FAQ's

It’s one of the different types of building inspection reports you can get done. As the name says, this building inspection report is the one you get before you buy a property. Sometimes referred to as a ‘standard property report’, a pre-purchase property inspection report is a written account of the condition of a property. It will tell you about any significant building defects or problems such as rising damp, movement in the walls (cracking), safety hazards or a faulty roof to name a few. It is usually carried out before you exchange sale contracts so you can identify any problems with the property which, if left unchecked, could prove costly to repair. Throughout this web page we will refer to the report as a ‘building inspection report’.

Note: A building inspection report is different to a ‘pest inspection report’ or a “combined building and pest report” While a building inspection report should identify any visual damage that may have been caused by termites, it usually won’t include the existence of termites or other timber destroying pests. It can be advisable to get a separate pest inspection report or combined building and pest report done before you buy a property.

There are three good reasons why you should get a building inspection report done before you buy a property:

• so you will know in advance what the problems are
• so you can use the information to try and negotiate a lower price for the property i.e. you may have to pay to repair some of the problems
• so you can get specialist advice about any major problems and how they will affect the property over time.

• interior of the building
• exterior of the building
• roof space
• under-floor space
• roof exterior
• site.

You may also like to ask that a particular part of the property, or certain items, also be inspected, such as:

• visible signs of asbestos problems
• existence of an operable electrical safety switch
• operable smoke alarms.

A building inspection report usually will not include:

• parts of the property that were not or could not be inspected
• matters outside the consultant’s expertise
• an estimate of repair costs
• timber pest damage identification

You can download a sample report here.

• problems that are difficult to detect due to weather or other conditions such as rising damp and leaks
• the information you provide to the consultant
• the specific areas of the consultant’s ‘expertise’ as specified in the report
• problems that may have been deliberately covered up to make an area appear problem free.

It may be difficult to detect leaks and other problems if services, such as water, have not been used for some time. For example, if the shower has not been used recently, leaks or dampness may not be obvious.

Special-purpose property reports

A special-purpose property report would normally cover the same items as a building inspection (pre-purchase property inspection) report but it may also include:

• an estimate of the cost of fixing major problems
• a list of minor problems
• a recommendation of the repairs and maintenance work needed.

Check with the building consultant on what information they normally include in their pre-purchase property inspection reports and inform the consultant if you require additional information.

Pest inspection reports

While the building inspection report should identify any visual damage caused by termite activity, it won’t include the detection of whether termites and other timber destroying pests still exist.

You should consider getting a pest inspection done as well as the building inspection, especially if the property is located in an area where termites are known to be a problem.

Pre-sale (vendor) building reports

Vendors will sometimes get a building report on the property they are selling so they can give it to interested buyers. While this can be helpful, it is better from your point of view to get your own independent report.