7 forgotten factors to consider before you buy a home

If you’ve finally found your dream home after months of house hunting, don’t forget to consider a few important factors before sealing the deal. 

Finally finding a home that meets all your wants and needs is exhilarating. It can be a huge relief to nab something that fits your budget and also has all the space and amenities you’re after.

However, is there anything lurking beneath the surface that may impact you in the long run? Are there issues that will cause your home insurance to spike? Are there pests or troubling trees that want to disrupt your foundations? Is there a surprising stream of traffic on your doorstep every day for school pick-up?

Straight from the horse’s mouth – the Youi Home Insurance Claims team gave us a few red flags to look out for when making your future home decisions.

1. Don’t forget thorough inspections

So you’ve taken a look around and cast a close eye over your potential new home – but have you sought an expert opinion?

Youi recommends getting inspection reports from credible companies, including pest inspections, pool inspections, building inspections, plumbing and electrical inspections.

“From an insurance perspective, the main thing to consider is that insurance covers you for unforeseen events that happen after you buy your policy, not issues that existed before,” Youi Head of Home Product Chris Hope explains.

“If, for example, there was a water leak already occurring when you bought the property, then your insurance is unlikely to cover it, so you’d want a good inspector to find those sort of issues before you decide to buy.”

2. Look out for trees

Isn’t your lush and leafy backyard beautiful? It most definitely is, but large trees can also be an issue for multiple reasons.

Trees are glorious until they ruin the plumbing! Picture: Getty

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Firstly, strong root systems can interfere with pipes and drains, causing blockages or damage.

Secondly, overhanging tree branches can be a risk, especially in the event of a storm. Both could cause damage in the future, and in the case of drain blockage by roots, may not be covered by insurance.

3. How are your pipes?

Plumbing issues are an expensive problem to solve. So, before you buy that house you will want to be sure the pipes and plumbing are in working order.

One insider tip is to take a closer look at the grass in your front and back yard. If one patch seems to be long and luscious when the rest is not, this could indicate a leak below the surface.

4. Fresh paint

Many sellers will invest in a fresh coat of paint before putting their place on the market – just don’t let it fool you. Try to discern if the paint is covering up any issues, including dangerous mould.

A coat of paint covers all manner of sins. Picture: Getty

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Similarly, if the grout in your kitchen or bathroom looks new but the tiles are old, this could be covering up a mould problem that goes much deeper.

5. Are you near a park?

Living near to a park, bushland or green space is usually considered a plus. However, the Youi team confirmed this can be an issue from an insurance perspective.

Proximity to a park or public spaces can increase insurance premiums. Picture: Getty

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Parks and other public spaces can have higher crime rates, which insurers will note when they assess your property. Meanwhile, being near bushland can heighten your bushfire risk.

6. Are you close to public transport?

Similar to public parks, train stations or bus interchanges tend to experience “elevated levels of crime”.

While proximity to public transport may make your commute easier, it can also affect your home insurance premiums.

7. Other location undesirables

We’ve covered the main location bug bears for insurance, but in general it’s good advice to triple check the location of your new home.

Visit your desired property and neighbourhood at different times of day and days of the week to gauge potential noise and other irritants such as traffic or being under a flight path. 

Visit at night and multiple times in the day, covering key times such as school pick-up and drop-off, early morning, night, and peak hour.

Finally, listen to what the neighbours have to say about the place, get talking to people at the open home and you might get the inside scoop on the property of your dreams!