Pre-Purchase Building Inspections

A home can look good on the surface and still have defects that change what it's worth to you. A pre-purchase building inspection gives you an independent assessment of the building before you commit to buying it.

What we inspect

The inspection covers the accessible areas of the property inside and out. It looks for visible defects and areas that need repair or a closer look. We take the home's age, construction type, condition and access into account. The signs to look for on your own visits are in our article on what to check before buying.

What you get

You get a written report of what we found at the time of the inspection: the major and minor defects we could see and the areas that need repair or further investigation. It follows AS 4349.1-2007, the Australian Standard for pre-purchase inspections of residential buildings. Use it to decide whether to buy, what to offer and what to budget for.

Building and pest inspections

A building and pest inspection adds a timber pest inspection to the building inspection. It's $595 + GST on a house, townhouse, unit or apartment. The pest part follows AS 4349.3, the Australian Standard for timber pest inspections.

Buying at auction

A pre-auction inspection is our pre-purchase inspection booked for before auction day, at $495 + GST. In Victoria there's no cooling-off period when you buy at a publicly advertised auction, or in the three clear business days either side of it. Once you sign at auction the sale is binding.

Buying by private sale

A private sale usually gives you three clear business days after you sign to end the contract. If you do, the seller can keep $100 or 0.2% of the price, whichever is more. An inspection before you sign is still the better time. Talk to your conveyancer or lawyer about making your offer subject to a building inspection.