When you are buying a house, it is a time of mixed emotions. Firstly, you feel excited – you’re buying a property, perhaps for the first time, and it’s a fantastic opportunity and feeling! On the other hand, it is a time of worry and stress, because there are basically so many things that can go wrong!

The good news? There are people out there who are dedicated to helping you out, before you sign any papers and make a potentially costly mistake.

One thing you must do before you make a final buying decision is to hire a surveyor.

What is a Surveyor?

A surveyor is someone who basically checks the property out for any hidden issues that you may not be aware of, and informs you about whether the property is worth buying or not, as well as whether the price you are paying is fair.

Basically, there are two different types of service which are offered. Surveyors Dublin area will be able to fulfil both of these roles, namely the homebuyer’s report and the full building survey.

A homebuyer’s report is the most basic type of survey, and again, if you are in the Dublin area and you’re looking to purchase a property, this is something which surveyors Dublin can help you with. This is the best option to go for if the property you’re thinking of buying is under 30 years old and there is nothing particularly unusual or strange about it. This type of survey will tell you of any urgent problems to structures, and will basically help you to decide once and for all whether this is a purchase you want to make, as well as whether the price is right.

The second type of survey which surveyors Dublin are on hand for, is a full building survey.

This is a more expensive type of survey, and it is one which is recommended for buildings which are a little older, say over 30 years old, as well as for properties which have undergone major renovation in the past, or those which you are planning on renovating yourself. This type of survey will be able to tell you in more detail about the structural soundness of the property, it will tell you about the level of damp (if any), any damage which is currently in the walls, the level of damp proofing, drainage, and the insulation too. Basically, you will be able to see whether you are making a sound investment, or a bad one.

Why Employing Surveyors Dublin is so Important

You wouldn’t throw cash at just any old purchase, so when you are looking to spend a large amount of money, it’s important to know that you are getting value for money. You want to also know that you’re not paying over the top for the property you’re looking at, and you want to know if there is anything lurking under the surface that may not be evident to the naked or untrained eye. A survey can give you all of this information, and can therefore avoid a potentially disastrous purchase, which is going to see you lose a considerable amount of cash.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of purchasing a property, especially your first one, but it’s always best to stay cautious.

Protecting Your Future Investments in the Country Offaly Area

Whether it is your first or tenth purchase, buying a house is a big decision. It’s so easy to get caught up in the thrill of the chase, but you should always keep your eyes open and your head in the game, to avoid being stuck with a property which has more problems than you may have first realised.

If you are thinking of buying a property in the County Offaly area, you will more than likely be looking for the services of surveyors Offaly. Of course, shopping around is important, but it’s vital to realise that there is a major difference between a survey and a valuation.

A valuation is done before the whole process begins, but a survey can help you understand whether the valuation is really realistic for the state of the property.

If you’re not sure what a survey is, and what it does, basically it gives you important information about the structural integrity of the property, and it tells you if you are about to make a mistake or not. As you can see from that quick explanation, a survey is a vital part of property purchasing!

Surveyors Offaly And What They Can do For You

There are two main types of survey, a homebuyer’s report and a full building survey. If you are buying a house which is less than 30 years old and isn’t particularly unusual in any way, then you are probably going to make do with a homebuyer’s report. This is the most basic type of survey that surveyors Offaly can help you with, and will give you important information on any structural issues which could make a difference to its value, and help you make an informed decision on whether to go ahead or not, at the price you have been given.

On the other hand, if the property you’re thinking of buying is older than this, or if it is listed, been renovated, or it is your intention to renovate it, you need something a little more in-depth. Again, surveyors Offaly can do this for you, and it is called a full building survey.

A full building survey does cost more, but it works out very cost effective if you think about the fact it can stop you buying a property which is riddled with issues. This type of survey will tell you about any major issues, as well as minor ones, it will tell you what effect they may have, if any, and it will also estimate how much these issues will cost to put right.

