Buy with confidence with a pre-purchase building and pest inspection
You've found a great place, made your offer and now you need to complete your due diligence. A pre-purchase building and pest inspection will give you peace of mind and ensures you're making an informed decision.
Why is a pre-purchase building and pest inspection important?
A pre-purchase building and pest inspection is an essential part of the buying process. It protects you as the buyer by ensuring that you are fully aware of the current condition of the property – prior to finalizing the purchase.
Buying a new home is a big investment. You want to make sure that it’s the right home for you and that you’re not buying a money pit. You’ve likely heard stories of people buying a home without getting a pre-purchase building and pest inspection only to find the home has a serious termite infestation or requires more renovation than expected. The building and pest inspection clause within a contract of sale is designed to prevent this situation from happening to you.
What is a pre-purchase building and pest inspection?
A pre-purchase building and pest inspection is a comprehensive visual inspection of a property to assess its current condition. It identifies building defects, safety hazards and any evidence of timber pest activity or damage. As the name suggests, it is a combination of two inspections – a building inspection and a timber pest inspection.
The building inspection is a visual assessment looking for both major and minor building defects. As defined by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC), major defects are issues that affect the safety or livability of the property. These are issues that require urgent attention and should be rectified as soon as possible. This can also include items that may not be a serious problem right now but have the potential of causing major issues in the future. Minor defects refer to items that don’t require immediate attention but still require maintenance.
The timber pest inspection is a visual inspection of all accessible areas of the property to see if there is any evidence of active termites or previous termite damage. The inspector checks the home for any conducive conditions for future termite infestations such as high moisture readings. They will also note whether the property has a termite management system installed.
What's included in a pre-purchase inspection?
A pre-purchase inspection includes checking all accessible areas within 30 meters of the building. This includes the interior, exterior, subfloor, roof, roof void, garage, fences, retaining walls and other out-buildings that are within 30 meters of the house. The roof, roof void and subfloor will only be checked if it is safe to do so.
During the building and pest inspection, the home is also checked with a moisture meter and thermal imaging camera. This equipment allows our inspectors to identify abnormal moisture readings and other anomalies that may be unseen to the naked eye. Such as abnormal hot/cold patterns that could indicate termite activity or moisture issues.
Each inspection is completed in accordance with Australian Standards and QBCC guidelines to ensure you have the information you need to make an informed decision.
What happens after the building and pest inspection?
After the inspection, the inspector will collate their findings into a report. This report is easy to read with coloured photos of the identified defects and is sent to you within 24 hours of the inspection taking place.
Once you receive the report, you have a few options:
- Proceed with the purchase and settle on the terms set in the contract
- Negotiate a lower purchase price or for the vendor to complete repairs before settlement if major defects are found
- Exit the contract and walk away from the property due to excessive major defects, termite activity or termite damage
The circumstances surrounding each buyer are unique. For example, one buyer may have the resources and desire to complete any necessary repairs or renovation. Whereas, another buyer may not have the capacity, budget or desire to conduct repairs and will therefore withdraw from the purchase. Ultimately, this decision is up to you.
Have peace of mind with a pre-purchase from Local Inspections
At Local Inspections, we pride ourselves on delivering great service, fast reporting, competitive pricing and thorough inspections. Each of our inspectors also has a minimum of 30 years of experience within the building industry to ensure you're getting the best quality pre-purchase inspection.