| Comment | 3 key things I always look out for:
1. The state of the close. This tells you well the communal parts are being looked after, which acts as a sort of proxy for how well the building is likely maintained
2. While you can't see the roof, again similarly you can get a good idea of what the state is likely to be by checking out the guttering - look for plants growing out of it, how recently its been painted etc. As part of any purchase you should always find out when the roof was last replaced because for many it was in the 80s/90s and they're coming up for needing done now (which could see you out of pocket £5k-£10k)
3. Stand next to the exterior wall at the entrance and look directly up. You're trying to see how straight the wall is, looking for any signs of untreated subsidence, particularly where there's bay windows. If it's bowing outwards and there's no iron reinforcement bands, that's a big potential problem. Similarly while looking at the close look carefully for any cracks - a few lines in the plaster from age is one thing but a floor to ceiling crack that doesn't follow any clear structural feature is potentially a big issue.
Obviously none of this replaces a proper structural survey, but can quickly indicate red flags |
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