Underneath the $3 million house.

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Not judging a book by its cover is vital when conducting building inspections. What was found underneath this Toorak house will astound you. The house, that cannot be disclosed for legal reasons presented beautifully inside and out. Even to the pre purchase building inspectors at Melbourne House Check, it appeared to be impeccably maintained. However, when they crawled the subfloor to inspect the condition of the frame, they were amazed at the poor condition of the house and the extreme lengths that had been taken to temporarily prop up the floor to avoid costly rectification. In one particular section of the house they found a tree log that had been utilised and strategically placed to prop up a bouncy part of the floor. Not only was the log used, but it had been packed up with timber off-cuts in order to support the floor load. In another position under the floor they found a stack of bricks that had been used to also support the floor frame.

subfloor 2

Brad Aylett-Sloan from Melbourne House Check says “We often see this sort of cost cutting measure in high end houses for sale. Simply because a house has a high price tag doesn’t mean it is void of problems. Considering this house was being marketed at over $3 million, the general assumption of buyers is that all will be well as far as the structural integrity of the house. When a house presents well inside and out, it’s even more likely that buyer’s fears are allayed. In the case of this house in Toorak, the agent’s marketed it as “impeccably maintained”, which was simply not the case when it came to the structural integrity of the floor”. Brad says, “It should be a reminder to prospective house buyers that laws governing house sales in Victoria stipulate that it is buyer beware. It’s important to know that any defects, regardless of the size, do not need to be disclosed to a prospective buyer by the vendor. Therefor it is vital to undertake diligence such as a building inspection prior to purchase”.

Melbourne House Check conduct pre purchase building and pest inspections throughout metropolitan Melbourne. If you wish to speak with a building consultant about a house you are considering, they can be contacted on 1300 729 352 or bookings can be made via the website at www.melbournehousecheck.com.au

Building Inspection story Montmorency

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Brett is a 38 year old banking professional who has been on the look-out for his first home for the most part of 2015. So far he has commissioned Melbourne House Check to conduct three building inspections all prior to auction and all of which he missed out on. During this time the real estate market in Melbourne was extremely competitive and agents were exceeding their vendor’s expectations at auction. After Brett’s third unsuccessful attempt at buying, each of which he spent $590 each having a building and pest inspection, he decided that he had spent enough on inspections and decided not to have another. The next house that he was interested in looked great. It was in Montmorency and was presented immaculately and to the novice house buyer it appeared there was nothing wrong. Well, it turned out that he was the successful bidder and he bought the house. Because he bought the house at auction, the sale was completely unconditional, meaning that at this point a building inspection could not be a condition of sale. In fact, it is worth noting that in Victoria the law states that a sale that falls within three business days of a scheduled auction cannot be subject to any conditions what so ever. In Brett’s case he was satisfied he had made the right decision, however during the settlement period he researched the possible array of house defects and also the possibility of termites and the difficulty of detection. He contacted us at Melbourne House Check 7 days prior to settlement requesting that we conduct an inspection prior to settlement, simply for his peace of mind. Unfortunately what we found was astonishing. The house had major structural defects and termites were detected. Brett was devastated, and immediately attempted to withdraw from the sale. Unfortunately, another law relating to the sale of real estate in Vic is “Buyer Beware”, whereby it is up to the purchaser to conduct the relevant checks to establish the condition. There is no liability on the vendor to disclose defects in a house prior to the sale.

The defects in Brett’s house included an excavation by the vendor underneath the house in order to create more space. It was a steep block of land and the vendor had removed soil from the subfloor whereby the concrete footing was completely exposed. The excavation was also very close to stumps, rendering a further problem.

Upon conducting a timber pest inspection at the house termite activity was found also.

Brett was unable to withdraw from the sale and settlement took place.

Having an inspection prior to purchase is vital. Melbourne House Check conduct thorough building and pest inspections in Melbourne and can be contacted on 1300 729 352.

lilydale house inspection

House Inspection in Lilydale uncovers defects

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Matthew from Lilydale contacted Melbourne House Check to conduct a house inspection prior to the purchase of his new house. Matthew said the house was only 2 years old, and because it looked in fairly good condition he was considering whether a building inspection prior to purchase was even necessary. It was his first home and friends and family were telling him that a property inspection was important just in case there was something wrong that he couldn’t see. Matthew said that it would be terrible if he bought it only to realize later that there was a structural defect, or a cover-up, or basically anything that was going to cost him money after settlement. Matthew says, “It was just a case of wanting peace of mind, knowing that a professional had looked at everything and given it the ok”.

