Are you looking to purchase a new house?
Buying property is always a big decision, and no matter if you’re planning on buying an investment property or your forever home, having a professional building inspection carried out will ensure you’re making the right one.
An inspection by licensed professionals like Twin Cities Building & Pest Inspections will ensure the house is structurally sound and won’t cost you an arm and a leg in repairs further down the track.
In this article we will provide a brief overview of our inspection process and what you can expect our assessors to look out for during the inspection.
What is a building inspection report?
A pre-purchase building inspection and following report is a written account of the property’s condition and is as the name suggests, performed before a property contract is drawn up and signed by the new owners. The inspection report will tell the potential property buyer about major structural defects and minor defects of the property such as movement in the walls (cracking), safety hazards or mould and moisture damage.
As soon as 24-48 hours after we have conducted the inspection, we will provide you with an easy-to-read and detailed Property Report, stating the overall condition of the property. The comprehensive report will include areas of concerns and their level of severity so you are fully aware of the condition and can avoid any uncertainties. It’s important to note that the inspection report is never a warranty against any further defects and will also not include any cost estimates for repairs.
It is highly recommended to combine your pre-purchase building inspection with a termite and pest inspection, to ensure the property is safe from termite damage or infestation. Get in touch to enquire about a combined building and pest inspection and how you can save off the total cost.
What does the inspector check?
A qualified building inspector will thoroughly examine the overall structure and condition of the property. They will perform inspections on accessible areas on both external and internal walls and roofs, under the house and around the exterior. The accessible parts of a property our inspectors will examine includes:
- Interior and exterior of the building
- Roof space
- Garage, carport and garden shed
- Separate laundry or toilet
- Small retaining walls (i.e., non-structural)
- Steps, fencing, paths and driveways
- Roof exterior (subject to health and safety regulations)
- Under-floor space
It’s recommended you are present during the inspection to make it easier for your building inspector to communicate with you their findings and show you any points of concern. It will also give you an opportunity to request the inspector to pay extra attention to any particular items or areas on the site that you are concerned about.
What’s not included in a building inspection?
Before you book in for an inspection of your new or intended home, make sure you’re aware of what’s included in a building report and what’s not. This is to eliminate any confusion once the report has been issued. A building inspection report should not be seen as an all-encompassing account of the property, but rather a reasonable attempt by the inspector to to identify any major defects invisible to the untrained eye.
Below we have provided a general list of items and areas NOT included in a standard building inspection:
- Inaccessible items: If it’s not readily accessible to the inspector it won’t get examined. This includes any item or area covered by walls, ceilings, or large furniture.
- Home appliances: If property comes with inclusions in form of built-in home appliances such as ovens or air-conditioning units, it’s worth being aware that standard inspections DO NOT cover any of these items.
- Home accessories: As with any home appliances, home accessories such as alarm systems, smoke detectors or sprinkler systems will not be included in the inspections and will need to be inspected by homeowners themselves.
- Size and layout: Our inspectors are not responsible for assessing weather or not your furniture might fit into your new home or if the layout is maximising daylight etc.
- Fireplaces, Pools or Saunas: These additions to your home are also not included in the building report. You will have to book a specialised inspection in order to get these items checked.
- Compliance to building codes: A building report will not report on whether or not a property is compliant with any building codes or regulations.
- Inspection of the land: Our inspections also exclude assessment of the land where the property sits and will not comment on any possible landslide, erosion or flooding matters.
If you would like for any of the above-mentioned items to be included in the report, you can always get in contact to enquire about a special-purpose inspection. Remember, certain areas require industry expert for an accurate assessment which do not fall under our inspectors’ scope of work.
Twin Cities Building Inspection
If you’re not sure what the inspection will cover or would like more information, you can always read our Building Inspections FAQ’s.
Call TCBPI today at 07 4723 2770 or enquire online to know more about our inspection process, detailed building reports and how we can bring you peace of mind.
