Jim and Michelle had just settled their first home. It was perfect, and finally was all theirs after years of planning. This is a story about a family who we conducted a building and pest inspection for in Melbourne. First home buyers who were so excited about buying their 3 bedroom brick veneer house in Blackburn that they failed to have a house inspection prior to purchase. Contrary to their parent’s persistent requests, Jim and Michelle assumed that all would be well. They thought that because the house presented well, and considering the house was about 30 years old and hadn’t had any problems, that they would save the money and just move in. They thought that if there were any problems they would be able to fix them slowly over the next few years as they saved more money. There-in lies the first problem.

NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING. Never assume that the condition of any house is as it looks from the outside or during an open house inspection. Time after time we see houses with major structural defects that are presented beautifully. Houses that have been made-over by vendors simply to offload the problems. In the case of Jim and Michelle, the couple had exhausted all their savings after paying the deposit and stamp duty, and they were going to be at their limit as far as loan repayments month to month. Settlement day came, and about a week after they moved in they noticed that a deck post in the backyard had been hollowed out. They decided to organise a building inspection for their peace of mind, which they always thought was a good idea, however because the house seemed fine, they simply didn’t get around to it. What we found was heart wrenching. Termites had not only eaten decking timbers, but had moved on into the house causing incredible structural damage. They had made their way through structural bottom plate timbers, and had even got into the roof framing. In summary, the house needed a builder immediately. Remember, they settled only 30 days prior to this discovery. Worse is, that house insurance in Australia doesn’t cover termite damage. As this article got published Jim and Michelle are considering their options and a plan of how to move forward. They have contacted a pest control company who are assisting them with a proposal of how to stop the damage. After that, they will be able to assess the damage and establish the costs of rectification. Jim and Michelle are an example of why a building and pest inspection prior to purchase is vital. Melbourne House Check conduct pre purchase building and pest inspections Melbourne wide. They can be contacted on 1300 729 352.