A city with a mix of properties stretching from gorgeous Georgian design to the square people farms of the 90’s to the more contemporary space solving and environmentally friendly homes of all shapes and sizes that are becoming more popular across all parts of the city. The one thing that all these houses have in common, is that at some point of another the owners or tenants will be dealing with problems that sometimes seem medieval. Although in London’s oldest property that is probably the case!

When looking at the most common issues it’s always good to speak to someone who know what they are talking about. Luckily, we know a London estate agent with over 30 years experience who has been lucky enough to work on the full scope of housing across London, from the most historic to the most modern and decadent.

Who deals with the problem?

When people have recently bought a home, new build and old. or are looking at buying a home this is a common question. There is always lots of confusion over whether problems, especially in the exterior or drainage are problems of the homeowners or the local council (or whoever owns the land surrounding your property through which the pipes will travel). Simply put the best way to know about this is to read through your contract and always keep a copy within the property for you to access if queries like this arise. For anyone renting, the resolution of the issues is always the burden of the landlord and you should contact him, or the agency with which he is renting the property.

Energy Performance Certificates – How important?

Rightly so, the world is moving towards more environmentally friendly services. This also means that your property has to meet standards set by the governing body in your country and/or region. Notoriously, older properties deemed to be aesthetically beautiful, like many of those properties for sale in Mayfair, frequently receive poor scores on this tests. This shouldn’t be a warning for potential buyers however as these can easily be fixed with modern boilers and window adaptations.

Water everywhere, but not when you need it.

In a city with such a high population and with so many abodes so tightly congregated, it is common that when property is affected by an issue it will also impact those around it. For issues where there is water leaking in to your home, speak with those in the flats around you. This could be good to understand if there is an issue that goes beyond simply your property and might be the fault of/responsibility of another. This can help provide relief on having to stump up the money for the repairs for an issue that wasn’t your fault.

For more long-term water issues, such as poor water pressure, this is an issue that will almost certainly remain with you until there is a large overhaul of the London water system. There are small fixes you can pay for but they will only provide a small difference.

Hot Water/Heating Issues

If you have a problem with the taps in your house, it is almost always usually a plumber is first port of call, however this isn’t always the best option. It is understandable if you weren’t even aware that there was another option in the form of a Gas Engineer. If you haven’t got any hot water or heating, it’s most likely to be a faulty gas valve and this can easily be rectified by a Gas Engineer. Always use a professional when dealing with Gas as it is illegal to try to work on it without being GasSafe qualified!