What You Need To Know About Pre-Purchase Building Inspections In Perth

Posted on 25 July, 2022 by Micheal Alexander

Pre-purchase building inspections are a must-do for everyone buying a home. They can protect you from lots of stress, headaches and financial pressure by identifying any structural issues and allowing you to make an informed decision.

However, while most people know that pre-purchase building inspections in Perth are important, many people aren’t aware of exactly what they are and what’s involved. Home Building Inspections Sydney

If you want to be as informed and prepared as possible when buying a new home, make sure you check out the rest of this post to learn everything you need to know about pre-purchase building inspections.

What Is A Pre-Purchase Building Inspection?

A pre-purchase building inspection in Perth is one of many inspections you can conduct on a property before you buy it. An inspector will assess the condition of the property to find faults such as cracked walls, structural issues and possible damp.

While this inspection report should highlight visual damage to structural timber caused by termites, it doesn’t usually mention the existence of termites. To find out if a property has termites and other pests, you should also get a timber pest inspection report, which is often a good idea.

What Is The AS 4349.1-2007?

The Australian Standard AS 4349.1-2007 is a standard that all building inspectors must follow during visual inspections of residential buildings including pre-purchase inspections in Perth

It’s designed to identify structural faults only, excluding building elements such as roof plumbing, doors, windows, wiring, tiling, plastering, etc.

It’s meant to protect the buyer from buying a property with hazardous structural defects while also protecting the seller from last-minute withdrawal from the buyer due to minor issues in a property such as a cracked tile.

While buyers can choose to void the contract during the cooling-off period, most agreements only allow it in the event that the property is structurally compromised or has a significant structural defect that the seller is unwilling to repair.

What Do Inspectors Check?

When inspectors conduct a pre-purchase building inspection in Perth, they usually focus on major structural issues and not minor ones like the condition of the finishes and materials (which don’t affect the building’s safety).

However, some inspectors – including us here at BestWest – provide inspection reports that exceed the Australian Standard requirement. Here are what most inspections cover:

Overview of structural issues, as these issues can cause collapse. Some of them require major construction work to fix.

Identification of hazardous areas, including the presence of possible asbestos and damages to load-bearing walls or balustrades.

Identification of fire hazards, including exposed electrical wiring and smoke alarms.

At Doric Property Inspections, we take great pride in providing thorough, industry leading building inspections and often get you a report within the day so you can know the condition of your property as soon as possible. Just get in touch if you’re in the process of buying a home and want to make sure that you’re making the right decision.