Building and pest inspection
A professional assessment of a property's condition and pest damage before you commit to buying.
A building inspection reports on structural condition, roofing, plumbing, drainage, moisture and safety issues. A pest inspection looks for termites and other timber-destroying organisms.
Reports are typically ordered together and cost a few hundred dollars. Against a purchase running into hundreds of thousands, the ratio strongly favours getting them done.
Findings are negotiating material as well as information. A report identifying $15,000 of work provides grounds to renegotiate the price or request repairs before settlement.
Read the whole report rather than the summary. Inspectors write within defined limitations, and the qualifications about inaccessible areas such as subfloors and roof cavities often matter more than the headline findings.
What one inspection can save
A $600 inspection uncovering active termite damage requiring $25,000 of remediation either renegotiates the price or saves you from a purchase you would have regretted.
The bit people get wrong
Inspections must be done before the cooling-off period expires, and at auction before you bid. Buyers who order them after signing often discover they no longer have any way to act on the findings.
Common questions
Do I need both building and pest?
Yes. They cover different risks, and termite damage is frequently concealed within structures that a building inspection alone would not identify.
Can I use the seller's report?
Treat it cautiously. A report commissioned by the vendor may be dated or limited in scope, and you generally have no recourse against an inspector you did not engage.
What about apartments?
A strata report matters more than a building inspection, since it reveals the building's finances, planned works, defect history and any special levies.