Building And Pest Inspection

Pre-purchase inspections

Sometimes a building and timber pest inspection have a happy ending to it and other times it may sound more like a horror movie. Either way, you won’t know what your building inspector will find but that’s what you’re paying him for and then you sit back and wait in hope that it’s good news you will receive once completed. You can not purchase a property with your eyes closed so your best bet is to organise a building and timber pest inspection to possibly uncover any hidden nasties that may be more than you bargained for. When you find a property that you are considering purchasing, you take a walk-through and look at the basics of the home. You don’t climb into roof cavities or crawl into the subfloor and unfortunately, you can’t see through walls, that is why you contact a building inspector, they can access areas of a home that you are unable to. They will be able to check the house properly and access these areas and then may end up giving you one of those horror stories or maybe your happily ever after you were hoping for.

Building Case Stories

Termite infestation – Sydney, Hills District

Almost every building and timber pest inspector will have a story to tell you about termites. It is a very common problem in houses. The problem with termites is that they attack a home from underneath and make their way inside the walls. You can’t actually see them until they have caused so much damage to your property that they become visible. Unfortunately, by then, the damage is more than likely going to cost you tens of thousands in repairs. Some people conceal the fact that their property had or has a termite infestation as there is no law that says they need to disclose this information. Many find the termite infestation and repair the damage and then put their property on the market. Guess what? The termites will return. Unless you destroy the colony, they will be back inside the walls, eating away again, sometimes they return to the same area and other times they may move to a different area. Other property owners just put their home on the market and just try and sell it as is and hope it is not noticed. This is why you should not skip organising a building and timber pest inspection. If your building and timber pest inspection uncover termites or termite damage at the property, you can request that the owners rectify this issue before the contract of sale becomes unconditional. Another option is to negotiate a drop in the sale price.

Plumbing – Sydney, Western Suburbs

Many people cut corners to try and cover up problems that may lose them a sale. A building inspector we read about was inspecting a property when he noticed a water splashing sound coming from under the floor when the bath taps were turned on. On further investigation, the building inspector found that the pipes underneath the bathroom had been connected with duct tape and had not been properly put together. The bath water was running straight onto the ground under the home.

Structural support – Sydney, Sutherland Shire

This is a story about two sticks supporting a floor. Yes, you heard right! A building inspector noticed that the floors were “springy” in every room. The inspector went into the subfloor and found inadequate floor framing and the floors were being supported by sticks. The contract for the sale of the house was cancelled. Inadequate support is a building defect that must unconditionally be reported and rectified before a house is purchased.

Here is one that will make you think twice before choosing the cheap option when organising your building and timber pest inspection.

A Sydney homeowner who bought a house only to discover more than $100 000 worth of damage has warned property hunters. He purchased a two-bedroom, one-bathroom terrace in St Peters in Sydney’s inner west for nearly $1 Million. A building and timber pest inspection report, pr voided by the selling agent, did not highlight any significant issues. Buyers can opt to access an already available report at a reduced cost instead of organising their own building and timber pest inspection. This decision did not work in his favour.

The property had significant termite damage, structural damage and borer damage, and the list kept growing.

This story has a happy ending but not for this particular buyer. There was another potential buyer interested in the same property that made the choice to organise his own building and timber pest inspection and was warned of the hidden problems. This buyer walked away with a smile.

Inspection Budget & Estimates

A building and timber pest inspection is a way to give you a clear understanding of the condition of a property. You may want to organise a building and timber pest inspection before selling your property to ensure you know about any potential problems before putting your property on the market giving you the opportunity to make repairs before the sale. This is known as a Pre-Sale Inspection. Another reason to organise a building and timber pest inspection is before purchasing a property. This is the safest way to know what you’re purchasing. This is also known as a Pre-Sale Inspection.

During a building and timber pest inspection, the inspector will look for safety hazards, and any major or minor defects with the property and also look for any evidence of timber pests such as termites and borers. After the inspection, you will receive a report with all of the building inspectors’ findings which will also include photographs.

How much you will pay depends on many things, such as the location of the property, the size of the property and the experience of the building inspector. This is not the time to choose the cheap option as it may end up costing you thousands in the end.

Look out for companies that rush their building and timber pest inspections and make sure you choose an inspector that will conduct a thorough building and timber pest inspection. Most companies give their inspectors 1 hour on-site to conduct their inspections and that is nowhere near enough time. Also, keep in mind that if you are paying peanuts then that is going to show in the quality of the report you will receive. You get what you pay for!! So, when you’re about to make one of the most important investments in your life, it is not smart to choose cheap.

Another important thing to do is to also check the qualifications of the building inspector. Is he a qualified builder? Is he a licenced pest technician? Will he be doing both areas of the building and timber pest inspections? A lot of companies use a builder to also conduct the timber pest inspection when this is not their area of expertise, and vice versa also using a pest technician to conduct a building inspection. As you can imagine, this is wrong for so many reasons but unfortunately, this happens all the time.

Top questions to decide who to use

1. How long will the building and timber pest inspection take? You will know a lot as soon as you hear their answer. You do not want your inspection rushed. You want a thorough inspection.
2. Is the building inspector a qualified builder? If the answer is no, then it’s time for more questions. If the building inspector is not a qualified builder, then who will be conducting your building inspection? It may be time to try someone else.
3. Is the timber pest inspector a licenced pest technician? Same as the previous answer. Listen to your instincts and if something doesn’t sound or feel right then take the right course of action.
4. Can I speak to the inspector about the inspection findings once I receive the report? After you receive your inspection report you may have questions or there may be something you are unsure about, so it’s comforting to know that you can reach out if need be. With Clear View Property Inspections, you will actually receive a call from the building and timber pest inspector himself and he will be happy to share his thoughts and answer any questions to put you at ease.
5. How long will I have to wait to receive my inspection report? You only have a certain number of days during the cooling-off period during a purchase of a property so ensure you receive it ASAP.
6. How much do they charge? It may be tempting to hire the cheapest inspector on the market, but that choice may end up costing you more in the long run. This is the time to consider the quality and thoroughness of the service and the cheapest will definitely not be the best!!

Quality Inspections

A high-quality building and timber pest inspection will consist of 3 main things:

• The Inspector
• The thoroughness of the inspection
• The detail in the report

It will be a high-quality inspection if the inspector conducting your building and timber pest inspection is a fully licenced builder and pest technician as they are experts in both areas of the inspection. They should spend as much time needed at the property and not rush. The inspector should access all possible areas that are accessible to them, including the roof cavity and subfloor. When you receive your inspection report it should be clear, easy to read and provide you with detail and photographs. A bonus we at Clear View provide along with the above, is a call to you from the inspector himself.

A low-quality building and timber past inspection will be rushed, things will be missed and will be conducted by inexperienced so-called “inspectors”. The report will be basic and not worth the paper it’s written on.