Why should anyone get a Building & Pest Inspection? – Because your Solicitor or Conveyancer may recommend you get one done when Buying or Selling a Property in NSW
A building & pest report is the ‘standard level’ of due diligenc when buying or selling a property in NSW. However there are as many reasons to get a building & pest as there are building defects. Your solicitor or conveyancer may suggest an inspection, however other stakeholders may also recommend getting a report, such as your: realestate agent, builder, bank or investment firm, insurance company, we even do work for various Government departments.
Don’t be fooled by property styling or recent renovations, It’s very hard to tell between ‘apples and lemons’ sometimes
Don’t be fooled by new developments, property styling or recent renovations. Not all properties are equal and some of the worst defects can be hard to see, or easy to conceal. Many major problems are completely out of sight, concealed in building voids like the roof space or subfloor.
A pre-purchase Building and Timber Pest Inspection is vital to help you understand what problems a building may have before you buy it. Imagine moving into your new home and discovering these scenarios:
- The upstairs shower leaks into the rooms below.
- The timber deck is decayed (behind the paint) and in danger of collapse.
- The timber floors have been infested with termites and require complete replacement.
- The building is structurally inadequate and requires underpinning.
These problems, and hundreds of others are very common in homes of all ages and can cost tens of thousands to fix. A Building report will empower your negotiations and help eliminate risk. One in five houses in Sydney have some form of termite damage. Sydney is rated by the CSIRO as the second highest risk category for Termite attack to homes. Timber, brick or steel-framed houses are all at risk of Termite attack.
Common Major Defects we find during Sydney Building and Pest Inspections – and Areas We Inspect During the Inspection Process
- Structural issues such as cracks, settlement or subsidence
- Damp penetration problems such as rising damp, lateral water penetration and falling damp from chimneys
- Leaking Showers are one the most common defects and can cost over $25K to renovate a standard bathroom, we also check taps and toilets
- Termite infestation, it’s surprisingly common in the Greater Sydney areas
- We keep an eye out for potential safety hazards such as decayed balconies, unsafe staircases, illegal or unsafe handrails, windows or blinds and the like
- Defects with internal finishes such as wall and floor linings, ceilings, windows, doors etc
- Roor exterior and interior is inspected in detail for structural concerns and leaks
- We check for the presence of Smoke detectors
- Illegal structures are commended on in a general manner if they have building defects
- Fire hazards and bushfire prone areas
- Wood-rot, wood decay fungi and other timber pests like wood borers
- We look at the roof plumbing and possible site draiange issues.
- Poor external surface drainage with regard to site topography
- Flooding and Damp related issues with regard to building position or other defects
- Roof frames members are checked for structural issues and timber pests
- Bouncy or Sagging floors are common and might be hard to fix
- We check the building services for obvious issues, such as electrical, plumbing, gas, air-conditioning, hot water units, Drainage, water supply and rainwater tanks.
- We check doors windows, cupbords and wardrobes. Checking window frames for damage or defects
- Leaning retaining walls are very common and can be a major cost if replacement is required
- Trees and the location of vegetation or tree root damage are often underestimated, we check for possible issues
- We even check the bounday fences for timber pest damage or lanscaping issues on the boundary
