If you are thinking of purchasing a home it is very important
that you use the services of a competent, reputable and reliable
building inspector to thoroughly inspect the property and provide you
with a detailed written report on all aspects the it's condition.
If there are any defects or damage to the property, and you sign the purchase contract, legally you accept the property in the condition at time of contract signing. However, if a building inspector finds defects with, or damage to, the property before the contract settles, and settlement is subject to the condition of the property being to your satisfaction, then the faults may be eligible for rectification at the vendors expense prior to settlement on the property, subject to negotiations between the prospective purchaser and the vendor.
Building inspectors have more than their fair share of horror stories to tell on the condition they find some properties in, including leaking roofs, plumbing and electrical wiring that is out dated, dangerous, faulty or doesn't comply with regulatory authorities, foundations that are weak, cracked, or have subsided. Then there are the missing or damaged fixtures and fittings.
Fixtures and fittings that were there at the time the prospective buyer look at the property but were found to be missing or damaged at the time of official inspection, or prior to settlement, are the liability of the vendor to put right. For these reasons it is prudent to take a video and/or photos of the property that you are interested in buying.
In rare cases, vendors have stripped the property of its fixtures and fittings before moving out. These include light fittings, gates, air conditioners, built-in cupboards, and even plants from the garden!
Then there are the horror stories, about shoddy construction such as sloping floors, bowing walls, or inadequate foundations. Many times, where these faults are pointed out to the builder, he will say that it is optical illusion, or blame it on something or someone else, rather than take responsibility for his shoddy workmanship.
Expensive mansions aren't excluded from the horror stories. One building inspector tells the story of a $700,000 house, because of improper drainage had buckled hardwood floors, plus its ceilings sagged due to roof leaks. The wiring in the attic was also found to be unsafe. As everyone knows, water and electricity definitely do not mix!
Another horror story related by a building inspector in Australia, tells of a Methodist minister and his wife who purchased what they thought was their dream home - a log cabin in the mountains. However, noticing cracks and bulges in the walls, and faulty flooring, the house was anything but a dream. It was found that the builder had failed to put footings under the house, so it was to all intents and purposes sliding down the mountain!
Prospective apartment purchasers have reported rotting garage doors, flooded basements, peeling paint, and crumbling retaining walls. One such purchaser found that the builder had failed to put sufficient columns in the basement to support the overhead floor, and the house was literally leaning to one side!
These are just a handful of the many thousands of horror stories that building inspectors come across in the performance of their job. Spending money on a building inspector when buying a property is like an insurance policy and can be some of the wisest money you'll spend. What price can you put on peace of mind!
If there are any defects or damage to the property, and you sign the purchase contract, legally you accept the property in the condition at time of contract signing. However, if a building inspector finds defects with, or damage to, the property before the contract settles, and settlement is subject to the condition of the property being to your satisfaction, then the faults may be eligible for rectification at the vendors expense prior to settlement on the property, subject to negotiations between the prospective purchaser and the vendor.
Building inspectors have more than their fair share of horror stories to tell on the condition they find some properties in, including leaking roofs, plumbing and electrical wiring that is out dated, dangerous, faulty or doesn't comply with regulatory authorities, foundations that are weak, cracked, or have subsided. Then there are the missing or damaged fixtures and fittings.
Fixtures and fittings that were there at the time the prospective buyer look at the property but were found to be missing or damaged at the time of official inspection, or prior to settlement, are the liability of the vendor to put right. For these reasons it is prudent to take a video and/or photos of the property that you are interested in buying.
In rare cases, vendors have stripped the property of its fixtures and fittings before moving out. These include light fittings, gates, air conditioners, built-in cupboards, and even plants from the garden!
Then there are the horror stories, about shoddy construction such as sloping floors, bowing walls, or inadequate foundations. Many times, where these faults are pointed out to the builder, he will say that it is optical illusion, or blame it on something or someone else, rather than take responsibility for his shoddy workmanship.
Expensive mansions aren't excluded from the horror stories. One building inspector tells the story of a $700,000 house, because of improper drainage had buckled hardwood floors, plus its ceilings sagged due to roof leaks. The wiring in the attic was also found to be unsafe. As everyone knows, water and electricity definitely do not mix!
Another horror story related by a building inspector in Australia, tells of a Methodist minister and his wife who purchased what they thought was their dream home - a log cabin in the mountains. However, noticing cracks and bulges in the walls, and faulty flooring, the house was anything but a dream. It was found that the builder had failed to put footings under the house, so it was to all intents and purposes sliding down the mountain!
Prospective apartment purchasers have reported rotting garage doors, flooded basements, peeling paint, and crumbling retaining walls. One such purchaser found that the builder had failed to put sufficient columns in the basement to support the overhead floor, and the house was literally leaning to one side!
These are just a handful of the many thousands of horror stories that building inspectors come across in the performance of their job. Spending money on a building inspector when buying a property is like an insurance policy and can be some of the wisest money you'll spend. What price can you put on peace of mind!