. EASE OF WORKING to save the housewife steps and time, to keep sleeping quarters away from the noisy living quarters and to ensure that traffic routes are efficient. DURABILITY of inside as well as outdoor materials and finishes will save money and time for repairs and replacement. APPEARANCE is important to all and most important to a few. The order in which these points are preferred will depend on individual taste and personality, on the priority , of family needs, and on finance. No plan or decision to buy can be attempted until all the information on the site conditions, the owner’s requirements and finance, have been consid-

ered. The considerations would be: orientation, view, site levels, access, adjoining buildings and winds. The owner’s requirements would include the number of rooms, dining arrangements, whether a separate laundry and lavatory are needed, the need for extensions, or special-purpose rooms.

If you are looking at a completed house, especially one ihat has been furnished so that the raw building cannot be inspected, a good rule is to examine the finishings carefully. The standard of fittings, details of joinery and finish generally reveal the standard of the unseen material and the work that has gone into the rest of the building. Tapping of the walls will indicate their firmness and solidity. Soft wall linings soon bring trouble with marks and breaks. A marble placed on the floors will reveal sagging joists or poor foundations if it rolls far. The kitchen, where there is much joinery and paint work, and less concealing or distracting furniture, is a good test room. Take a look at hidden surfaces; check the cupboard linings; note whether architraves are properly mitred. These are all tell-tale pointers to the standard of a house.