All Topics / Help Needed! / Who does the inspections?
I am this close to buying my first IP and would like to as you guys for some help. Before I buy I will obviously need some inspections and searches done but I am not sure who to get them done by. In particular these basic three: pest inspection(??), building inspection (any architect? eg Archicentre.com.au??) and strata searches (solicitor?).
Thanks for your help
Dan
Hi Dan
Why don’t you ask your conveyancer to recommend someone from the area you’re looking at
Dan,
1. Pest control (white ant)…I find them to be a joke and do not perform these anymore. Got burnt royally (30K) on my second deal. [angry2]Certificate wasn’t worth the paper it was written on – in the fine print it was valid and enforceable for only 24 hours after the inspection….the company mailed out the certificate 2 days after the inspection. Company has since gone broke. I figure I can carry a torch and screwdriver just as well as the next guy…(have accompanied 7 inspectors for family members all up, all bar none had nothing more technical than a screwdriver and a torch.
2. Building inspections – absolutely essential. Don’t sit in your office while they do it. You get an immense amount of info by showing up to property 10 minutes before he/she does in your overalls / light / ladder and go through the place with them. Get up into the roof cavity with them – crawl under the floorboards with them…they are happy to point things out that never make it onto their standard reporting pro-forma. Actually, I honestly think they find it comforting that they are not the only ones crawling through the cobwebs and muck by themselves…a bit of comraderie develops and you get maximum benefit from the inspection. If there is white ant problems, you’ll see it with the builder, they know what they are looking at…(negates to have to do point 1). I find registered builders to be excellent, I’ve had architects as well but prefer builders…depends on the building type and the ‘robustness’ of your own personality. [bonjour]
3. Strata stuff – no idea, never bought one and never will.
Cheers,
Dazzling
“Go hard or go home”
Dan,
Are you thinking of buying in NSW or elsewhere?
Totally agree with Dazzling, and would add that if there is something the building inspector missed, but you are concerned about, then don’t be shy about asking them to “please explain?”
I only found out by asking, that what looked like a “settling crack”, was in fact the first sign of an expensive structural problem associated with a long span in a house constructed out of thermalite bricks.B2
Hi Dan 76,
A building inspection is very important for any potential property owners. My husband is a qualified (building surveyor, builder), building inspector and over the years has seen some amazing circumstances?? It is definitely worth paying out a little to save you a LOT!. You can find Building Inspections in the Yellow pages or the Internet under that title.
Cheers Wendyb[thumbsup2]W Butcher
Thanks guys.
Yeah I will certainly ask the conveyancer to recommend me somebody. I havent mentioned thought that the potential IP is in Darwin – pretty far from where I live (Sydney) and therefore I need some time to find sound conveyancer as well as the inspection folks. But that should be a problem not that hard to solve.
Cheers for your tips.
Dan
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