Often when we want nothing to be wrong with something, we’re prepared to ignore every sign that there is.
Especially when that’s shining a light on your potential dream home, where everything appears to be polished and perfect… except for that roof sagging with rot and termite families.
Even with your rose-coloured glasses off, the most discerning of buyers and would-be carpenters can still miss vital red flags about a property. After all, you can’t determine what’s beneath the surface from one open home – and most areas of concern are invisible to the naked eye.
This is where a professional pest and building inspection comes in, and can save you from making a half-million dollar mistake – or quite possibly even more!
Generally speaking, building and pest inspections serve as cheap insurance; they identify what shape the property is in, current areas of concern and a history of previous issues, so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to purchase the property.
We recommend that owners get their own pest and building reports prior to putting their property on the market, to avoid any ‘nasty surprises’ at the critical point of a sale. In some instances owners can offer this information about their property upfront, however it’s important to note that they are not obliged to provide this information under current NSW law – leaving the responsibility with the buyer before committing to the sale.
Not surprisingly, it’s always a much wiser idea to trust the judgment of a professional instead of trying to conduct the inspection yourself – especially when it comes to liability.
“We’ve had instances where the conveyancer didn’t order a pest and building inspection until after the cooling-off period, which turned out to be fatal,” says Wayne Browne, Client Relationship Manager at Prudential Real Estate Campbelltown.
“Some owners have footed the bill at a minimal cost, but they’re still costs that could have been avoided with the correct pre-purchase inspections.”
But buyers beware: when choosing the right person for the job, remember that not all reports are created equal. It pays to get a decent pest and building inspection from a reliable professional that you can trust to identify things that can be fixed, such as minor issues, as well as things that can’t – the potential deal-breakers.
At Prudential Real Estate, we recommend the services of Restwell Inspections – however we always advise to get in contact with a few companies, as quotes can vary between each.
In general, a good pest and building inspection will identify issues such as:
- Insight into necessary repairs, such as leaks or cracks
- Signs of infestation such as termites or borers
- Any structural defects, such as with electrical wiring or footings
For an investment of typically $300-$600 (depending on your property), pest and building reports will provide you with peace of mind when going to buy, so that you can address issues with the owner to repair instead of footing the bill yourself after the sale.
Further to that, both inspections can also uncover valuable information about a property that can provide grounds to negotiate a better purchase price – from which the reports will have potentially paid for themselves.
After more information?
Get in touch with your local Prudential Real Estate office below!
Prudential Real Estate Campbelltown | (02) 4628 0033 | campbelltown@prudential.com.au
Prudential Real Estate Liverpool | (02) 9822 5999 | liverpool@prudential.com.au
Prudential Real Estate Macquarie Fields | (02) 9605 5333 | macquariefields@prudential.com.au
Prudential Real Estate Narellan | (02) 4624 4400 | narellan@prudential.com.au
