Checklist: 10 Things to Inspect Before Buying an Old House

Old houses have a pull that newer builds rarely manage: thick walls, floorboards softened by a century of footsteps, doors that no longer quite close because the building has settled into its own shape. That character comes with a history, and a history comes with maintenance that may or may not have been done. What follows is the walkthrough worth making before you commit — bones first, then water, then the systems that keep a building dry and safe. Take a torch, a screwdriver and a notebook, and go slowly.

Start With the Bones

Structure is the one thing you cannot fix with a free weekend and a tin of paint. Walk the outside of the house before you step through the front door. Look at the brickwork at ground level, the line of the roof, and the way walls meet the ground. A wall that bulges outward, a roofline that dips in the middle, or a chimney leaning away from the stack are all worth a professional opinion.

Cracks deserve context rather than panic. Hairline cracks in plaster, and the odd one following a plasterboard joint, are usually cosmetic and often seasonal. Cracks that step diagonally along mortar joints, particularly at the corners of windows and doors, or that are wide enough to slide a coin into, are a different conversation. So are floors that slope noticeably or bounce when you walk across the middle of a room. Inside, check whether doors and windows have been planed down to fit — a common fix for movement — and whether any recent plastering is hiding a repaired crack.

Look at what is growing nearby

Large trees close to the house, especially thirsty species like willow, poplar and mature oak, can draw moisture from clay soils and cause movement as the ground shrinks and swells. That does not automatically mean trouble, but it is a question to raise with a surveyor.

Damp: The Most Expensive Smell in a House

You will often notice damp before you see it. A musty smell in the hallway, a cold feeling in one corner of a room, or a patch of plaster that sounds hollow when tapped are all clues. Look for tide marks along skirting boards, salt staining on the lower metre of a wall, blown paint, and dark patches behind furniture or inside cupboards.

Damp has several causes, and they are not treated the same way:

• Rising damp shows as staining and salt bloom low on the wall. Remedial treatments are sold aggressively, so get an independent view before accepting a diagnosis.
• Penetrating damp comes in through the building fabric — failed roof coverings, cracked render, blocked gutters, leaking flashings. Fix the source, not the stain.
• Condensation appears as mould on cold external walls, in corners and around window reveals. It usually points to poor ventilation and heating patterns rather than a structural fault.

Check the outside ground level too. If paving or soil has been built up above the original damp course, water has an easier route in. Air bricks blocked by a raised patio or a new flower bed are a small problem with large consequences.

Electrics: Never Take Safety on Trust

Old wiring is invisible until it causes a problem, so look at the clues. A fuse board with rewireable ceramic fuses, or a consumer unit with no residual current protection, suggests the installation predates modern standards. Round-pin sockets and black bakelite switches are a strong hint that nothing has been updated. So is fabric-covered or lead-sheathed cable visible in the loft or beside the meter.

A full rewire is invasive: floorboards up, walls chased, decoration redone in every room. Ask the seller for any electrical inspection certificates and when the wiring was last checked. If there is no paperwork, budget as though it needs work. Do not poke around inside a fuse board yourself — if anything looks doubtful, have a registered electrician carry out an inspection and quote before you exchange contracts.

Roof, Chimneys and Rainwater

Stand back across the road with binoculars where you can. Look for slipped or missing tiles, a sagging ridge, rusted fixings, and patches that do not match the rest of the roof. Then get into the loft with a torch. Daylight through the covering, dark staining on rafters, crumbly mortar around the chimney and damp insulation are all reasons to ask questions.

Gutters and downpipes cause more damp than most people expect. Check for cracks, sagging runs, joints that have pulled apart, and downpipes that discharge straight onto the wall rather than into a drain. A blocked gutter in heavy rain sends water into the eaves, the wall cavity and the foundations. While you are there, note whether unused chimneys are vented — a sealed-up flue with no airflow will trap moisture in the stack.

Windows, Doors and Draughts

Timber sash windows are worth keeping when they are sound, so test them properly. Press a screwdriver into the sill and the bottom rail; if the wood gives easily, rot has taken hold. Try opening the sashes — windows painted shut usually mean years of neglect. Misted double glazing, which appears as fog between the panes, means the sealed unit has failed.

Draughts around frames are often cheaper to solve than to replace. A carpenter can adjust sashes, replace worn cords and fit draught-proofing for far less than new windows cost. What matters more is ventilation: older houses were designed to breathe around chimneys, floorboards and ill-fitting joinery. Seal everything airtight without adding any deliberate ventilation and you invite condensation instead.

The Ten-Point Inspection Checklist

1. Structural movement: cracks, bulging walls, sloping or springy floors.
2. Damp: smell, tide marks, salt staining, blown plaster.
3. Roof and loft: daylight, staining on timbers, slipped tiles.
4. Rainwater goods: gutters, downpipes, gullies and where they discharge.
5. Electrics: fuse board type, cable age, sockets, any certification.
6. Plumbing and heating: leaks under sinks, pipe materials, boiler service history.
7. Windows and doors: rot, failed glazing, draughts, ease of opening.
8. Woodworm and timber rot: small flight holes, fine dust, soft floorboards.
9. Drainage: slow drains, smells, and whether inspection covers can be lifted.
10. Paperwork: building regulations sign-off, listed building consent, previous alterations.

Get Eyes on It That Aren't Yours

Visit more than once, and at different times if you can. A house that seems dry on a bright Tuesday may tell a different story during a downpour, and a musty smell is easier to notice in warm weather than in a cold hallway. Ask the seller directly about the last time the roof, gutters and boiler were serviced, and whether they have any guarantees for past work.

Then commission a building survey, not just a mortgage valuation — they are different things, and the valuation is for the lender, not for you. Choose a surveyor who regularly works on period properties and ask about that experience before you book. For specific worries, bring in the right specialist: an electrician for the wiring, a drainage contractor with a camera for the drains, a structural engineer for movement. Quotes obtained before you exchange contracts turn a vague worry into a number you can negotiate with or budget for.

Very few old houses pass this list perfectly, and that is not the point. Age means repairs, and repairs mean money. The goal is to know which ones you are taking on before the keys are in your hand. For anything touching structure, wiring, drainage or legal consents, rely on qualified professionals rather than a second opinion from the internet — including this one.

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