Pre-arranged Building Inspection Reports – be aware.

Recently we have noticed that house inspection reports are being marketed at open houses. The offer to prospective buyers is claiming that a building inspection has been conducted at this property and is available to purchase for a reduced rate. The fundamental problem with this type of building report is that it has most likely been offered to the vendor for free by the building inspection company, in the hope that several prospective buyers will purchase the report during the marketing campaign. Be very wary of this, as it will almost certainly not portray the house badly. If it did portray the house poorly, the vendor and agent would not allow it to be available to prospective buyers. Building reports that have been commissioned by either the vendor or the agent should be questioned. Commissioning a house inspection report that you have researched yourself is the only way to be certain that the house inspection was thorough and adhered to the Australian Standard that applies to pre-purchase building inspections. Here are just a few issues that may be present and areas that are included in building inspections that you need to know about:

• Active termites or conditions around the house that are conducive to termite attack.
• Timber decay in or around the wet areas of the house, incl. under bathrooms, kitchen and laundry areas.
• The condition of the subfloor, including stumps, bearers, joists and flooring.
• The condition of the roof space, including the frame and insulation and any lighting dangers.
• The condition of the roof covering, including the gutters and downpipes, and also the fascia and bargeboards.
• Inspections include building exteriors, building interiors, roof exterior, roof space, subfloor, any outbuildings and the entire site.

If you are a prospective buyer considering commissioning a building inspection and would like to know more about how we conduct a building inspection and exactly what is included, please feel free to make contact with us at Melbourne House Check on 1300 729 352.