Articles

Are you planning to get a pre-purchase inspection or need a building report? Choosing a building inspector is important. However, as with choosing any tradesman or service provider, you need to be careful that you are getting a professional who will do a thorough job.

While there are standards for building inspections in New Zealand, compliance is not currently compulsory. Anyone can set themselves up as a building inspector. There are a number of national organisations to which building inspectors can belong. Membership is not compulsory so not every building inspector may choose to join. Therefore it is important to choose your company wisely.

When you are choosing a building inspector:

• Get quotes from a number of companies and compare what they will do as well as the price.
• Ask what the background of the inspector is – for example, do they have extensive experience in the construction industry
• Do check if the inspector has any qualifications such as being a Licensed Building Practitioner.
• Think about choosing a registered inspector. Registered inspectors are more likely to be experienced and uphold the correct standards.
• Ask friends or family for recommendations. Your local real estate agent may also know of a reputable company.
• Ask for testimonials from previous customers.
• Ask the company how they will inspect your property and what are they will cover. Will they look just at the house or at the surrounding exterior area as well?
• Ask what will appear in the report, will it include images, when you will get it and what format it will be in.

If you are unhappy with the way your inspection is being carried out, don’t be afraid to question the inspector. Do query anything in the report that you are not sure about.

Why get a professional building inspection rather than do it yourself

If you are planning on buying a new home, are planning on selling or just want to give your own property the once over, you might think that you can spot any problems yourself but getting an accurate picture is harder than you think.

Getting a professional building inspector to do the job may cost you in the short-term but it could potentially save you thousands in the long-run by helping you to avoid buying a dud home, or by identifying what could be costly repairs if left unchecked.

Here are three reasons to get a professional in to do your check for you:

A trained eye:

Are you sure you might spot an obvious crack or leak, but would you notice something small? Or would you even know where to look? A trained building inspector knows the right parts of your property to check inside and outside, including some places you might not think of such as roof eaves and exterior cladding.

The right tools:

A professional inspector will have a number of tools to help them that might not be readily available to you. These can include moisture testers to check damp levels, and thermal imaging cameras to check for problems in hidden locations such as behind walls. These tools can also help to identify more difficult problems without causing extra damage to your property.

An independent assessment:

Getting a professional building inspector gives you an independent inspection that draws unbiased conclusions. If you are selling a property and have an independent report done as part of the process this can make you look transparent and more credible in the eyes of potential buyers. If you are planning to buy, an independent inspection gives you a clear picture of any problems and also can potentially be used a negotiating tool should you still decide to purchase.

Buying a house can be an expensive process. So you might not be keen to shell out extra money for a pre-purchase builders report. But, in the long-run, the benefits of getting an inspection report can far outweigh the cost of buying a dud or funding expensive repairs.

From structural issues to damp problems to the condition of the roof, pre-purchase inspections are a thorough way to get a real overview of the state of the property.

Here are three key reasons you need a pre-purchase builders inspection report.

Independent assessment:

Pre-purchase inspections are carried out by independent contractors who are trained to look at certain aspects of the property. A builders report is not focused on selling you the house like a real estate agent. An inspector will not gloss over any issues. Building inspectors have plenty of experience. They often highlight problems that might not be obvious to the untrained eye.

Helps you plan:

A pre-purchase inspection report can help you plan your next move carefully. Depending on the state of the property, you may decide just to walk away. You may decide that you can carry out the repairs without too much bother. A pre-purchase report can also highlight anything that isn’t causing a problem now but may present an issue in the future. An example is such problems as potentially worsening leaks or damp problems.

Negotiation tool:

If you decide to go ahead with the purchase after receiving your inspection report, you may be able to use the findings in negotiations with the seller. You could choose to ask the owner to repair the house before you take possession of the property. Or you could negotiate a lower asking price to leave you more money to deal with the repairs.

If you are selling your property, you may choose to get a building report for yourself. This can be a good idea. You are showing you are committed to being transparent about the property and the sale and offers buyers peace of mind that they have the full story.

Need a builders report? Contact us today