Whether you are considering a home inspection for a property you’re buying, or one you are having built, hiring professional property inspection is the smart step before completing any house purchasing or building project. This process can potentially unearth problems and help you estimate repairs before you hand over your hard earned cash.
So, how does it work? A property inspection involves examining the structure of the house or building, as well as the systems within to make sure it is up to the standard required by the law. In terms of what it covers, a property inspection can also include the heating system, interior plumbing, floors, windows, attics and basements, among other things. The process of inspection can bring to light any repairs or maintenance tasks needed before you pay to purchase any property.
How can a property inspection save you time and money?
Since property inspections cost money, people are often tempted to skip the process, however they can save you money in the long term. Paying a little more up front for an inspection can potentially save you hundreds of thousands of pounds.
1. Unearth structural issues
Before you take the plunge and buy a new home or office space, a property inspection can uncover any issues that may add to your cost. While the price may seem a bargain, problems from termites for example can often add thousands of dollars in repair costs. Save yourself money in the long term by hiring a property inspector before you close on a purchase.
2. Check the quality of your construction work
If you are having a new property built and need to hand over payments to your contractors, then it is always wise to have the building site checked first. Ensuring that the work has been carried out to the highest standard will mean you are not faced with a surprise bill later to repair poor workmanship or get it up to the required standard.
3. Helps you negotiate the final price
It may be second nature to some of us to try our hand at haggling when making a purchase of any size, however, with the assessment of a property inspector you can add weight to your offer. Whether you are dealing with a real estate agency or a private seller, if the price seems a little steep, it probably is. If you hire a professional property inspector to evaluate the property as a third party, this will help you negotiate the price to a figure that is more affordable for you.
4. Time-saving
In addition to saving you money, hiring a professional property inspector can also save you time. This is because instead of you spending days going over every corner of the property, you can delegate this very important task to professionals with more experience.
Summary
Buying a home or property is usually the biggest purchase of someone’s life. Before taking the plunge and handing over big money, you should consider investing a little more short term and potentially save time and money long term. It can help you unearth any issues with the property relating to the structure or other systems so you can estimate any additional costs and purchase with the peace of mind that the property is really worth your money.
At Building Property Inspections we provide a wide range of services including property inspections, pest inspections and pre and post-purchase inspections and home inspection services in Melbourne. Get in touch today and speak to one of our friendly advisors.
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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Either works, and the right choice depends on how you are buying. For a private sale, most buyers make an offer subject to a satisfactory building and pest inspection, which protects the deposit while the property is checked. Ordering the inspection first costs you money on a property you might not end up winning, but it puts you in a stronger position because you are negotiating with the findings already in hand.
At auction the decision is made for you, since a winning bid is unconditional and no inspection clause can be attached afterwards. If you are weighing up several properties, a quick call with Nick on 0438 280 420 will usually sort out which order makes sense.
A standard inspection carried out to AS 4349.1 is a visual assessment, and asbestos cannot be confirmed visually. What we can do is flag materials consistent with asbestos containing products, which in Victorian homes commonly means cement sheeting to eaves, bathroom and laundry linings, older fencing and some roof sheeting.
Anything built before the mid-1980s carries a reasonable likelihood of containing it somewhere. Where we see something suspect, it is noted in the report with a recommendation for sampling by a licensed assessor, because only laboratory testing gives a definitive answer. Undisturbed material in sound condition is generally not an immediate concern, but it matters a great deal if you plan to renovate.
There is no pass or fail. An inspection is not an examination the property either clears or flunks, and no inspector issues a certificate declaring a home sound. What you receive is a description of the property's condition on the day, with defects identified and photographed so you can weigh them yourself. Almost every established home returns a list of findings, and that is normal rather than alarming.
The judgement about whether the property is still worth buying is yours, and it turns on the cost and complexity of what was found against what you are paying. Nick talks you through the findings by phone so that decision is an informed one.
The report describes the property as it was on the day of inspection, so it has no formal expiry but it does age. For a purchase running on a normal timeline of a few weeks between inspection and settlement, it remains an accurate picture.
Beyond a few months conditions can shift, particularly with anything moisture or pest related, since a wet Melbourne winter can change a subfloor considerably and termite activity can establish in a matter of months. If a sale falls through and you come back to the same property a year later, a fresh inspection is the safer course rather than relying on the earlier document.
Victoria does not licence pre-purchase building inspectors the way it registers builders and building surveyors, which means the standard of practitioners varies more than most buyers expect. Since the entry bar is low, what you should check is the substance behind the name: relevant trade or building experience, current professional indemnity and public liability cover, membership of a recognised industry body, and inspections carried out to AS 4349.1.
All our inspections are conducted personally by Nick, a qualified carpenter by trade, and we have held HIA membership for more than fifteen years with full insurance in place. Ask any inspector you are considering to confirm the same in writing.
We inspect apartments, units, townhouses and villas as well as freestanding houses. The difference with strata titled property is scope. The inspection covers the interior of the lot you are buying, along with accessible common areas immediately serving it, such as the entry, balcony and any allocated car space or storage cage.
Building wide elements including the roof, facade, lifts and basement usually sit with the owners corporation, so problems there become shared costs rather than yours alone. For that reason an apartment inspection works best read alongside the owners corporation certificate and recent meeting minutes, which reveal known defects, planned works and any special levy on the horizon.
The distinction matters because it tells you which findings deserve your attention. A major defect is one affecting the structural integrity, weather tightness, safety or serviceability of the building, or one that will need significant work to correct. Think substantial movement in footings, a compromised roof structure, active water penetration or an unsafe balustrade.
A minor defect is the everyday deterioration and imperfect workmanship any building accumulates, such as small render cracks, perished seals, sticking doors or worn paintwork. Our reports separate the two rather than presenting one long undifferentiated list, so you can see at a glance which items are material to your decision and which are simply maintenance.
The overview tells you what is visible and apparent, which for most buyers is sufficient. We note obvious issues such as corroded pipework, poor drainage, evident leaks, exposed or clearly amateur wiring and missing safety switches. What it is not is a licensed plumbing or electrical certificate, because testing circuits, pressure testing pipes and running a drain camera all sit outside a visual inspection.
If our report raises a concern, or the home is older and has never been rewired or replumbed, engaging a licensed electrician or plumber for a specific assessment is money far better spent before settlement than after.
Yes. Post purchase and maintenance inspections are a regular part of what we do, and there are several good reasons to book one. Owners commonly arrange an inspection before starting renovations, when preparing to sell and wanting to address problems before a buyer finds them, when something new has appeared such as a crack or a damp patch, or simply as a periodic health check on an older home.
Investors also use them between tenancies to document condition. The report is the same detailed document with colour photographs, giving you a prioritised picture of what needs doing now and what can wait.
Yes, this situation carries both extra risk and extra rules. In Victoria an owner-builder selling within roughly six and a half years of the occupancy permit or final inspection is generally required to provide a defects report prepared by a prescribed practitioner, and warranty insurance may also apply. Buyers often hear this referred to loosely as the seven year rule.
Beyond the paperwork, owner-built work varies enormously in quality, and an independent inspection is especially worthwhile where the person who built the home also signed off on their own decisions. Confirm the legal position with your conveyancer, then call us on 0438 280 420 to arrange the inspection.
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