Arriving at the house it looked like a new house. It was neat inside, with hire furniture and the level of workmanship like plastering and painting looked good. Upon accessing the subfloor of the house conditions also looked all well. It was dry, the level of workmanship looked good as far as the frame and stumps, however on closer inspection underneath the wet areas of the house it was not so great. It appears that plumbing under the main bathroom was unfinished whereby a plastic bag had been used to block off a sewer pipe and underneath the ensuite, a stack of bricks had been used to temporarily support the sewer pipes. See the photos below.

plumbing_defect_example_2 plumbing_defect_example_1

It just goes to show that the old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” is more often than not good advice when it comes to buying a house. Matthew says he is now assured that having a house inspection prior to purchase was absolutely the right thing to do, and that he feels he can rest easy knowing that all is well. In this case, because he bought the house subject to a building and pest inspection, that upon notifying the vendor about the problems, they were fixed immediately without any delay to the sale process.

Matthew say’s to other people weighing up having a house inspection prior to purchase. “I was considering saving the money to be honest, but after my friend convinced me to have an inspection I organised Melbourne House Check to conduct the inspection. The process was quick and the conversation I had with Brad afterwards was really worthwhile. Even though he identified some problems, I feel really comfortable that all is well. I highly recommend having a house inspection prior to purchase. The feeling of peace of mind is good.”

Melbourne House Check conduct pre purchase house inspections Melbourne wide and can be contacted on 1300 729 352.

Building inspections and their objective

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The main purpose of a building inspection prior to purchase is to provide advice to the client regarding the condition of the dwelling at the time of the inspection. A building inspection considers and deals with any evidence of structural damage and conditions conducive to structural damage. It deals with any major defects in the condition of secondary elements and finishing elements and also any collective minor defects.

Serious safety hazards are also commonly documented at the date and time of inspection, an example of which may be

  • hot down lights in the roof space in contact with or close to timbers or insulation.

These conditions may be considered a fire hazard. A limiting factor of a building inspection prior to purchase is that the inspection is limited to the readily accessible areas of the building and the site and it is based on a visual examination only of the surface work, and it does not deal with the carrying out of any tests. Nor does it allow for any invasive inspection if defects are suspected.

In providing an overall assessment of a dwelling the building is normally compared with a building that was constructed in accordance with the generally accepted practice at the time of construction and compared also with a house that has been maintained such that there has been no significant loss of strength and serviceability.
A further objective of a building inspection prior to purchase is to expose any hidden defects in a building that may have been concealed purposely by a vendor in order to sell the house. Conditions such as concealed subfloor doors or locked rooms are a common occurrence and in these cases caution should be taken and further questions asked. Other concealed defects might include the presence of new subfloor timbers that may have been replaced, or new skirting boards also, both conditions that may suggest past termite damage.
Another common consideration of a building inspection is given to whether a house has been recently altered. It is vital to establish whether the correct documentation has been sort if recent works have been undertaken, including permits and registrations.
Melbourne House Check conduct thorough building inspections and can be contacted on 1300 729 352.

Building Inspections expose the cover-ups in houses.

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Exposing cover-ups in houses for sale is vital. Building Inspections do just that and more. Defect cover-ups are common in houses marketed for sale and as vendors so often complete poor quality renovations or simply attempt to conceal expensive to fix defects, it is vital that when you commission a building inspection it exposes such problems. To follow are three commonly concealed defects that are often overlooked by non-professionals. When searching for houses to buy it is wise to apply this very important rule. Never assume all is well just because it looks good from the outside. One of the advantages of a building inspection prior to purchase that that we are aware of the commonly concealed defect cover-ups and make assessments accordingly. To follow are three commonly concealed defect cover-ups to look out for that we often observed during building inspections.

Newly Painted ceilings underneath upstairs wet areas.

