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HIA Member · AS 4349.1 Compliant

Your Pre-Property Purchase Inspection Checklist

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    Your Pre-Property Purchase Inspection Checklist

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    Purchasing a new home is an exhilarating experience, but it’s also a wide-open opportunity to end up with a home riddled with unforeseen problems. This is why building inspections are not a ‘nice to have’ but rather a necessity for homebuyers, especially first-time homeowners. The following is a brief overview of what a pre-property purchase inspection should include:

    Personal Inspections

    There are dozens of relevant questions that should be answered before deciding on a purchase, many of which can be answered with a simple, preliminary pre-purchase inspection. For example, what is the water pressure in your neighbourhood? Is the neighbourhood safe or has it experienced burglaries in recent years? Is noise a concern?

    Many of these considerations can be addressed by visiting the property yourself, but many require thorough research and a pre-purchase inspection from a qualified building inspector.

    Building Inspection

    Once the above basic questions have been answered to your satisfaction, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of building inspection. Carpenters and homebuilders aren’t all cut from the same cloth, with many faulty construction techniques or material use being invisible to the naked eye.

    This is why it’s useful to have a building inspector on hand, but it’s even better if the said inspector has worked as a carpenter in the past since they know what to look for and are aware of current and acceptable building practices.

    Pest Inspection

    Termites and rodents can quickly turn even the most beautiful home into an unsightly and potentially unsafe mess in short order, so ensure that your building inspection includes a pest inspection as well. This can help you take action to reduce the chances of pests from entering the home and causing damage to timber frames, for example.

    Surveyor’s Report

    Your property doesn’t necessarily end where your lawn meets the neighbour’s. If you plan to do any work on your property, it’s obviously important that you do so on property that is legally yours. Cadastre and property limits can be determined by a qualified land surveyor, which can point out easements and give you the legal understanding of exactly where your property line ends and your neighbour’s begins.

    Swimming Pool Inspection

    If your home came with a swimming pool or you’re planning to have one installed in the future, it’s important that you have a swimming pool inspection completed. This will outline where and how the swimming pool can be constructed and ensure that your swimming pool is compliant with state legislation in Victoria for the construction of not only swimming pools but also surrounding fences and signage, as necessary.

    Pre-Settlement Inspection

    All of the above pre-property inspections above have been completed and you’re ready to move in. Great, but there’s one last step. When it comes to purchasing anything as costly as property, caveat emptor implies that you’re moving into the home you initially contractually purchased and nothing less. In the case of cleanliness, paint, or any interim repairs or maintenance, one last pre-settlement inspection can help you verify that everything you agreed to purchase is as advertised.

    Building Property Inspections

    One of the most important considerations when buying a new home is peace of mind knowing that what you’ve purchased is what you’re getting. Home inspections in Melbourne can help you with all of your pre-purchase inspections and give you peace of mind and confidence for your dream home in Melbourne and surrounding communities.

    If you’re in need of reliable building inspections in Croydon, building inspections in Eltham, building inspections in Endeavour Hills, or property inspections in Preston, look no further. Our experienced team of inspectors will thoroughly assess the condition of your property, identifying any potential issues or safety concerns. With our comprehensive reports, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing the true state of your building.

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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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