What a Building Inspector Looks For

It has become common practice for prospective buyers to engage the services of building inspectors to report on the condition of a desired property. From the vendor's point of view, this information is important and should be considered before presenting your property for sale.

What to Look For

On the Roof

Look for a wavy roof line, this may indicate a structural problem. Look for broken roof tiles, loose ridge and valley tiles that would allow possum or bird entry and water leaks.

Check that corrugated iron is in good condition and fixed securely. Ensure that valley and eaves guttering are free from holes and rust - expensive to replace.

Make sure that flues and chimneys are structurally safe and the flashing around them is secure against water penetration.

In the Roof Space

Look for sagging roof framing, leaking ridges or valleys. Check for damaged or defective electrical wire - DO NOT TOUCH! Check for droppings or odour that would indicate the presence of vermin. Note whether the ceiling has been insulated.

Ceilings / Walls

Check that ceilings and walls are straight and true, and look for cracks or signs of movement.

Look for water stains and mould growth on ceilings, or white or brownish deposits on walls or rotten skirting boards. This would indicate excessive condensation, roof leaks or rising damp.

Look for filled cracks or freshly painted areas. These can show a deficient sub-floor.

Look for cracks beside chimneys and look for doorways and windows that aren't square, or are jamming. These problems usually mean structural subsidence, which is expensive to repair.

Timber Floors - Above and Below

Jump lightly on the floor to detect rotten floorboards, borer infestation or looseness in the floor framing.

Look for gaps between flooring and architraves or around fireplaces. This can indicate a poor sub-floor.

Look for props or bricks holding up the floor instead of stumps, piers or dwarf walls.

Check for subsiding stumps, brick piers, sagging bearers or floor joists, all are costly to replace.

Check the life expectancy of timber stumps by digging about 100mm down and check for the level of rot.

Check for excessive dampness, mould rot or insect infestation.

Concrete Floor

Look for dampness, lifting floor tiles or rotting carpet.

Ensure ducted heating systems are not holding water, as water can render the system useless. Look for cracks, which could indicate major structural problems.

Electrical Systems

Check that all switches and power-points are serviceable and in good repair.

Use a power point tester to check for incorrect wiring and look for signs of burning around switches, fittings and fuses.

Plumbing

Check all plumbing fittings for cracks or leaks.

Test water pressure for both hot and cold. Do this with as many outlets on. A major drop in pressure, could suggest poor flow and suspect plumbing.

Partially fill the bath or laundry tub and observe the drain's performance. A sluggish flow or gurgling can indicate damaged or blocked pipes.

Outside Walls

Check they are straight. In weatherboards, this can indicate stumps have rotted or subsided. Minor cracking in brick houses can be generally ignored, but major cracking, or bowed walls can mean subsided footings.

Check for rotten weatherboards, veranda posts, windows and doors.

In brick houses, check for eroded mortar, and look for varying colours of mortar, this indicates a previous repair or patch-up.

New or Near New Homes

Insurance - ensure the Section 32 has a current insurance certificate pertaining to the seven year structural guarantee. A copy of the building permit should be included (if the home is less than seven years old) as is the case with any improvements.

Certificate of Occupancy - ensure the Section 32 has a Certificate of Occupancy, as owner / builders can sometimes neglect to obtain this.

Check the perimeter of the property for any subsiding land as compacted filling can subside over time in recently developed estates. This can be noticed particularly in uneven fencing.

Hairline cracks in concrete slabs are not generally major problems so don't be too worried about them.

Homes that are less than six months old will still generally be under a maintenance period agreement with the builder and minor issues such as windows and doors jamming or minor paint work problems should all be covered.