Renovating an older Barbadian house: what to check first

1. The roof, from inside

Not from the ground. In the roof space, with a torch. Look for: the connections between rafters and wall plate, the condition of the fixings, termite damage, rot around any past leak, sagging, and previous repairs done in whatever came to hand. Roof tie-down is the most important safety item in an older Barbadian house, and it is invisible from outside.

2. Rust stains and spalling concrete

Brown staining, blown patches and exposed steel on soffits, beams, columns and balcony edges mean the reinforcement inside is corroding. It expands as it rusts and pushes the concrete off. This gets worse on its own, it is much cheaper to treat early, and painting over it achieves precisely nothing.

3. Termites

Check every place timber meets masonry or ground: roof timbers, door and window frames, built-in joinery, cupboard backs. Tap it. Sound timber sounds solid. Damaged timber does not, and often looks perfect from outside because they eat from within.

4. The electrical installation

Older houses have frequently been extended piecemeal over forty years. Look at the board, look at how many circuits there are, look for earthing, and be honest about whether a house with three circuits and no residual current protection is what you want to live in. A full rewire is much cheaper before the finishes go on than after.

5. Plumbing, the tank and the pump

Galvanised pipework at the end of its life, a tank that has never been cleaned, a pump on its last legs. None of these is dramatic and all of them cost money. Check water pressure at the furthest tap, look for staining under sinks, and find out how old the pump is.

6. Drainage and ground levels

Walk the outside in your mind's eye during a downpour. Does the ground fall away from the building? Do the gutters and downpipes exist, connect, and go somewhere? Is there a soakaway, and is it working? A large share of internal damp in Barbados is external water that was never given anywhere to go.

7. Damp, and where it is really coming from

Damp is a symptom. Before anyone sells you a treatment, find the source: a roof leak tracking along a beam, a failed shower tanking on the other side of the wall, ground water against the wall outside, a blocked gutter, or condensation in a room with no ventilation. Treating the symptom is money spent to be disappointed later.

8. Windows, doors and shutters

Corrosion in metal frames, rot and termite damage in timber, failed seals, and whether there is any storm protection at all. Openings are the weak point in a hurricane, and older houses often have big ones with nothing to protect them.

9. What was added, and whether it was approved

Extensions, enclosed verandahs and converted garages are extremely common and not always approved. Ask for the approvals. An unapproved addition becomes your problem at sale, valuation and claim — and sometimes it has to come down. Establish this before you buy.

10. What is worth keeping

Not everything old is a problem. Thick masonry walls, deep overhangs, jalousies and cross ventilation are climate-appropriate design that modern houses often lack. Terrazzo floors, hardwood joinery and traditional detailing are frequently better than what would replace them. Sealing up an old house with modern airtight detailing usually creates damp rather than curing it; a good renovation works with how the building was designed to behave.