Hi everyone,
I was wondering if anybody has had any negative experiences with building inspections.What does one need to look out for.
If the building inspection is incomplete or fails to pick up problems, is there any avenue for recourse?? [angry2].
What instructions should one give to the company doing the inspection.[eh]
If purchasing a new property (unit rather than house) is it necessary to do a building inspection — a statutory period should be in place during which the builder is required to undertake repairs.[builder]
Thanks.
Helen [cap]
Best advise is to use people you know or those recommended to you. There are a lot of sharks out there.
Hi Helen,
Long story short, I had an inspection done on a property and was overquoted for an existing problem that was found. I nearly let the contract fall over because I was a bit frightened by the cost of repairs. As it turned out the quote was for a bunch of cosmetic work including a new kitchen (that wasn’t at all needed) and not just for the problem identified. Luckily the mix up was ironed out and the sale went through because it was still a good buy.
My point is to be specific in communicating with builers to avoid misunderstandings that may make a good buy seem bad.
Also make sure that the builder who does the inspection is registered to do so. In my understanding registered builders are not necessarily regisered to do inspections/reports and this could come back to bite if something is overlooked.
Cheers,
Apples.elika,
You don’t HAVE to do a BPI (Building and pest inspection) for a new unit, unless your bank demands it. I didn’t get one for a newish unit I just bought, but I did get a Strata Inspection Report- essential viewing, in my opinion
Indeed the SIR showed all issues about the building, including any building problems. So you’ll get the dirt on what’s going on both inside the building, and out. Whereas a BPI will only identify problems that might exist, a SIR will tell you about what is being done to address the issues. You’ll find in it letters from solicitors engaged by the BC, reports by engineers, reponses by builders (remember, builders won’t necessarily take responsibility for any problems- they might say “We undertook work with building standard number blah in accordance with the fire protection act blah blah”. If the builders don’t take responsibility, owners might be up for individual special levies to get the building up to scratch. Any special levies forthcoming should be identified and stated in the SIR.The SIR is a report that is done by a company that does that sort of thing for a living – it’s completely independent. It cost me $150. It will alo identify if there are any tenant issues, and any financial issues. It not only states these things, but analyses them.
So I reckon if you are going to make a choice, get the SIR. The BPI might say there is some real problem occurring, and you’ll get all worried. The SIR will state that the problem is known and is being fixed in September- so why worry?
kay henry
Oops- just to add to above post… it is not like you could use a BPI as a negotiating tool much anyway. For a new unit, it will be a collective responsibility to ensure the problem is fixed. So it’s not like you can say “there’s a water problem that needs fixing, and it will cost 30k, or something. It’s much more complex, and as you said, builders need to be forced into fixing problems- it really shouldn’t become an individual owner’s problem.
Just a note- all new buildings are under warranty- not just units. But if it’s an individual house, you’ll have to go through the legal drama yourself of forcing the builder into it (and may end up on a Current Affair like all those poor folks who have a shoddy house built), whereas the good thing about units is, you have a collective force driving the show.
Even if you get a BPI, also get a SIR, elika. Check out special levies proposed. If owners are going to have to pay an 8k levy or something, you can negotiate the price with the vendor. It’s tough to buy a new property, and to pay a big levy when you probably shouldn’t have to.
kay henry
Go out with a building inspector for a few days & learn what they look at.
You’ll pick up enough info to know what to look for yourself & maybe cross out some properties before paying for an inspector (which you should still do if a property is on your buy list).
My partner did this a few years back.
Cheers,
Aceyducey
Hi elika7264
We got a building inspection some 10 years ago for our house as there was some major cracking at the front of the home. Found out is was a water issue causing the problem. Get rid of the water, problem solved.
Unfortunately this is when the fun and games began, got an architect to view, than a structural engineer, followed by 2 builders – guess what… all came up with different ways on how to fix the problem.
Finally, we went with the least expensive option which made sense to us at the time – cost $3,000, however, lost a few nights sleep.
We have now totally renovated the house which is nearly 100 years. Fortunately no further cracks.
All I can say is make sure you only get one qualified person to look at the house, and perhaps a referral from someone may be a good idea.[biggrin]
Hi all,
in your experience, is it better to use a builder or archicentre. I thought the latter. Any other views.
thanks,
Helen [biggrin]
Indeed the SIR showed all issues about the building, including any building problems. So you’ll get the dirt on what’s going on both inside the building, and out. Whereas a BPI will only identify problems that might exist, a SIR will tell you about what is being done to address the issues. You’ll find in it letters from solicitors engaged by the BC, reports by engineers, reponses by builders (remember, builders won’t necessarily take responsibility for any problems- they might say “We undertook work with building standard number blah in accordance with the fire protection act blah blah”. If the builders don’t take responsibility, owners might be up for individual special levies to get the building up to scratch. Any special levies forthcoming should be identified and stated in the SIR.
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