Pre-Purchase Building Inspection: Whom to Trust and What to Look For

Are you in your 20’s, 30’s, or 40’s? Welcome to adulthood — the stage of achieving lofty aspirations such as great career, lasting relationships, and a home to call your own.

Granted, you have saved enough for a downpayment and decided to buy a house. It’s your first time so you’re very excited yet a bit overwhelmed by all the responsibilities involved in home buying.

Relax. What you need is no secret to us. Maybe, you’ve thought about the answer, too.

You have to hire a reliable army of professionals with years of experience in sealing property deals. It’s a no-brainer: wise advice can save you a huge amount of trouble in your journey to home ownership.

But Whom to Trust?

There is a sad fact. In Australia, pre-purchase building inspectors do not require a license to do their job — except in Queensland. If inspecting a home for soundness is one of the key steps in securing a good investment and the industry is unregulated in most parts of Australia, how can you rely on their service?

For instance, if you live in NSW, you can find lots of home inspectors offering services at discounted rates but how will you know the most trustworthy of the pack?

The company that passes these tests are among your best bets:

Check the feedback given by their past clients/customers- both online and offline.
Ask them to cite their complaint handling policies and put it in black and white.
Since there are no standard property inspection fees, the rule that’s wise to follow is to doubt quotes (package usually) below $300.
Always obtain your own (i.e. independent) pre-purchase building inspection, don’t rely on the seller’s or the agent’s inspection report.

What’s Your Role in Pre-Purchase Inspections?

Suppose you have successfully chosen a trustworthy inspector. For transparency, he invites you to come along to witness the process. Do you know what defects to look for?

You may not have the same set of skills and experience as a professional inspector, but you should never miss this chance to walk through the house with his guidance.

According to licensed architects, you need to focus on the most important details to make the most of any building inspection:

Look up and above the roofs. There are real dangers to climbing roofs so you don’t have to go and inspect them yourself — that’s the inspector’s job. But be sure to ask about the condition of the tiles, gutters, and the ceiling.
Observe all possible entry points of water. Leaks, cracks, and crevices are all potential openings for water. Damages from water can be very expensive to repair, not to mention dangerous.
Check out the floor. You don’t need any high-tech equipment to check potential subfloor damage. Feel the “bounce” and place a marble on top of a floor to find out if it’s perfectly level.

If your inspector is thorough and the building report is easy to understand, you’re halfway through fulfilling one of your biggest goals.

We’d love to be part of your journey and help fulfill one of your greatest dreams. Let’s talk.