Should you rely on someone else’s building and pest report?
Relying on someone else’s building and pest inspection report may sound like a great way to save time and money. However, it can come back to bite you later. By getting your own independent report, you will have complete peace of mind knowing that the information provided is current and accurate. It also ensures you can pursue legal recourse should the need arise.
Why a seller might get a pre-sale building and pest report
There are a few reasons why a seller may choose to get a building and pest inspection prior to selling. Firstly, it can help them set a realistic sale by understanding the property’s current condition. Secondly, it gives the seller an opportunity to fix any issues and make repairs before the property goes on the market. Finally, it may help to speed up the sale process by ensuring all parties (including the agent) are aware of any issues relating to the property. Regardless of the reason, it’s important to get your own independent inspection.
1. Something may have changed since the inspection
Building and pest reports are generally prepared for a specific property at a particular time. This means that the building and pest report is only a ‘snapshot’ of the condition of the property at the time of the inspection.
Consequently, the condition of the property may have changed since the report was prepared. For example, a water pipe may have burst, or storm damage may have occurred. Worst of all, termites can move into a property at any time and may have invaded the property since the inspection.
Buying a house is a big investment. You need to know exactly what condition the house is in at the time you are purchasing it – not when the inspection was completed. In some cases, the inspection may have been completed weeks or even months before you’re seeing the report.
2. It guarantees an independent inspection takes place
It’s important to remember that both the seller and the real estate agent want to sell the property for the best possible price. As the vendor (seller) wants to make money on the home and the agent gets a commission from the sale. This means that both parties are likely to do everything they can to present the home in a positive light.
Whilst this is completely understandable, some agents and vendors have been known to take this too far on occasion. For example, vendors may paint over major issues in an attempt to conceal the issue or make the home more presentable.
In addition, Queensland real estate agents are under no legal obligation to disclose information regarding the current condition of the property to potential buyers.
Getting your own building and pest inspection gives you peace of mind that the findings in the report are accurate and impartial to any party involved in the sale. This could potentially save you thousands of dollars in repairs that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
3. Having a building and pest inspection in your own name gives you legal recourse
A building and pest inspection report is a legal document. As such, the owner of the report is the one whose name is on it. This means that unless your name is on the report, it does not belong to you. This can become a problem after settlement if you find defects within the property that should have reasonably been seen by the inspector. If you choose to use someone else’s report, you will not be able to pursue legal recourse should the need arise, as the report is not in your name.
On rare occasions, it may be appropriate to use someone else's report
Generally, the only time it is advisable to use an existing report is if the report is no more than 4 weeks old and is available to be transferred into your name.
Most building and pest inspection companies are willing to resell a report and put it in the new buyer’s name - provided the inspection was completed within the past 4 weeks. After that time, the building and pest inspector cannot guarantee that the house will still be in the same condition. As mentioned earlier, termites can move into a property at any time and other damage may occur.
At the end of the day, it is the buyer’s decision whether to use someone else’s report or not. However, most professionals within the industry would advise getting your own independent building and pest inspection completed.
Have peace of mind with an independent building and pest report from Local Inspections
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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 inspection.