You’ve found the perfect house to purchase and are now preparing to sign the contract. Is there anything else you need to think about before signing on the dotted line? We see the other side where clients have done the hard yards finding their property and then discover the importance of time frames once the contract is signed. Here are 5 Building and Pest Inspection Tips to consider before you sign your contract:
1. How many days do you have to get your Building and Pest Inspection Booked in?
Most contracts will state either 7 or 14 days for the Building and Pest Inspection to be completed. This includes conducting the inspection, receiving your report from the inspector, contacting trades to determine costs, speaking with your Solicitor and having conversations with the relevant parties involved with you in the purchase of the property (such as family). We recommend keeping this in mind when signing a contract and contacting a Building and Pest Inspector prior to signing to ensure time slots are available with your preferred inspector.
2. Have conversations with Building and Pest Inspectors to determine who will provide you with the highest quality service.
This counts for both the inspection and reporting. A quality inspector will take the time to discuss the process of conducting a Building and Pest Inspection, areas to be inspected, processes and equipment used and answer any and all questions you may have around both the inspection and reporting. A comprehensive Building and Pest Inspection should include all accessible areas of the internal and external areas of the house including going inside the roof space where accessible and onto the roof where height restrictions are not exceeded. It should also include the yard space, structures, sheds, retaining walls and fencing up to 50m (pest) and 30m (building) from the house. Reports should contain detailed photographic evidence of Major and Minor defects identified, as well as comments detailing defects, rectifications required, and trades to engage. Reports should also detail Safety Hazards and show annexure photographs of the property with any additional information provided. Our standard property reports are usually 40-60 pages long and are comprehensive and detailed.
3. Confirm the required completion date of the Building and Pest Inspection Report with your Real Estate Agent.
We often have clients ringing with a time frame of 7 or 14 days for the building and pest to be completed. Obviously 14 days provides you with more flexibility and that is plenty of time usually. Clients, however often don’t know if that includes weekends or when the cut off date actually is. We recommend getting a specific day locked in and confirmed with your real estate agent as to the required time frame for completing a building and pest inspection to ensure you are getting your inspection done well within the time frame to allow for turn arounds and follow ups. Also keep in mind the turn around for reporting, with often 24 hour time frames. At Informed Building Inspections we work hard for our clients to provide 24 hour reporting or SAME DAY reporting on request and therefore allow peace of mind during those shorter contract periods.
4. Discuss time frames with your Building and Pest Inspection company prior to signing so you know you are guaranteed to book in your inspection within that time.
If you’ve found a quality Building and Pest Inspection company and want to ensure that they can conduct your inspection, we recommend getting in touch with them to confirm availability prior to signing your contract. Most will find or make time to complete the inspection, however the number of inspections that can be completed within a day are based on the length of time for conducting the inspection, travel to and from and writing the report. During busy times time slots can fill up quickly and it is best to contact the inspector to either tentatively book a day or confirm their current availability. We make contact with the real estate agents to book inspections to take the additional stress off you. We also recommend that clients attend inspections, so it is best to be mindful of your own commitments and availability if you are hoping to attend the inspection. We always work hard to fit everyone in within their given time frames and ensure a quality inspection every time.
5. Determine how long it will take to receive your report, and allow time to get quotes.
Contact companies prior to signing your contract to determine the price for your Building and Pest Inspection, but also the length of time they guarantee for turnaround when it comes to receiving your report. Most companies will have a 24 hour turn around to receive your report. At Informed Building Inspections we work hard to guarantee your comprehensive report will be received on the SAME DAY as your inspection if required. When engaging in conversations with inspection companies, it is important to determine if you are encouraged to attend the inspection or if you will be provided with comprehensive follow up to walk you through the findings once you have received your report. Being able to attend the inspection allows the inspector to walk you through any findings whilst on site, which is integral in ensuring you understand the overall condition of the property and steps to take in the future to rectify the defects identified. Comprehensive follow up should also be a given when engaging the services of a building inspector. Reports are often long and can be difficult to understand, particularly if unable to attend the inspection. Follow up questions and taking the time to walk through findings with clients is essential to understanding the overall condition of the property.
