It's hard to find the perfect home, especialy for first home buyers. With high hopes and a list of wants but a limited budget sometimes you can't find something that suits you, thats where renovating comes into play. Look for potential in a caterpillar that you can turn into a beautiful butterfly, or if you don't want to wait or are not handy find one that someone has transformed for you, they're definately out there!
Things to look out for are piles that have moved, it is costly to repile a home so an uneven floor means something has gone on. Old wiring means the home needs a rewire to make it safe to live in. Old copper plumbing or plumbing means it will need to be replaced, in saying that I recently find out first hand that the old copper is worth some cash at the scrap metal so don't just dump it, cash it in.
What do you need a consent for? Moving plumbing, changing the size of windows or doors, installing insulation into exterior walls, changing or installing a log burner or adding onto the house. What can you do without a consent? You can replace the windows and doors with the same size and exact location, you can change your front of wall fixtures in the bathrooms in the same location, you can change your lighting or install a heat pump, or put new flooring down. You can replace the roof and put in a new kitchen as long as the kitchen plumbing stays in the same place. A lot of this work has to be done by an LBP or registered electrician or plumber but some things can be done DIY styles.
If you have any building or renovating questions don't hesitate to reach out. Or if you are house hunting and would like some advice on what's possible I love puzzless and creating something new from something old.