Questions to Ask During a Pre-purchase Building and Pest Inspection
A pre-purchase building inspection is your chance to discover any defects that are currently affecting the state of that property. Before you dive in and make one of the biggest investments of your life, it is highly recommended that you have a professional look over a property that you are interested in buying.
At Ironbark Building and Pest, we conduct comprehensive Brisbane building and pest inspections. If you are a prospective buyer wanting us to inspect a property, we encourage you to join us for the inspection. It typically only takes a couple of hours to complete, and it will give you the opportunity to answer any questions you may have. While we will guide you through our findings both at the inspection and in more detail once we supply you with the report, asking us questions is still a good way to clear your mind of any particular concerns or queries you may have.
Here are some of the best questions to ask us during your pre-purchase building inspection, as well as some common answers that you may receive.
How Does the Building Compare With Others?
One of the clear indicators of a property’s value is how it compares with others that are similar to it in age, size, and location. As inspectors, we have a deep knowledge of what the “average” state is for different types of buildings around Brisbane. During our inspection, we will develop an understanding of whether or not the property is above, below, or sitting at the average mark for other comparable properties.
Can You Find any Active Pests?
Understandably, people are sceptical about moving to a home teeming with creepy crawlies and other unwanted pests. We will be able to identify the presence of any active pests in a property during our inspection, such as termites, rodents, cockroaches, ants, and spiders. Having pests in your home doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t move there, but it is a point of concern that will need to be addressed at some point in the future.
What are the Immediate Maintenance Issues that Cannot be Ignored?
As inspectors, we break any property defects down into two categories - major and minor. While you need to be aware of both kinds of issues, the major defects are going to pose a greater safety risk and will likely cost you more to repair. Major defects that require immediate attention include:
Cracks and other damage in the subfloor or foundations
Cracks and other damage in the walls of the property
Cracks and other damage in the floor of the property
We will let you know of any serious issues with the property in the report, but it doesn’t hurt asking us about any immediate maintenance problems during the course of the inspection.
Can I Use the Report to Negotiate the Price of the Property?
In Australia, many prospective buyers need to sign a contract and pay a deposit in order to put forward a formal offer on a property. It is important that this contract has a condition that makes it subject to the results of a building and pest inspection condition. This way, you will be in your rights to terminate that contract if any major defects are identified in your report.
You can also use the report to further negotiate the price of the property. However, there is no obligation by the vendor or sales agent to lower the price based on the findings of an unsatisfactory report. Such an agreement needs to be made between all parties and sealed in writing.
In short, yes, you can use the building and pest report to negotiate the price of the property. Unfortunately, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you will get the price you want, and the seller of the property is not obligated to participate in the negotiations.
How Much Will it Cost to Fix the Damages?
At Ironbark Building and Pest, we can draw up estimates that outline the approximate cost of repairs for any identified defects in a property. This way, you will have the required insights to determine whether or not the cost of repairs is worth paying on top of the price of the house. That is a decision that only you can make, but hopefully our services can give you all the guidance and information you need to make an informed decision.
Ironbark’s Brisbane Pre-Purchase Building Inspections
If you are in need of a meticulous pre-purchase building and pest inspection for a Brisbane property, contact the friendly team at Ironbark Building and Pest today!