Leaking showers are a common house defect. When the shower is on the ground floor leaks are often ignored, however when it is upstairs and the water leak has begun to show through the ceiling below, it cannot be ignore any longer. Due to this defect being expensive to fix, plastered ceilings are commonly patched and painted over and sometimes showers are not used during house advertising campaigns in order to conceal the problem. It is vital to establish whether an upstairs shower is water tight and a thorough inspection of the ceiling underneath is a great start.

Stored items in cupboards that back onto showers.

Because showers leak, either due to old age or bad workmanship, it is vital that walls that back on to showers are inspected thoroughly. These wet areas often back onto wardrobes that are solidly packed with stored items, which may or may not be convenient for the vendor. Ensure that wardrobes that back onto showers are dry and clean and don’t present a damp problem. If these robes are full, ask the real estate agent for the items to be removed prior to the next inspection.

Sub-ground floors with new carpet.

Basements or rooms that are below the natural ground level sometime get damp. Rectifying this problem can be expensive and subsequently vendor’s cover-up this problem by laying new carpets. Be aware that new carpet in sub-ground rooms may be such a disguise.

There are many potential defect cover-ups in houses that building inspections expose. Melbourne House Check conduct Building inspections Melbourne wide and can be contacted through the website or by calling 1300 729 352.


Exposing House Defect Cover-Ups

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Some vendors purposely cover-up defects in order to offload a house that has problems. In other cases builders perform cheap and nasty renovations hoping to profit from a quick turn-around. At Melbourne House Check we see first-hand these cover-ups and bad quality renovations and believe that it is vital not to assume that all is well when considering a house to purchase. That’s why we highly recommend having a building and pest inspection prior to purchase by a trained professional.

This article is the first of many that will un-cover possible house defect cover-ups that you need to know about before you buy. Here are three.

  1. Locked Garages or Rooms

Locked garages or rooms is one of the most common cover-ups. The agent may advise that the keys have not been supplied and that they will be available at the next inspection. There have been many documented cases where buyers have bought houses without getting access to part of the house, to find after settlement that there are major structural defects. Be warned that no access to any part of the house is not acceptable.

  1. Newly Plastered Ceilings below upstairs bathrooms.

One of the most common house defects is a leaking shower. In cases where the shower is on the ground floor it is often disregarded and ignored, however when the shower is upstairs and the leak has begun to show through the plastered ceiling below, it cannot be ignored any longer. Because it is such an expensive issue to rectify, ceilings are sometimes patched and painted over, and sometimes the showers are not used during the marketing campaign preventing further leaking and ultimately exposing the problem. It is important to establish whether upstairs showers are leaking and inspecting the ceiling below is often a good starting point.

  1. Recent Renovations have occurred yet there is no mention of them on the section 32.

Illegal building work is a huge problem for buyers today. We see TV programs encouraging do it yourself renovations and not enough respect is given to the correct procedures complying with building regulations and commissioning registered building practitioners. When structural building alterations have been conducted in a house that you are considering and it has not been documented on the contract, further questions need to be asked. Most councils can clarify whether the correct documentation has been sort. Don’t take the risk of the council issuing a notice to you after settlement, as this could be costly and removal of illegal building work can be enforced.

Melbourne House Check conduct Building Inspections Melbourne wide and can be contacted by calling 1300 729 352

This Building inspection uncovered the real story.

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Not until a building inspection was performed on this house was the real condition uncovered. The house was presented beautifully. It had been renovated extensively. New kitchen, bathrooms, light fittings and garden. Except one thing had been overlooked, because when we entered the subfloor during the building inspection and crawled the dark spaces below, we uncovered that the renovation budget did not extend to the structural elements of the house. Structural components which were vital in supporting the floor and walls from collapsing. What we found was astounding. Structural brick piers (footings) that had collapsed, leaving the floor suspended in mid-air in places. The fact is, that if a building inspection had not been performed in this case, the buyer would have bought an absolute disaster. We estimate the costs could escalate to $30,000.
It’s worth noting that our client who commissioned the building inspection, was relieved, however there is a high probability that the person who ends up buying this house will have no idea about the disaster lying beneath the floor. Building inspections are worth their weight in gold and prevent financial disasters like this one.
Read more about our services here. Melbourne House Check conduct really thorough Building Inspections and can be contacted on 1300 729 352.

inspector at work

What we do

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Melbourne House Check conduct house inspections Melbourne wide. We are a team of builders that are registered and insured and we are qualified to thoroughly assess the condition of houses.
Our house inspections consider the structural elements of the house including the roof exterior, roof space, the subfloor and the entire site of the property. We document all major and minor defects in a professional property report in order for you to make an informed decision prior to purchase.

