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At the end of the long, tedious process of finding a suitable property, accessing a mortgage and moving in, the person who has finally stopped paying rent or moved out of their parents' house should naturally be expected to heave a huge sigh of relief and sleep well under what will eventually become his or her roof.

That may be so, but to secure that roof some more expenditure is necessary. And for someone who has just been through a mentally and financially exhausting process, that little bit more can be the breaking point.

"Unless you buy a brand new house, you are going to have to some work," said contractor Wesley. "Is not only for comfort, but first of all for safety."

In that safety mode, the first thing to be checked on is the electrical wiring, to ensure that the voltage is stable, there are no short circuits and the various fuses are in place. Then there is the plumbing, checking for leaks as well as the sewerage, whether it goes to a pit or to a sewage main.

Utilities

"Light and water are key to any house," Wesley said. "But in addition to that there is almost always something to be done with the kitchen and bathroom, as well as cupboards and storage space."

He does the necessary electrical and plumbing checks, the minimum fee being $2,000 each. It may not seem like a huge sum, but with the purchaser's cash normally being very low at this point it can be critical.

And this is also at a point where the person has started paying the mortgage, that in itself being a very significant sum. As to the necessary repairs themselves, the sky is the limit as far as that is concerned.

Wesley advises that persons who are entering the home ownership market should keep these costs in mind. "I call it the opening costs, just like how you have closing costs for the mortgage itself," he said. "It is what you have to do to make sure that when you open your door you are going into a place that is safe. Not only that, but you have to keep the value of the place up."

As such, he advises that these costs to the new homeowner should not be seen as an extra burden, but the start of the regular maintenance that is required.

"It is the sort of check that you should do every year anyway," Wesley said.