Avoid problems and extra costs later on by knowing as much as you can about the condition of a property before you buy. Besides inspecting the property yourself, you can also arrange for property inspection reports, such as a building inspection repport.
When a prospective buyer asks for a contract of sale, the agent must inform them about property inspection reports that have been commissioned. The buyer may then be able to negotiate a cheaper price to repurchase a report. Refer to our Property reports and commercial exemption reforms page for details.
The following information explains what you need to know about property inspections.
You should personally inspect a property that you are interested in buying. You may wish to take someone with you to gain another perspective.
Property viewings usually last half an hour to an hour. Use this time to do the following checks:
A building inspection is just one check you can get done before buying a property.
Sometimes referred to as a ‘standard property report’, a pre–purchase property inspection report (subsequently referred to as a ‘building inspection report’) is a written account of the property’s condition. It will include any significant building defects or problems such as rising damp, movement in the walls (cracking), safety hazards or a faulty roof. It is usually carried out before you exchange sale contracts so you can identify problems which, if left unchecked, could prove costly to repair.
Note: A building inspection report is different to a ‘pest inspection report’. While a building inspection report should identify any visual damage that may have been caused by termites, it usually won't include termites or other timber destroying pests. You may choose to get a separate pest inspection report done before you buy a property.
Benefits of getting a building inspection report done before buying a property are:
Always use a suitably qualified person (such as a licensed builder, a surveyor or an architect) to provide a professional building inspection report of the property you are thinking of buying. These professions should see through any cosmetic improvements covering up faults that might otherwise be missed by an untrained eye.
A professional person will ensure that the format and content of the report complies with the relevant Australian Standard.
Ensure that the person you choose has adequate insurance cover, particularly for professional indemnity.
The report’s format, detail and cost will depend on the type of property (including its size, age and condition) and the process used by the consultant or organisation to prepare it.
There is an Australian Standard for pre-purchase buiding inspection reports which must be complied with, but the report may otherwise vary in style and content. Some use a comprehensive checklist, include photographs, adopt a standard format or are individually tailored to the property. The report should make you aware of the property's condition and any major problems.
A standard building inspection report is generally a visual inspection only. It may not identify major structural defects or other hidden problems. You may choose to gain an additional assessment of the property from a suitably accredited specialist (eg. pest inspector, structural engineer, geotechnical engineer, surveyor, electricity supply authority or water supply authority).
The inspector should check all accessible parts of the property. These include:
You may also ask for a particular item or part of the property to be inspected, such as:
The following would normally be included in a building inspection report:
Make sure you specify any particular items or areas on the site that you would like to be inspected.
The inspection report should also include the following information:
A building inspection report does not deal with every aspect of the property. Its role is to identify any major problems visible at the time of the inspection. The extent of a problem will be influenced by the age and type of property.
While providing valuable expert advice, the report will not generally include:
A building inspector would not normally check such things as:
With strata scheme and company title properties, the building inspector will normally only inspect and assess the condition of the interior and immediate exterior of the unit you are thinking of buying. If you want the consultant to inspect other common property areas you will need to request a ‘special–purpose’ property report.
Most properties will have minor defects such as blemishes, corrosion, cracking, weathering, general deterioration, and unevenness and physical damage to materials and finishes. If you want the consultant to report on minor defects and imperfections you will need to ask for a ‘special–purpose’ property report.
Certain conditions will affect the final report including:
It may be difficult to detect leaks and other problems if services, such as water, have not been used for some time. For example, if the shower has not been used recently, leaks or damp may not be obvious.
A building inspection report gives an expert’s view of the condition of the property you are interested in buying.
It is not intended as a certificate of compliance for any law, warranty or insurance policy against future problems. Nor is it intended to estimate the cost of fixing problems, for which a ‘special-purpose’ property report is required instead.
Normally your conveyancer or solicitor will deal with all law–related matters. The building inspection report cannot comment on things like the location of fencing in relation to boundaries, as this needs to be done by a registered surveyor.
Most consultants need a minimum of 2–3 days notice to do a building inspection.
