Whether you are in the market for a domestic or commercial building, discovering as much as you can about the condition of the property you are interested in will help avoid surprises and extra costs down the road. The best way to do this is by obtaining a pre-purchase property inspection report, also known as a building inspection. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is a Property Inspection Report?
A pre-purchase property inspection report is just one of the building inspection reports that are available to you. As the name suggests, this is a report that you can request prior to purchasing a property. This is alternatively referred to as the “standard property report.”
The report is a written account from an experienced third party on the condition of the property in question. This could reveal a number of things about the property such as significant defects or areas of concern including movement, rising damp, cracking, faulty roofs, and other safety hazards. This is typically carried out before you sign a sales contract to identify any issues that could lead to costly repairs.
Why Do You Need One?
- So that you have clear expectations about the property that you are purchasing.
- To gain useful information in negotiating a lower price because you will have to repair certain identified issues.
- To get expert or specialist advice on how any issues may affect the property over time.
Choosing the Right Inspector
If you are on the hunt for quality building inspections in Perth, you want to ensure that you are hiring a knowledgeable and qualified person such as a licensed architect, surveyor, or builder. A professional will be able to provide you with a thorough and high-quality inspection report on the property that you are interested in.
A person experienced in building inspection reports will know exactly what to look for with an eye to recognising any cosmetic improvements designed to cover up property defects made by the current owner that could be otherwise missed by an untrained eye. He or she will be able to format the report’s content in a way that complies with Australian Standard (AS 4349.1).
Report Content
The amount of detail and the formatting of the report will vary depending on the type of property being surveyed, the age and size of the property, and the process used by the organisation that is preparing the report. These types of factors will also have an impact on the report’s total cost.
A standard building inspection report is typically a visual representation only and may not identify major defects or hidden issues. If you have these types of concerns, you might consider an additional property assessment from an accredited specialist.