Our Four W reporting method – Our reporting method is extremely thorough whereby we tell you the following:
1. What the defect is.
2. Where the defect is.
3. What the likely consequences will be if the defect is not repaired.
4. Who is the suitable trade’s person that is required to rectify it.

We call this the four W method and we are proud that it provides you with a thorough assessment of each problem. After the house inspection we can also estimate the cost of rectification of any defects if requested.

Free Ongoing Advice – At Melbourne House Check we offer free ongoing building advice for the property that we inspect for you. Whether you are planning a renovation or you simply have questions about your house, call us to discuss the details and we will steer you in the right direction.

Some of the elements that we consider during a house inspection are as follows.

  • External Structural Inspection
    External walls – Check brickwork for cracks – Check condition of lintels above windows and doors – Check mortar condition – Check for rising damp – Windows – External doors – Check condition of verandas, patios and decks – Roof exterior, including roof covering, penetrations and flashings – Check rain water goods – Walls and fences – Outbuildings.
  • Internal Structural Inspection
    Ceilings – walls – doors – bathrooms toilets – joinery – skirting boards and carpets
  • Roof Space
    Roof framing condition – insulation and sarking
  • Subfloor space (under house)
    Stumps – brick piers – floor framing – plumbing – drainage

If you would like us to conduct a pest and termite inspection at a Melbourne house you are considering, simply make contact with us to discuss the process further.
Call 1300 729 352

Australian Standard – At Melbourne House Check we conduct our inspections in accordance with the Australian Standard of Building Inspections, and we pride ourselves in providing the most thorough and comprehensive inspection service available.

Our Frequently Asked Questions page – Our FAQ page will answer most of your questions. If you have any further queries you can make contact with us also from this page.

Our Inspection Checklist – Download a copy of our 32 Most Important House Inspection Procedures of a Veteran Builder for a complete list of what we look for during our building inspections in Melbourne.

Our house inspectors are fully registered and insured builders with years of experience who will search the house in order to give you peace of mind. If you would like us to conduct a house inspection at a Melbourne house you are considering, simply make contact with us to discuss the process further.

Call 1300 729 352


Our 4 W Method for Inspections

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It’s widely agreed that building inspections prior to purchase are vital in establishing the condition of a house. This way any issues regarding the property can be included in a house defects report, that allows the buyer to understand any risks or extra costs that might be involved in buying the property. This has become pretty standard and most people who buy a house or apartment get a pre purchase property report before committing to a purchase.

However, quite often the simple identification of a defect alone is not enough. At Melbourne House Check we follow a method of reporting called the four W’s. By following the four W method, we articulate each and every building defect to our client by not only identifying the defect, but also explaining why it is a defect and the consequences of the defect if it is not attended to. We outline what the defect is, where the defect is located in the house, why it is considered a defect in the first place and exactly what should be done to rectify the defect.

 

Our four W method:

  1. What is the defect?
  2. Where is the defect located?
  3. Why it is a defect.
  4. What should you do about it?

Thorough reporting of each and every defect is vital after a building inspection. If you have been presented with the four W’s on a house you are considering you will be best equipped to make an informed decision. Melbourne House Check conduct really thorough building inspections Melbourne wide. To speak with us, simply make contact with us through our website form or call us on 1300 729 352.

This Melbourne House Looked Perfect Inside and Out

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Wait till you see the video

A client of ours Mark bought this house in Melbourne with a clause “subject to a building and pest inspection”. Thank goodness for him, because what we found under the house will absolutely astound you. What initially looked in order, turned out to be an absolute disaster, to the point where the entire house needed to be condemned? The sad part is, this house in Melbourne, which has just been listed on the real estate market, will probably sell to a first home buyer that doesn’t commission a building inspection. Mark said “having a building inspection today has saved me from financial ruin on my first home. The house looked perfect inside and out.”

Watch the 40 second video and see what can happen underneath houses.

Building Inspections can save you from financial ruin. Melbourne House Check conduct building inspections Melbourne wide

Contact us on 1300 729 352.