Taking the plunge and deciding to build your dream home is an exciting time for any buyer, but unless you have a wealth of construction building experience, it can also be a time that is filled with confusion and anxiety. With the copious amounts of paperwork and things to organise it can be easy to let a few things slip under your radar.
However, one thing that should never be left off of your to-do list is a building inspection. It doesn’t matter whether you are purchasing a home off the plan or bringing your own design to life, you should be given a pre-handover walk with the site supervisor through your new home around one week before build completion.
While the majority of home builds come with a 5-year warranty, investing in an independent practical completion building inspection is something that every smart buyer should be doing to protect their investment. At Detail Building Inspections, we recommend organising your practical completion building inspection during your final walk through. This will allow your contractor enough time for any remedial work to be undertaken prior to the final handover.
At Detail Building Inspections, we have years of industry experience with each member of our building inspection team being a fully qualified and licensed trade or builder. Our in-depth practical completion building inspection report will highlight any areas of the build that are not completed to the Building Code of Australia, relevant Australian Standards, State or Local Legislation and Building Tolerance and Guidelines.
If you’re building a new home, here’s what you need to know about the importance of getting an independent completion building inspection:
What is a practical completion building inspection?
If you’re looking into getting a practical completion inspection, there’s no doubt this is an exciting time for you as it’s an indication that your dream build is near complete.
Upon a practical completion building inspection, your construction supervisor can reveal the finished product with all finishing touches completed. This should be considered to be one of the most important inspections during the home building process, as it will identify any faults and get them fixed before the handover which can potentially save you thousands.
At Detail Building Inspections, our professional building inspectors will meet with your project’s construction supervisor at the building site. From here, we will go through the home room by room discussing key features and inspect everything to ensure it is working as it should. Any areas of the home or items that require fixing are recorded in the inspection report we create for you and your construction supervisor to action and sign off.
It is important to note that your builder has a contractual obligation to repair these minor defects by organising trades and suppliers to return and rectify items listed in your inspection report. This is usually completed between one and two weeks to ensure that handover can occur as quickly as possible.
To ensure your ultimate satisfaction, your construction supervisor should organise a second inspection with our team to go through all of the listed items and confirm that they have been rectified.
How can a practical completion building inspection protect new homeowners?
As mentioned above when a home or building doesn’t meet the Australian Building Standards, your contractor is responsible for addressing any relevant defects. Aspects such as shoddy craftsmanship, leaks or plumbing errors, electrical faults and roofing defects are all things that can present themselves as issues.
All of these defects are probably the last thing you want to be dealing with as a new homeowner. However, they are all problems which would be detected by a skilled and experienced Detail Building Inspections inspector. Although, too often do homeowners skimp out of the need for a practical completion building inspection and such issues won’t present themselves to the untrained eye until warranties and defect periods are no longer valid. This results in the homeowner being responsible for financing all of the necessary repairs.
Don’t make the mistake of letting your dream build become a financial problem. Be sure to take the time to invest in a practical completion building inspection report, and you will find that you’ll be moving into your new space with the ultimate peace of mind.
Generally speaking, your practical completion inspection is the last major opportunity you’ll have to raise any construction issues with your builder prior to handover. We’ve listed some ways in which a practical completion building inspection will prove to be beneficial to you and your family below:
- Firstly, major construction defects can be challenging to remediate while you are living in the home. Issues such as tiles that require replacing will prove to be a challenge to repair while living in the home as our bathroom access will be limited.
- Secondly, investing in a practical completion building inspection will protect you against construction issues that can be attributed to occupancy.
- Finally, the practical completion inspection is conducted just prior to the final payment being made. Hence why it is so important that there is an agreement between you and your builder that your contract has been fulfilled prior to making the final payment.
In Need of A Practical Building Inspection?
If you are looking for a building inspector that completes practical completion building inspections to the highest standard, look no further than the team at Detail Building Inspections!
With years of experience and a team made up of industry professionals you can rest assured that our team will ensure that your new build is perfect before you turn key – potentially saving you thousands of dollars in repairs further down the line. Be sure to give the Detail Building Inspections team a call or book online today!
