Have you decided to purchase a property?
While this is certainly an exciting time for you, it might also be challenging and a bit stressful. After all, this will probably be the biggest financial decision of your life.
In addition to finding your dream home in the perfect location and making an offer, you’ll need to get a home loan pre-approval, shop around for mortgages, investigate interest rates, estimate extra costs, and organise your finances and conveyancing.
As things add up on your to-do list, it’s easy to overlook building inspection or even forget about the home inspection process altogether.
However, pre-purchase Building and Pest inspection are critical as they can save you from a lot of trouble down the track. Indeed, a pre-purchase building and pest inspection will allow a highly trained inspector to identify any defects the seller might have omitted to mention.
To help you better understand the importance of a pre-purchase building and pest inspection, we’ve listed below some of the most common defects that can arise during home inspections.
Structural Problems
Structural problems can be found in both old and new constructions, although they’re most common in older buildings or houses. They can range from damaged floor joists, foundation walls, and erosion to water damage, movement, cracks in the external walls, and window or door frames pulling away from the wall.
Structural problems can be costly to fix. That’s why having a thorough check of your property carried out by a professional can allow you to spot these issues early on and account for them if you decide to purchase the property regardless.
Retaining Walls
While a manicured garden around a retaining wall can enhance an outdoor area, you need to be careful when inspecting a home. Indeed, these walls haven’t been built for their aesthetics. They’re protective structures playing a critical role in holding back earth and soil and preventing land from sliding away. They’re also often used to terrace a piece of land and can help redirect flooding.
Unfortunately, an unstable or poorly constructed retaining wall might be hiding under lush vegetation. This could be disastrous as an unstable retaining wall can cost a lot to fix and even potentially lead to deadly consequences.
However, a professional will be able to identify inadequate drainage or any other common defects found in retaining walls, thus providing you with a better understanding of possible work and the costs involved.
Roof Damage
The Australian weather is known to be harsh due to the sun, the hail, or the heavy rain that punctuates the year. Unfortunately, this means that roofs are exposed to harsh elements and need to be well-maintained in order to last. As a result, it is very important to check the gutters and the roof for sagging, cracks, and leaks. This will save you from a bad surprise come the next storm season!
Pest Damage
1 in 4 homes in Australia will be infested with termites in their lifetime. Pests can damage your home and poison your life by hollowing out wood, eating carpets and timbers. Identifying pests and the damage they have incurred early on and coming up with a plan of action to get rid of them for good is therefore critical.
Do you want to know more about the benefits of booking a pre-purchase building and pest inspection? If that's the case, don’t hesitate to contact us here or call us on 07 3369 5231. We’d be happy to discuss your needs and how we can help.