5 questions you should ask when buying a new house

When you’ve saved hard-earned money to buy a house, you’ll want to be as satisfied with it as you can be.

One of the biggest mistakes new homebuyers make is assuming that everything will work perfectly if they purchase a brand new house. However, problems can crop up, leaving new homeowners frustrated with a place they hope to spend most of their life in.

But we’ve got your back. In this article, you’ll find five important questions you should ask before deciding on a house.

1. Is it airtight?

Ensuring that the home you’re buying is airtight has significant efficiency benefits.

For example, an airtight home can help you save energy and reduce your energy bill. This is because it makes it harder for heat to enter and exit the home, requiring lesser energy for cooling during the summer and heating during the winter.

What’s more, air and moisture barriers reduce the odds of long-term damage to the home from the effects of humidity.

2. How is the HVAC system?

HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning. This is essential to the indoor comfort of your new home.

High-quality, high-performing homes require additional considerations for their heating and cooling systems — particularly with regards to fresh-air delivery.

HVAC systems can come in different forms. A good mechanical designer can help you find the right-sized HVAC system for your home.

3. How does the home deal with water?

Having water accumulate inside a home may just be one of the most displeasing things to experience in a new home. Not only is it annoying, but it can also bring about water damage and reduce the longevity of the home.

One of the ways to prevent this from occurring is to ensure that the home has adequate drainage and leak-proofing measures in place. 

4. Is it well insulated?

The quality of insulation plays a critical role in improving a home’s performance and comfort.

Stone wool insulation, in particular, has a number of significant benefits that can help enhance your quality of life:

• Fire resilience: Stone wool can withstand temperatures above 1000°C, allowing it to slow the spread of fire.
• Thermal insulation: Stone wool’s thermal insulation properties allow it to maintain a comfortable temperature indoors while reducing energy used for heating and cooling.
• Breathability: Stone wool is breathable, allowing moisture to pass through walls and out of the house. This protects homes against rot, mould, and humidity damage.
• Acoustic insulation: The high-density nature of stone wool makes it a great sound absorbed, reducing noise pollution from traffic and densely populated areas.

5. Are the windows and doors of good quality?

No matter how well-insulated a home is, it can be compromised by standard-code windows and doors. These are thermal bridges, which act as a pathway for heat to escape the home more rapidly. This can result in greater energy used to keep indoor air temperature at a consistent and comfortable level.

Selecting higher quality doors and windows will help ensure greater indoor comfort and more efficient energy spending.

> Do you want to learn more about how you can save money on your energy bill? Check our 5 tips for saving energy at home

After all, one of the benefits of buying a newly built home is the ability to customize it during the construction process with the long-term benefits of saving both money and the environment.  

If a home you like is missing some of the features mentioned above, you can always turn to your resident builder to see if they can make the necessary improvements.