If you are planning to buy a house you need to get a professional pre-purchase builder’s report. Once you have had a home inspection carried out you will receive a written builder’s report from your building inspector.
What is a builder’s report?
The building report gives you a full rundown on the condition of the property you are planning to buy. The report is usually divided into sections covering different parts of the property such as roof, flooring and joinery.
The building report gives you a full rundown on the condition of the property you are planning to buy. Usually, the builder’s report comes in written form. This enables you to have written evidence should you need to negotiate with the vendors. In most cases, the report will be emailed to you within a day. However, if you are in a hurry – for example, you need to attend an auction – you can get a verbal report sooner.
How is the building report laid out?
The building report is laid out by area of the property and will include an assessment of the condition of each area. Reports include a written description of each area and its current state. Most reports also include photos highlighting any issues.
Most reports include both areas of immediate concern and areas where future maintenance might be needed or improvements could be made. For example, if your gutters are likely to regularly fill with leaves, installing a gutter guard may be recommended, or a recommendation might be made to repaint the roof in a year’s time.
Some common terms that may not be familiar
Sub-floor – this is the foundation of the property. If the inspector can get under the house they will inspect the sub-floor for damage, water issues and other problems.
Flashing – flashings are metal pieces which are attached at joins between the house and the roof, or window openings. They are designed to keep water out.
Soffit – this extends out from the house under the eaves
Vermin strip – a metal strip which is inserted into cavity spaces to prevent entry by rats and other vermin.
Spouting and downpipes – spouting is the guttering that runs along the edge of the roofline and the downpipe is the pipework that takes the water down to the ground and into a drain.
Pink Batts – a popular brand of insulation, usually found in wall and ceiling insulation.
Dux Qest – an old type of pipework used in older houses which is now prone to corrosion and leaks.
Subsidence – subsidence is when the ground beneath a property drops away. This can cause issues with the foundations.
Moisture testing – this testing is done to check for problems such as leak and damp. There are three different kinds of moisture testing. Non-invasive moisture testing is the most common and doesn’t cause any damage to the property. Thermal imaging moisture testing can help to find hidden moisture and invasive moisture testing is used when there are severe problems to determine the extent.
How to read a building report
If you have never bought a home before, then you might find the whole process of getting an inspection and reading the report a little daunting. Here are three useful tips on how to read your building report.
Keep a clear head.
Most building reports are likely to throw up some issues. The key is to keep things in perspective and read the report with a clear idea in your head of what is important. If you don’t want to do any repairs, then even small issues might be a problem. However if you are happy to do some work, especially if you can negotiate on buying price, then don’t let every little thing put you in a spin. Perhaps, the issue doesn’t need to be dealt with for a few years so you could budget for it. Decide in advance what would be a complete deal-breaker.
Read the whole report.
You might be tempted to only read the summary of your report or have a quick flick through the photos, but it is important to read the whole report. In the detail, you may find extra information that can help you make a decision. If your report is only a series of tick boxes you might want to ask for more information.
Ask questions
If there is something in the report that you don’t understand or need clarification on, don’t be afraid to ask the inspector for clarification. It might be that you are overestimating or underestimating the level of the problem. Do have the building report issues explained more clearly, so you can fully understand the importance. If the report contains terms or jargon you aren’t clear on then clarify them with the inspector.
If you are getting a pre-purchase inspection done as part of a house purchase, you might not have long in order to make a decision, but don’t feel rushed. Take time to read your report and to agree on your next steps, whether this is walking away from the property or negotiating on the price in order to achieve repairs.
Learn More:
- Why get a Professional Building Inspection
- Three Reasons You Need a Pre-Purchase Building Report
- How to Read a Building Report
- Our Prices
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{Updated Feb 2020}