When ordering your building inspection report, give yourself enough time to make a decision. You should get the vendor’s permission to have the property inspected as early in the sale negotiations as possible. This will help you decide if the property is worth buying. There may be little point in spending money on conveyancing until you know the condition of the property.
When you buy a property in NSW, there is a 5 business day cooling–off period after you have exchanged contracts. During this period, you may get out of sale as long as you give written notice. The cooling–off period starts as soon as you exchange and ends at 5pm on the fifth business day.
A cooling–off period does not apply if you buy a property at auction or exchange contracts on the same day as the auction after it is passed in. Always check with your solicitor or licensed conveyancer that you have a cooling-off period, and have the process explained to you.
To get a building inspection done during the cooling–off period, give the consultant as much notice as possible. They will have to do the inspection, prepare the report and still give you time to decide and potentially withdraw from the contract (requiring a letter to the vendor or their agent saying so). If you withdraw, you forfeit 0.25% of the purchase price.
A special–purpose property report normally covers the same items as a building inspection (pre–purchase property inspection) report. It may also include:
Check with the building consultant on information normally included in their reports. Inform them if you need extra information.
While the building inspection report should identify any visual damage caused by termites, it won’t include whether termites and other pests that destroy timber are still around.
Consider getting a pest inspection done as well, especially if the property is located where termites are a known problem.
Vendors may get a building report on the property they are selling to give to interested buyers. This can help but it is not a substitute for your own independent report.
Canberra-based company Mr Fluffy installed loose-fill asbestos insulation in the ceiling spaces of ACT and NSW premises in the 1960s and 1970s. If disturbed, loose-fill asbestos fibres can become airborne and breathed in, which may cause health risks. The NSW Government has determined that demolition, comprehensive site remediation and disposal are the only options to remove the health risk from affected properties.
Loose-fill asbestos is unlike other forms of asbestos. The building inspection report won’t confirm the presence of loose-fill asbestos and it can't be identified by sight alone. The only way to confirm whether a home is affected by loose-fill asbestos insulation is to have it tested by a licensed asbestos assessor.
If the test result demonstrates the property is affected, owners of premises built before 1980 may be eligiblle for inclusion into the NSW Government's Voluntary Purchase and Demolition Program. For more information on the Program, visit the Loose-fill asbestos insulation section of the Fair Trading website.
If the property you are looking at has a swimming pool check that the pool is fenced and meets fencing requirements. Please visit the pool safety checklists page on the NSW Swimming Pool Register for further information.
From 29 April 2016, the following must be attached to the sales contract of a property with a swimming pool or spa pool:
This requirement does not apply:
To check if a certificate of compliance has been issued, go to the NSW Government's Swimming Pool Register.
If an occupation certificate is used, evidence that the swimming pool is registered must also be provided with the sales contract.
If a certificate of non-compliance is attached to the contract for sale, the vendor is transferring the obligation to obtain a certificate of compliance to the purchaser. The purchaser will have 90 days from the date of settlement to rectify defects listed in the certificate of non-compliance and obtain a certificate of compliance.
The Office for Local Government is the main authority for swimming pool laws.
For more details ask your local council or visit the Swimming pools page on the Fair Trading website.
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the report or your dealings with a consultant, try to resolve the problem with them first. If they are members of an industry association, you may be able to get access to a free complaint handling service.
If you buy a property and later find problems not identified in the building inspection report, you may need to seek legal advice, particularly if the consultant’s negligence ends up costing you a lot of money. If you can show that the consultant was negligent in doing the inspection, you can take legal action against them.
It is therefore strongly recommended that you only use consultants that have adequate insurance cover, particularly for professional indemnity.
If you end up buying the property, you may need to organise repairs or renovations before you move in.
When using a builder or tradesperson for work where the value is over $5,000 the builder or tradesperson must:
There were major changes to home building laws in early 2015. For details, visit our Major changes to home building laws page.
Check the licence details of a builder or tradesperson before you engage them. Refer to our online licence check or call Fair Trading on 13 32 20.