People who
are about to get onto the first rung of the property ladder, or who are about
to take that next step up, should take a real ladder with them for
viewings.  No, it’s not some kind of
metaphor or good luck charm – a ladder can help answer a lot of questions, and
show up some very important things that could help you avoid putting your hard
earned capital into a property that ends up eating your money.

A ladder can
reveal all sorts of hidden surprises that can sway you one way or the
other.  In a home without a built in loft
ladder you’ll be hard pushed to check whether the loft is insulated properly
and to what extent it is boarded out (if at all).  The seller won’t want anyone using their
ladders, so bringing your own means you can see into spaces that you can’t from
the floor.

Ladders give
you the height you need to check things like the tops of cupboards – often
cracks in plasterwork will be hidden behind these features, and the general
cleanliness of these areas can also give you an idea of how well the property
has been looked after. Nobody deep cleans the tops of their kitchen cupboards
regularly, it’s barely even a yearly job for a lot of people, but decades of
grease and grime built up on top of kitchen units indicates that bigger
maintenance jobs (such as flushing the heating system, or cleaning gutters)
could have been overlooked. 

On the
subject of gutters, a portable ladder will allow you access to ground floor
extension level guttering so you can see how well it is cleaned.  Guttering issues aren’t the most expensive to
fix, but if you’re deciding between a handful of similar properties these
issues can help you to narrow down the choice a little.  Persistently neglected guttering, however, can
lead to overflows which can cause structural damage, especially to older
properties.

Don’t feel
that taking a ladder along to a viewing is being “over the top”; buying a
property is a big investment and you have every right to check out a potential
purchase before parting with your cash. 
You wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes without trying them on, so it makes
sense to carry out more thorough checks when you’re spending hundreds of
thousands of pounds.

Homeowners
need ladders, so buying a small, portable one for viewings is a good investment
anyway.  Telescopic ladders are ideal for
viewings as they will fit comfortably in even the smallest vehicle, and can be
easily taken via public transport. 
Folding step ladders are also an excellent investment and will fit
easily in a car (although they are less well suited to long journeys on public
transport). 

If you’re
looking to buy a fixer-upper then it is worth taking a more versatile piece of
equipment like a multipurpose ladder, or one of the Little Giant models that
can be used in several different configurations.  This will allow you to check out all sorts of
aspects of the property that you couldn’t access as easily with a standard
ladder.  The chances are you already own
or have access to this type of ladder if you’re intending to refurbish a
property doing the work yourselves, but if not then you’ll certainly need one
if your offer is successful.

Whether you
need a portable ladder for viewings, a stepladder for checking out internal
features with a view to taking on a DIY project, or a multi-purpose ladder for
carrying out that work, Midland Ladders has a great range of options to choose
from, all with next day delivery.