When you order a Building & Pest Inspection remember that the
inspector’s job is to find the flaws in the property – that is, what is wrong,
and not what is right.
Always bear this in
mind and the fact therefore that if there are problems, they will nearly always
read more negative than positive.
It is vital
therefore to actually call the Building Inspector yourself after you receive
the written report to have an informal chat with him to confirm what the real
position is.
Remember,
inspectors have a duty of care and thus they must advise you in writing of
problems they encounter, otherwise their professional indemnity insurance won’t
cover them in the event they make a mistake.
The issue, however,
may take on a whole different light and you may see it more in perspective when
you discuss it with them over the phone.
It is importance of
use a Pest & Building Inspector that you source yourself who is truly
independent and prepared to critically look at any property you are buying
without fear or favour of upsetting anyone involved in the sale process.
So therefore, never accept a recommendation from a Real Estate
Agent.
Give the Housing
Industry Association or the Master Builders Association a call for the name of
a suitable inspector.
It goes without
saying too, that you need to engage an inspector who will provide you with a
Report that is actually helpful.
Beware reports that
appear to be very comprehensive and run for pages, but when you look at them
carefully they are effectively "Tick-box Reports” that contain nothing more
than a lot of verbage and some blank lines where the inspector fills in general
comments.
Apart from the
general comments, they are either so technical that you cannot follow them or
they contain so many qualifications that they are of little use or service to
you in assessing whether or not to buy the property.
SO MY TIP FOR YOU IS THIS.
Before you engage
the Inspector, ask them to send you a pro-forma of their report to see that it
is user friendly and does not fall foul of some of these comments I have just
made.
If, after looking
at the pro-forma, you still want to use that inspector rather than source
someone else, call them and tell them about your concerns about the report and
ask them if they will, in addition, provide you as part of their fee an
Executive Summary of any issues in relation to the property (no longer than one
page).
If they are serious
about being of service to you and are keen to get the business, they will
agree.
Remember, particularly where a property has had extensive renovations,
the benefits of thermal imaging.
A lot of building
inspectors now can offer this additional service for up to say another $150.00.
This process can
uncover pest and water problems that have been covered over during renovations.
Wherever possible,
be in attendance at the property with the Building and Pest Inspector.
Then you can ask them all of your questions and you will be surprised
sometimes at the answers.
Be very careful in
trying to lever down the price because of claimed defects in the Building &
Pest reports.
Remember, the
Sellers will often be at the property themselves to observe the inspection and
will usually have asked the inspector first hand if there were any problems.
Trying to lever
down the price therefore when there wasn’t really an issue, can backfire.
Jason Gwerder
Friday, 5 August 2016
