Pre-Purchase Inspections
A pre-purchase building and pest inspection is a type of visual inspection that takes place before buying a property. It identifies any building defects and any evidence of timber pest activity/infestations and damage. Primarily, the inspection is looking for issues that may affect the safety or value of the property.
Why is a pre-purchase inspection important?
The purpose of a pre-purchase inspection is to ensure the buyer is fully aware of the true condition of the property - prior to purchase. Likely, you've heard stories of people buying homes only to find the house needs more renovation than expected or that the home is riddled with termites. A pre-purchase inspection prevents this from happening to you.
In addition to making an informed purchase decision, pre-purchase inspections are important for several other reasons. Such as:
- Gives you peace of mind
- Gives you more bargaining power during negotiations
- Identifies any major and minor building defects
- Identifies any evidence of timber pest activity or damage (both past and present)
- Saves you from costly repairs that may have otherwise gone unseen or unnoticed
Pre-Purchase Inspections: Building and Pest
Pre-purchase inspections are actually two inspections combined into one: a building inspection and a pest inspection.
During the pre-purchase building inspection, the inspector will visually inspect the property thoroughly. The purpose of the building inspection is to identify any major or minor defects. As defined by Australian Standards, major defects refer to any issues that affect the safety or livability of the property. It may include things like major cracks, windows above a certain height needing to be lockable, and unstable foundation stumps. Whereas, minor defects refer to issues that are non-urgent but still require maintenance.
The pre-purchase pest inspection is a visual inspection of the property looking for any evidence of timber pest activity or damage. It focuses specifically on identifying any timber pest infestations that may be present on the property. It also looks for signs of termite damage. During the inspection, the building and pest inspector will look for signs of timber pest activity including termite mudding, damaged wood, and areas of high moisture. They will also provide recommendations for treatment if any termite infestations are found.
Both treatment of termites and repairing termite damage can be costly. That's why it is so important to only have the building itself checked but to also have the home checked for termites.
What's included in a pre-purchase inspection?
The building and pest inspector will check all accessible areas within 30 meters of the building. This includes the interior, exterior, subfloor, roof, roof void, garage, fences, retaining walls and much more. Under Australian Standards and Queensland Building and Construction Commission guidelines, the inspector can only check the roof, roof void and subfloor if it's 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 heat spots behind walls that can indicate high termite activity.
Pre-Purchase Reports
Once the inspection is complete, the inspector will provide a report that outlines any issues that were identified during the inspection. This report also includes recommendations for repairs or treatment, if necessary. For example, if a cracked tile is identified in the bathroom the inspector will recommend engaging a licensed tiler to repair the damaged tile to prevent water ingress. Obviously, this information can be very useful to you as a buyer. As it can help you negotiate a fair price for the property and ensure that any necessary repairs are carried out before settlement.
Overall, a pre-purchase building and pest inspection is an important step to take when buying a property. It helps you to make an informed decision, have peace of mind and ensures you are fully aware of any issues. Most importantly, it can save you thousands in repairs from unseen defects or termite damage.
At Local Inspections, all our pre purchase reports include coloured photos of defects and are delivered within 24 hours.
Buy with confidence with Local Building and Pest Inspections
With all our building and pest inspectors having over 30 years of experience, you can trust that you're getting a quality building and pest inspection.