The survey will also tell you about the existing damp proofing, the timber quality, the insulation, and the drainage. As you can see, this is all information you need quite urgently before signing on the dotted line. A full building survey will also give you advice on what you should do about these issues.

Making a huge investment requires time and effort in the decision making process. One wrong move and you could be looking at a huge loss, and it is for this reason alone that a survey is a complete must do as part of the property buying consideration and process. If you are buying your fifth, sixth, or even seventh property, don’t be fooled into thinking you don’t need a survey – this is a must do!

There is no secret that energy is very expensive in Northern Ireland. A useful trick is to lower your bill and energy prices by making your home an energy saver sanctuary.

What is a Condensing Oil Boiler?

Even though Firmus gas services are increasing their area of influence inside Northern Ireland territory, many citizens still rely on the classic oil heating technique in order to decrease their bills.

The common oil order across the country is about 500 liters of oil. Thanks of the price falls that recently occurred, the price for that is extremely accessible. The problem comes when we are talking about using the whole oil amount efficiently. I can tell you for sure that if no condensing boiler is used, you are wasting almost a quarter of the ordered oil.

A condensing boiler is the installation that will enable you to transform more than 93% of the whole oil amount into effective heat. Don’t waste your money on standard boilers than can only use about 60% of your oil and start investing in something that can really help you save money on long term basis.

Facts About Condensing Boiler

The best condensing boiler available on the market is the Grade Euroflame 50-70 module, rated grade A. This state-of-the-art product amazes us with a secondary heat exchanger. This extra-component has the role of collecting some of the hot gasses released after burning the oil for the sole purpose of heating the water feed to the heating chamber, gaining in this way an extra amount of high temperature gasses.

The gained heat is obtained by the gasses condensing and to the fact that extraction of the latent heat is allowed.

The difference between the standard boilers and the condensing boilers stands in the fact that for the first type, the temperature of the exhausted gasses is around 200 degrees, while for the more advanced one, the temperature lays somewhere around 50 degrees, meaning that the ratio heat/oil is much closer to what every client wants, an efficient use of their money.

Efficiency in One Word: Insulation

One of the most important facts to be considered when buying a new condensing boiler is to assure that your pipes installation is lagged with insulation. In order to avoid unnecessarily loss of heat, all pipes should be lagged with an extra amount of insulation to get the whole system as efficient as possible.

For the case in which you are not so well prepared in lagging a pipe installation or simply you don’t want to do it, I suggest you to buy an external oil boiler. This one comes with some pipes extremely well insulated and it is ready to be mounted anywhere you want.

Another tip for you to keep your house heater is to loft and cavity your walls insulation. Cheap deals and ideas are provided by Power NI on how to reduce the cycles of your condensing boiler and how to efficiently conserve your house heat.

Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV’s)

TRV’s are one of the most brilliant ideas introduced into this industry. These valves have the role of monitoring the temperature on each room inside your house and according to it they automatically adjust the water flow amount from the boiler to the radiator.

From my own experience I can say that this component is ‘gold’. When I turned the heating on, I have noticed that the radiator was getting very hot, and when the room reached at the desired temperature it cooled down, maintaining a constant living environment in the house and assuring a constant flow of water.

For sure with this extra-option included in your package you will save on long term a lot of money and oil!

Definition of the condensation

First of all, when it comes about a problem you have to know what it really means. So I come with the short description of the condensation. This represents some drops of water which appear on the cold surfaces in your home. It may be confounded with other problems such as rising or penetrating dump. The condensation may appear on the windows, walls or anywhere cold surface in your house.

The condensation is a common problem in Northern Ireland due to its favorable climate.

Causes Of The Condensation

If you have the condensation problem in your house you have to know what produces it. The fact is that the warm air holds more moisture than the cold air, and the change of the temperature helps creating the condensation.  The warm air vapors deposit on the cold surfaces in your house (such as cell, window, wall, doors) and if the problem regularly appears it can lead to the mold growth. So, you don’t want to neglect this problem.

