Somewhere between the freshly vacuumed carpet and that dodgy back deck no one really looked at twice, someone’s about to inherit a five-figure mistake.
Because most homes pass the eye test and still fail the real one. Especially in Adelaide, where the soil moves like it’s got opinions and termites don’t believe in annual leave. At Detailing Building Inspection, we’ve seen firsthand how often major issues stay hidden until a proper assessment reveals what’s really going on.
And no, we’re not talking about “oh, the paint’s chipped” or “that tap’s a bit drippy.” We’re talking about the kind of problems that don’t show up until after settlement, when the keys are in your hand, and the regrets are already unpacked.
You’d be amazed at what inspectors find behind freshly painted plaster or under a ‘renovated’ bathroom. But you won’t hear about those from the agent, because no one wants to explain that your “dream home” is sitting on a passive-aggressive clay pancake.
It isn’t a scary piece. It’s a reality check.
A very Adelaide one.
Because from salt damp that quietly eats your wall’s will to live, to the subfloor termites throwing a party under your ensuite, there are repeat offenders that pop up in building inspections here more often than traffic on South Road.
We’re pulling back the insulation. Real talk about what you’re probably not being told, and definitely need to know, before you take on your next (or current) slice of suburbia.
Let’s get into it. The weird stuff. The annoying stuff.
The “how did no one else catch this?” stuff.
1. Structural Movement
Adelaide’s reactive clay is a low-key menace. Expands when it’s wet. Shrinks when it’s dry. And drags your slab along for the ride.
Hairline cracks on cornices? Could be nothing. Long diagonal splits trailing from door frames? That’s the clay soil delivering its passive-aggressive feedback.
Most people don’t realise this stuff has seasons. Some cracks open in summer and disappear by Easter. Others just stay and grow a personality. Building inspections catch these patterns and identify which ones are structural and which ones are just your plaster flexing under pressure.
Let’s not forget: foundation movement doesn’t always show itself dramatically. It creeps, which is why it pays to have someone who knows Adelaide’s clay zones inside and out.
2. Salt Damp: Older Than Your Mortgage and Twice as Stubborn
Salt damp isn’t vintage. It’s just insidious. And it doesn’t care if your home is double brick or post-2000 render with ideas above its station.
When rising damp pulls mineral salts from the ground into your walls, it crystallises, breaks down the mortar, and starts to bubble your paint, as if it’s auditioning for attention.
Additionally, many people exacerbate the issue by sealing walls with waterproof paint. That traps moisture. So instead of escaping, it sets up shop behind the scenes and corrodes everything from your skirting boards to your sanity.
A thorough building inspection doesn’t just spot cosmetic issues. It tells you how far the problem’s travelled, and what kind of fix it actually needs, not just a new coat of white to hide it from the next buyer.
3. Termites: The Unofficial Subfloor Committee
They don’t knock. They don’t pay rent. They just show up and start renovating.
Adelaide’s termite population is low-key relentless. Mild winters mean they stay active longer than in most places. They love moist subfloors, untreated timber, and human negligence in equal measure.
What most homeowners don’t get is that termites often start where you’re least likely to check: wet wall cavities, under old water heaters, behind garden sleepers. By the time you see hollowed-out timber or mud tubes, they’ve probably done the equivalent of two kitchen renos.
Building inspections, worth their weight in gold, look for signs you won’t. Not just chewed timber, but moisture points, old nests, entry gaps near stumps, and even changes in surface temperature.
Because when it comes to termites in Adelaide, it’s not paranoia. It’s pattern recognition.
4. Roofing & Drainage: The Small Stuff That Wrecks Big Things
No, it’s not normal for gutters to sag or for downpipes to send rainwater right back to your footings. But it’s common. Adelaide homes love testing gravity and council compliance.
A misaligned roof sheet or badly angled gutter can dump water straight into your walls. And because Adelaide weather can swing from bone-dry to flash flood without notice, even minor drainage errors can start to leave significant clues.
Leaf litter from gum trees is another local culprit. It clogs drainage, traps moisture, and quietly helps rust creep through your roof structure while everyone blames the last thunderstorm.
Good building inspections track water. Where it comes from, where it goes, and where it shouldn’t be pooling.
5. DIY Renovation Blunders
Unapproved extensions. Load-bearing walls removed without support, decks built on whatever timber was left over from a Bunnings run.
Adelaide’s full of homes that look newly refreshed but hide some real paperwork nightmares. The vibe might be modern. The structural logic? Not so much.
A proper inspection digs into permits, checks materials, and flags whether your “second living area” is actually just a dressed-up liability.
Half the cost of buying someone else’s DIY job isn’t the fix; it’s the legal ambiguity that follows. You’ll want to know that before your insurer finds out for you.
6. Electrical & Plumbing Oversights: Where the Big Costs Hide Quietly
Electrical panels with mystery breakers. Junction boxes are buried in insulation. Plumbing cross-connections that would confuse a licensed plumber.
These aren’t rare. They’re just hard to see. Which is why you need building inspections that actually test, not just a cursory glance and nod.
Adelaide’s older suburbs still carry legacy wiring and mixed-material piping. A good inspector knows the signs, the way the taps sound, the way the breakers behave, even the odd smell near a damp riser. You’d be surprised how much a water hammer can tell you when someone’s listening properly.
7. Adelaide-Specific Gotchas: What a Generic Checklist Won’t Catch
Most cities don’t have our climate whiplash or our sandstone snobbery. Adelaide homes blend dry heat, reactive ground, and decades of semi-compliant charm. It’s not standard. It’s local.
That’s why generic building inspections written for the East Coast often overlook important details. Here, cracks don’t mean the same thing. Damp behaves differently. Materials age faster in coastal suburbs and move more in the hills.
You want eyes that know where to look, not just what to tick.
Wrap Up!
You don’t need to fear your home. But you do need to stop trusting what you see. Building inspections aren’t about drama. They’re about catching the parts no one thought to mention—including the last inspector who missed it.
If there’s one thing Adelaide homes are good at, it’s testing your assumptions.
A thorough inspection just means you get to skip the part where your assumptions test your bank account. If you want that peace of mind, contact us today!
