When you are purchasing a house, it’s recommended that you get a pest and building inspections done by a licensed and experienced inspector. Just getting a knowledgeable architect friend to give the property a once-over isn’t sufficient. The house needs to be inspected by a professional that is qualified and experienced enough to handle this job.
The fact is that regardless of the type of materials used in the construction and no matter how well the place is maintained, no house can be 100% perfect in terms of every structural aspect and feature. Every home will have some issues and getting a building and pest inspection done is the only way to decide whether the property is for you or not.
Every house needs ongoing maintenance and a building and pest report will give you a complete checklist of things to fix should you go ahead and purchase it. This inspection will give you a better understanding of whether the property is much better than / in line with / worse than other properties in the same area. For instance, if you are purchasing an older property, it will have some faults and dampness or termite damage is something you may be dealing with.
The aspect you need to keep in view here is whether the structural damage or shortcomings are something you need to be concerned about; whether the past damage has been fixed and how well the property has been maintained over time. You also need to take into account what the probable cost of the repairs will be.
Look for an inspector who is willing to meet you at the property and carefully run through all the important issues with you. You need to find out how the property stacks up against the neighbouring homes and whether there are actually any deal breakers.
Some questions to ask
If you just read the report without any reference point or context, you may be completely deterred from purchasing the property. Some of the main questions you should ask before exchanging contracts for building inspections are:
- How does this house compare with others in the locality of a similar age and style?
- What are the crucial issues that have to be addressed right after I purchase this property?
- Can you advise me on the possible expenses of tackling each issue?
- Do you foresee any kind of ongoing maintenance problems?
Choose the right professional
As you know, there are a number of things that have to be taken into account while purchasing a property and a building and pest inspection is something you can’t omit from your list. Look for a qualified and experienced inspector who would be able to carry out a thorough inspection and provide you a detailed report on the condition of the property. You can check online for building and pest inspection companies in your local area; check their credentials and experience.
You should be able to source this information from their site. It’s also important to ask for referrals and make it a point to call some of those previous clients to find out whether the inspector was able to do a good job. Ask the building inspector what kind of tools they use in their work and check if they are proactive with providing you the information you need.
If you want to know more about our services Inspect It First, don’t hesitate to call us at 1300 557 047 or contact us through our contact form.
Thanks for reading,
Inspect It First Team
1300 557 047