Know the house in Bedburg before you sign for it
A purchase contract is signed in a morning. A wet cellar stays for decades. We walk the property with you before you commit and tell you plainly what we see.
Rather talk it through 02165 171 666
- On site in Bedburg We come to the building, not to a folder of papers.
- From the building trade Judged by people who put up structural shells themselves.
- Explained plainly Every finding in words you can pass on to a seller.
01 The reason
An outside view before the notary sets a date
A viewing shows you rooms, light and layout. What sits underneath rarely appears in forty minutes with an agent at your shoulder. That is what we are for.
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You buy the condition too
Whatever is in the building on the day of sale belongs to you from handover. An early look sorts what costs money now from what can wait.
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You negotiate with facts
A named defect is something to discuss. An uneasy feeling is not. We give you the substance and you take it from there.
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You keep the choice
Sometimes the answer is a clear yes, sometimes it is to walk away. Both are good outcomes as long as they come before the signature.
03 The scope
What we look at
We work through the building from the bottom up and go where damage shows itself first. All of it without cutting into the fabric.
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01
Cellar and plinth
Moisture in walls and floor, salt bloom, visible sealing, condition of the cellar ceiling.
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02
Structure and walls
Cracks and the way they run, bearings, signs of settlement, wall build up where it can be read.
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03
Floors and stairs
Deflection, junctions, firmness underfoot, handrails and treads in an existing building.
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04
Roof and roof frame
Timber from the inside where it can be reached, build up and ventilation, traces of past water.
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05
Facade and windows
Render and masonry, junctions, sills, seals and the condition of the ironmongery.
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06
Damp and cold bridges
Visible signs at corners, reveals and internal walls, smell, and how the rooms are ventilated.
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07
Extensions and alterations
Later work, walls that were removed, openings that were closed, and what follows from it.
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08
Grounds and water
Ground levels, rainwater run off, light wells, access routes and retaining walls.
04 The sequence
Four steps, from the first call to the verdict
Kept short, because there is usually little time between a viewing and the notary.
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Enquiry
You tell us what this is about. We tell you whether we can make it, and when.
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Preparation
We read whatever paperwork exists beforehand. Floor plans, year built, earlier works.
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The walk through
We go round the property together. You are there and can ask as we go.
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The verdict
We summarise what stood out and sort it by how urgent it is.
05 Straight talk
What you will hear from us
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The quiet result too
When a house is sound we say so just as clearly as the opposite. A visit that ends in reassurance was worth the same money.
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No figure without a basis
We name no repair sum we cannot justify. Where an honest figure needs the fabric opened up first, we tell you that as an open question.
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On your side
We work for the buyer. We do not broker property and we have no interest of our own in the sale going through.
06 Examples
Check points we meet again and again
Example photographs for orientation. They show situations that occur in existing buildings and are not taken from any one property.
07 The limits
What this visit does not do
So you know where you stand: a property check is an expert first assessment on site, not an expert report with evidential weight.
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No cutting into the fabric
We open no walls, remove no components and expose nothing. What is judged is what is accessible and visible.
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No valuation
A market value is worked out under its own rules and belongs in a valuation report, not in a site visit.
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No energy certificate
That is issued by whoever is licensed to do so. We will tell you what strikes us about the state of the envelope.
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No legal advice
Questions about the contract, encumbrances or permissions belong with a notary, the authority or a solicitor.
If something turns up that needs a deeper investigation, we say so and name who carries it out.
08 The area
Bedburg and the towns around it
Bedburg sits in the Rhein-Erft district, between the river Erft and the edge of the old opencast fields. Its housing runs from brick buildings in the old centre to seventies estates, and each brings its own questions.
Around Bedburg
- Kaster
- Kirchherten
- Kirdorf
- Königshoven
- Lipp
- Rath
- Blerichen
- Broich
- Morken-Harff
- Kirchtroisdorf
And the surrounding towns
- Bergheim
- Elsdorf
- Kerpen
- Grevenbroich
- Rommerskirchen
- Jülich
- Titz
If your property sits just outside this list, ask anyway. It can usually be arranged.
09 Questions
What buyers ask us first
It depends on the week. Tell us when the viewing is and we will say honestly whether we can make it beforehand.
Preferably yes. Much of it takes two sentences to explain at the component itself and is harder to convey later. You will also think of questions on the spot.
Anything the seller has handed over: floor plans, year built, details of heating and roof, invoices for earlier work. It also works without paperwork.
Yes. We look at the flat and at whatever of the common property is accessible, such as the cellar, the stairwell and the facade.
You get a written summary of the findings. It is not a court report and we say so clearly beforehand.
It depends on size, age and travel. You are told the price beforehand and then decide.
Before the notary date is fixed
Tell us which property this is about. Everything else we can settle on the phone.