In Northern Ireland, the people have the condensation problem in the cold winters. They don’t use to open the windows and the doors in the winter as much as they do it in the summer. Nowadays they have improved their houses with some uPVC double and triple gazed which are more efficient than the ones they usually used in the times gone by. Also, they see the wood burning stoves in their homes very efficient.

How to Prevent the Condensation

There are some things you have to respect in order to keep away the condensation problem:

• Keep your house at a stable temperature during the day;
• Try to install some windows and doors which don’t need natural ventilation, such as uPVC windows and doors;
• Pay attention to the extractor fan above the shower. If this is not powerful enough to remove all the steam, you can be sure that the condensation will appear all over your house;
• Always open the windows when you are cooking, because the steam will easily escape;
• The loft must be well ventilated to it can’t block the air flow;
• The loft door must be insulated because there is a common cold portion where the vapors can condense;
• Try to dry your clothes outside the house. Now, there are popular the roofed areas where you can dry the clothes without worrying about the condensation. Although, if you prefer using a tumble dryer, make sure that this is vented to the outside;
• Do not ever use bottled gas or paraffin heaters indoors.

The fact is that to stay away from the condensation, you have to assure your home with good ventilation because all the vapors need a way to escape. Also, it is really important to keep the vapors away from your bedroom at night.

If the problem is advanced and the mold have installed on your house’s walls you have to know that this is easy to clean with some water solution and a clean and soft cloth.

Northern Ireland Property Surveyors

If you are not sure that you have condensation in your home, we can offer you a property survey. Our solution come in helping you recognize the cause of the unknown spots. This will allow you to work for a remedy.

When buying a house, or thinking about getting the one currently occupied, restored or renovated, one aspect of the process gets ignored most often. This is related to the structural integrity, conditions of support structures and the state of energy supply through the house, among others. Often, it is seen that a new house is purchased without first getting a house-wide survey done to ensure that there is nothing lacking in the structure.

This problem is becoming especially prevalent in Ireland, where although the majority of the houses are of good quality, some buildings are in desperate need of repair.

How Beneficial Full Dwelling Surveys Really Are

Suppose you have a place of residence that has dampness issues in the walls or near breakage support structures. While that may not look like much initially, such defects can cause damage over time, even weakening the structural integrity of the house.

Mould, leakages, wall and floor distortion, cracks and fissures, all of these are potentially harmful conditions that can be solved by having a full dwelling survey done. Once you have the survey performed, improvements can be made upon the place of residence to eradicate the issue.

3 Reasons to opt for a Full Dwelling Survey

Following are the main reasons why you should opt for a full dwelling survey.

Small Defects can be Highlighted and Dealt With

Often, the smaller defects are the ones that can cause more damage over time. This is because they go virtually undetected until they become major risks to the house itself. Examples of minor defects are leakages in the piping and tiny fissures in the drainage systems. These defects have the potential to escalate to an unmanageable state, resulting in drastic measures. A full dwelling survey can assist in the detection of these defects as a preemptive measure.

Structural Defects can be Detected and Treated in Time

Problems with the structure of the place of residence can become a major issue if left unchecked. This is because the structure is the most vital aspect of the house. If there are cracks in the walls and at the point where the pillars meet the roof, the dwelling is generally considered unsafe for residence, and should be cleared immediately, until the damage is repaired. To avoid the hassle later, it is always best to have a full dwelling survey performed beforehand, so that these potentially dangerous faults can be taken care of.

Septic tanks and Drainage Systems can be Inspected

There is nothing worse than a leaking septic tank, especially when one is near the main water supply. The contamination that could result from such a defect can be extremely injurious to health, which is why septic tanks and drainage systems should be checked for damage through a survey. This will not only protect the water supply, but the health of the residents as well.

A-COM Surveys can assist you with an efficient and detailed full dwelling survey. Contact us for more details and to schedule appointments.