Purchasing a new home? Be sure to plan ahead for the hidden costs that may arise. From closing fees and moving expenses, to utility setup and property taxes, it’s important to budget for these in order to not let them become unwelcome surprises down the road!
Property is the most significant investment many people will make in their life, so it’s best to cover all your bases. You don’t want to get to the settlement and face some nasty surprise in the form of a termite infestation or severe water damage.
So, before you make what is possibly the largest investment of your life, do yourself a favour and get a building and pest inspection.
What exactly does a building and pest inspection involve?
By hiring a professional to do a building and pest inspection on a property, you’ll get a report that identifies any:
- Structural issues in the building, such as degrading house frames.
- Violations of Australian Standards in the property, like missing stair handrails.
- Water damage or mould.
- Past or current termite activity.
- Infestation of insects, vermin, or other pests.
An inspector can use many tools such as moisture meters, motion detectors and thermal imaging to inspect the property without causing damage. But the real value in hiring a professional is the details they catch, such as dark spots on the walls or ceilings, that a trained eye can reliably catch.
After performing a thorough inspection, which can take up to two hours depending on the size of the property, most inspectors will have a report for you within 48 hours.
It can be costly to have a property inspected, usually between $300 to $600 depending on the size and complexity of the property. But, when you consider the benefits of having a report on hand and the risks of not knowing what problems could be lurking behind a fresh coat of paint, it works out well in your favour to have it done.
So, just what are these benefits? Here are our 3 reasons you should definitely get a building and pest inspection before you move in.
1: Having your new property inspected for structural defects and pests can save you money down the track.
Termites or structural damage can be costly to deal with. If you’re lucky you may just need to get a termite treatment. If you’re unlucky, then you’re looking at replacing parts of the structure of your house with new timber, meaning walls and ceilings may be coming down. That means that you may be looking down the barrel of tens of thousands of dollars, potentially even more.
The real problem is that these issues only become more expensive the longer you leave them. Termites could have longer to eat through your house frame, or maybe a leak gets worse, further damaging your walls, ceilings, and floors. Without a report, you may never know just what’s happening right under your nose.
If you catch it early enough, you can nip the issue in the bud and save a lot on your investment.
2: Getting an inspection protects your family or tenants.
Australian Standards exist primarily to protect people, so having a professional ensure that your property is up to scratch is a safety issue. Even for a relatively new property, sometimes things can go wrong during construction, leaving it vulnerable to mould or termites very early on.
It’s best to have an inspection done before you or any new tenants move in to protect the occupants. And if you’re leasing your property, by preventing injury or health issues with your tenants, you’ll be safeguarding yourself legally too.
3: A pest inspection report gives you bargaining power to renegotiate your offer.
You may be offered a completed inspection report when you sign a contract for the property or before an auction. But if you aren’t, it’s a good idea to get one done independently anyway, and don’t leave it for too long.
When you’re in the cooling-off period of your contract, you still have the ability to renegotiate the price. You can pass the fee for correcting any issues back onto the seller.
Considering the cost of replacing parts of the house or having pest removal performed, you can definitely negotiate the price of the house down.
In the market to buy a house? You should hire a conveyancer.
Knowing when it’s the right time to get a building and pest inspection is just one more thing to consider when you’re purchasing real estate. A conveyancer is a valuable asset to have onside to help you manage the process of property investment from start to finish.
At Beltana Property Group, we are experienced conveyancers in South Australia. We tailor our advice and services to meet your specific circumstances to ensure we provide you with a smooth, stress-free experience. This means that by engaging Beltana Conveyancing, you can be assured that you won’t be caught out while navigating the property market.
So, if you’d like to have a chat with us about your property goals, whether it’s in metropolitan Adelaide or regional South Australia, we’d love to hear from you and find out if we can help you achieve your dreams.
