If you or someone you know are considering buying a house, conducting thorough due diligence is vital. Traps are everywhere, and when it comes to an actual building, cover-ups are common. In Victoria our laws clearly state “buyer beware”, meaning that a house buyer needs to investigate whether a house has defects prior to purchase. During building inspections we commonly see concealed defects. House defects range in severity, but whether defects are large or small, inexpensive or costly, if you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a house, categorising any defects is a must.

Melbourne House Check have published a booklet titled House Defect Cover-Ups Exposed. It is a must have document for anyone considering buying a house anywhere in Australia. Within this booklet is a detailed list of the 20 most common house cover-ups that you need to know about when buying real estate. The booklet also includes a Building and Pest Inspection Checklist to help assist you when searching for a house.

Inside the booklet you will discover inside secrets of how vendors may cover-up defects and ways not to get caught out. How to avoid potentially expensive mistakes when buying a house and a full procedural inspection checklist to be used for all building and pest inspections.

An example of such concealed defects that are documented within the booklet are painted asbestos sheeting in bathrooms. Asbestos can be a real concern in houses build up to the mid 1980’s. Commonly it was used in many different applications in houses such as eave linings, exterior wall linings and interior wet area linings in bathrooms and laundry’s. Because of the high cost of removal, asbestos is commonly concealed by vendors in order to save these removal costs. Always consider the presence of asbestos. You can learn more about asbestos in houses from the Melbourne House Check website.

Another example of concealed defects is re-painted interior wall linings. This is one of the easiest ways that vendors can cover up signs of defects. Internal walls that have cracked is one of the most common cover ups of defects in houses and while in most cases the painting has covered up minor dents and cracks, there are some cases where it can demonstrate a more serious problem. While having a freshly painted house appears lovely, it simply does not allow a prospective buyer to establish a true history of the house.

The House Defect Cover-Ups Exposed booklet also outlines clearly an inspection process of identifying defects during your own building inspection and provides further lists of things to consider during a timber pest inspection. Of course we recommend that a professional building consultant conducts an inspection always, however the booklet will provide useful information for you to consider when conducting your own house inspection in Melbourne.

Download your own copy of House Defect Cover-Ups Exposed booklet here and learn more about the 20 most common house cover-ups that you need to know about when buying real estate. Melbourne House Check can be contacted through the website here or by calling 1300 729 352.