If you are looking into buying a property then it's important to understand just what a huge commitment and expense this represents.
For many of us this will be the most we ever spend on anything, and from that point onwards it's going to dictate the way we live our lives, how we spend our time and how comfortable we are.
At the same time a property can also impact on our health and safety, and on that of our family too.
As such it's highly important to make sure that when you are choosing a property you do everything you can to ensure you make the right decision.
This of course means involving the experts like your property surveyors, but it also means making the right checks yourself.
Here we will look at some things to look out for yourself when you go to view a property.
The Neighbourhood The neighbourhood you're going to live in might not be what you're buying but it will still have a huge impact on how happy you are in your new home.
This will affect everything from how safe you feel walking around, to how noisy everything is, to the quality of your children's education.
You won't be able to know for certain about an area until you've moved in, but in the meantime you can make sure it's as good as possible by spending some time there, by having a look around and by reading online what people think.
If there's someone you can speak to in the neighbourhood then this should also make a big difference.
Mould and Cracks A lot of the actual structural issues will be more suited for your surveyors to check than you.
That said though there are some things you can look out for yourself and mould and cracks are two of the principle ones.
If you notice mould gathering then often this can be a chronic issue and a sign you shouldn't move in so look in the air pockets behind furniture and curtains.
At the same time cracks in the wall might be a sign that there is structural stress on the house, so look out for them but be careful not to mistake them with cracks in the paint which of course is less of an issue.
The good news is that if you do miss anything here like mould or cracks then your surveyor will find it.
Still though you're better off making sure you spot them yourself first as this way you can avoid spending money on a surveyor for a property you're not going to move into - and of course you can avoid wasting your time that way too.
Space and Size The space and the size of the property are things that you will judge subjectively for your own requirements and thus your surveyor can't really help you here.
Look around the space and try to imagine living there, and whether or not your things will fit there.
Take your time because this decision is one you won't only have to live with but actually live in.