Inspect Before You Buy

Although it is now a requirement that anyone selling a home has an energy performance certificate (EPC) and valuation report for the property, these will not identify any potential problems with existing insulation. You can pay as much as £900 (as at January 2016) for these reports, yet neither of them include an inspection of the property’s cavities.

A serious problem hiding in the walls

Insulation that is old, damaged or that has been poorly installed can all cause cold spots and allow damp to penetrate. However, these problems can take years to show up. In the meantime, the house is silently losing heat and the problems are growing.

So a visual inspection alone cannot determine if a house has suitable insulation and is not at risk from penetrating damp. To do this you need to:

1 – Look inside the cavity to check the quality of the insulation

2 – Look inside the cavity to check for voids

3 – Check for adequate ventilation

4 – Check the condition of the flue