Building Inspections in Adelaide are Necessary
It’s likely that you have had some pretty in-depth thoughts and discussions about your finances if you are in the process of buying a house.
Establishing your budget is the hard part. After all, it’s so important that you buy within your means. Throughout the buying process, you will then be faced with loan application fees, conveyancing costs, stamp duty, insurance, rates and plenty more.
This is a challenging time for most people, so it’s natural to want to determine if something like a building inspection is needed. After all, saving pennies where you can is always helpful.
However, buying a house is one of the most important investments of your life, so you should always act with due diligence. A building inspection report will help you identify problems that might come back to bite you down the track. The following are reasons why a building inspection should always be undertaken:
Dodgy Building
An unfortunate reality of the construction industry is that some builders do not do their jobs as well as they should. If you are buying an established property, it is highly unlikely that you had anything to do with the initial construction process—therefore you did not choose the professionals to carry out the job. That type of issue is out of your control and can be problematic if the tradesmen carried out poor work. The best thing you can do is try to identify:
Where they’ve gone wrong,
Whether or not it has a bearing on the house value,
If there is going to be any repair work involved.
Poor tradesmanship could come from cutting corners to save time, use of poor materials to save money, lack of industry practice, or lack of qualifications. Detail Building Inspections are qualified by trade and have experience in many styles of building, which translates to us being able to identify poor building practice.
Non-Conforming to Code
Houses in our wonderful country need to be built in line with the Australian Building Standards and Codes. It is what ensures the safety and quality of our houses by regulating the building and plumbing industries.
In a perfect world, builders are held accountable for non-conformance. But quite often there is no recourse if there is no proof of their work or if they are no longer in business. Once you purchase a property, you are responsible for bringing it up to the Australian codes and standards, which is where a building inspection report can help. The inspector will identify which areas are non-conforming and advise you on the next step.
Water Damage
Water damage is perhaps the most common issue that a building inspector will come across. If a house has experienced dilapidation or has not been weatherproofed correctly, it is not uncommon for moisture to find its way into the house. Additionally, it could come about internally from leaky pipes, gutters, showerheads, or even faulty air-conditioning units. These types of defects can start out small, but if they aren’t treated they can lead to extensive repair costs.
An Adelaide building inspection report will detail the areas of the house that have experienced water damage and what type of tradesperson you will need to get the issue rectified. Often it will be a plumber, but depending on exactly what the areas the moisture has damaged, you may need to speak to a tiler or a carpenter.
Pests
Moisture doesn’t just wreak havoc with the building materials of a household. One of the most frustrating issues that can arise from water damage is that it can lead to hungry pests infiltrating the home. When timber meets water, it creates the perfect environment for termites—essentially making your house a restaurant for the little critters.
A termite infestation can cost thousands of dollars if not treated and, in the most extreme cases, can result in the structural integrity of the house being compromised.
Structural Damage
A building inspection report will also highlight any defects within the structure of the home. Poor tradesmanship, uneven ground, pests, or a moving foundation can all contribute to a house becoming structurally unsound. Not only can this make the home unsafe to its occupants, but it can also result in costly repair costs from major construction.
Before you sign the papers, it is certainly worthwhile knowing that the house won’t cost you exorbitant amounts of money in future.
Negotiate a Better Price
When you receive your building inspection report, you can seek repair quotes from specialised tradesmen—or discuss with a property valuer—to gauge whether or not the defects devalue the house. In the instance that it does, it can provide you with much-needed leverage before negotiating a price. Alternatively, if going to auction, you can go equipped with information about if the amount is reasonable.
Conversely, if you are selling your house, this type of information can also be important to understand. Knowing that your home is structurally sound and with little-to-no defects will give you a better understanding on whether or not a potential buyer is lowballing you. The cost of a building inspection will provide you with peace of mind in both circumstances.
Budget for Repairs
So you’ve found your dream house, or something that you feel is within your price range. However, the building inspection report has uncovered a few issues along the way. If they are manageable problems that are within your financial means to fix then it might give you the confidence to go ahead with the purchase.
A great outcome of a building inspection is merely knowing that defects exist, which means that you can seek professional advice on how much they will cost and budget for the future. A pre-purchase building inspection will provide you with clear information about what the more serious defects are, which allows you to prioritise and budget accordingly.
Detail Building Inspections have an extensive history in construction, translating to a meticulous approach to our services. We will best prepare you for the buying process. Call us on 0421 202 336 to seek a quote, or book online with us today.
