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Pre-Purchase Inspection in 5 Steps

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    Pre-Purchase Inspection in 5 Steps

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    Whether you are planning to buy a new or existing home, a pre-purchase inspection is a necessary check to ensure the condition of the property in question. This inspection may allow you to renegotiate the offer to purchase and even cancel it in some cases. This is great insurance that will comfort you in your choice, in addition to protecting you when discovering a hidden defect.

    Certainly, to call in a building inspections in Melbourne has a cost. Moreover, these costs are entirely the responsibility of the buyer. However, be certain that this investment is much less compared to the amounts you will have to pay if you buy a house whose problems have not been detected beforehand.

    Discover in this article 5 steps for a successful home inspection!

    1. Find a house to buy

    Before considering the inspection of the house, the first step will obviously be to find a property to buy. To help you in this process, you can call on the services of a real estate broker. This professional will offer you their services completely free since it is the seller of the house who will pay a commission once the sale is concluded.
    In order to finance your real estate project, it will surely be useful to find a broker for your home loan. Depending on your situation, the broker will shop around for loans offered by the banks in order to find you the best rate. Again, you pay nothing, as the broker is paid by the banks every time he finds a new customer.

    2. Choose a professional for a home inspection

    Unless you have solid construction knowledge, using a building inspector is an important step in the buying process. At this advanced stage, you have already submitted an offer to purchase. The report of the inspection will assert the conformity of the house.
    The inspector will be a significant player who can allow you to renegotiate the conditions of the offer to purchase if, for example, the house requires some renovation work. In other cases, it may allow you to cancel the transaction if he discovers serious problems that have never been mentioned.
    For all these reasons, it is essential to choose an inspector with many years of experience in building inspections.
    However, be sure to check that he has professional insurance covering errors and omissions in building inspection allowing you to have recourse if you have a problem in the years following the purchase of the house.

    3. Perform the pre-purchase inspection

    A home inspection is essential if you want peace of mind during the entire purchase process. You can simply mandate a professional or decide to accompany him during the visit to make sure that the house meets your expectations. During this inspection, the professional will analyse the visible and easily accessible components of the house, in order to detect any problems and hidden defects.

    Among the components to inspect, we find:

    • Structure (foundations, walls, ceilings);
    • Roofing (gutters, coverings, ventilation);
    • The interior of the house (finishes, floors, doors and windows);
    • Building mechanics (plumbing, electricity, heating, air conditioning, ventilation);
    • Insulation (type of insulation, air barrier, vapour barrier, caulking);
    • The exterior layout of the house;
    • Stoves and fireplaces.

    4. Delivery of the inspection report

    The pre-purchase inspection usually comes after you have submitted an offer to purchase under certain conditions. The seller has an average period of 7 to 10 days to accept, refuse or submit a counter-offer (the signed contract will specify precisely the date and time of expiry). The inspection of the building must then return in time to verify the conformity of the house and quickly lead to a sale.
    Generally, the inspector can give you his report 48 hours after his visit. This delay is necessary to study the photos taken during the visit and carry out additional research on suspicious elements. An inspection report is a valuable tool that includes tips and recommendations that will help you to address existing problems.

    5. Signature of the promise to purchase following a favourable inspection

    If your inspector finds nothing wrong with the inspection and the problems detected are minimal, then it is time to sign the promise to purchase. The next step will be the signing of the deed of sale. You then become an official owner!

    Looking for a professional for your pre-purchase inspection?

    Call Building Property Inspections Melbourne on 0438 280 420 today to book your pre-purchase inspection.

    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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