We all wonder what it’d be like to have a magical crystal ball that could let us see into the future. If there were such a thing, home inspection companies like Action Property Inspections would be out of business! But the reality is, crystal balls don’t exist and instead we have to be realistic and manage expectations to reduce disappointment.
Home Inspection Companies Wish You Knew……
When purchasing a house, it’s always good to approach the building and pest inspection with an open mind. Be ready for the unexpected, realise that home inspection companies can’t see into the future nor see through walls or behind heavy furniture, but with our expertise, we can pick up on tell-tale signs.
So, if you’re heading towards having a building and pest inspection soon, here are six things we’d like you to know.
1. We don’t have x-ray vision
As much as we think it’d be great to be able to put on a pair of x-ray goggles and see through walls or furniture, it’s just not possible. We are legally unable to move furniture or conduct an invasive inspection that can damage a property. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that we won’t detect any hidden faults.
We are highly experienced, we’ve carried out thousands of inspections, we know what to look for and will notice a tell-tale sign when we see one. We have specialised equipment that helps us gather extra information and will do what we can to identify as much as possible.
2. As a buyer, you have options when there are obstacles
Sometimes there can be situations at a property where certain obstacles stop home inspection companies from properly checking the safety of a property. It’s important for buyers to know that they do have options in this situation, they are:
- Back out of the sale. If there are obvious obstructions, particularly deliberate ones, this should be a huge red flag.
- Although the seller is not legally obliged to say yes, you can ask for a re-inspection at the seller’s expense if there are found to be a number of significant obstructions.
- Ask for our advice. We will be more than happy to offer some suggestions and ideas of what potential issues could be found in the inaccessible areas.
- Use it to your advantage. Being unable to properly inspect a property could allow you to leverage a longer settlement date or perhaps a price reduction. Always ensure you speak to your solicitor though as you do not want to risk your deposit.
3. We will not always venture onto the roof
We take safety very seriously at Action Property Inspections. For roof inspections, if your roof is higher than 3.6 meters there could be a chance that we cannot inspect it due to risk involved. At every inspection, we carry out a risk assessment valuation and this includes working at heights. Whether the property is a single or double story residence, safety and weather conditions will be considered and a decision made based on this assessment.
4. Most houses will have problems
Yes, most houses we inspect, new and old, have problems. But what we want you to know is that this is normal and you don’t have to panic because most of the time they are just cosmetic or require minor repairs or replacement. We will let you know which issues need addressing and in which order.
5. Act quickly after the inspection
After we provide you with the inspection report and go through it with you, sit down on your own and read through it thoroughly again, don’t sit on it! We understand that it can often be quite overwhelming when we go through the report with you so it’s important that you read it for yourself and compile a list of defects that can be repaired and used to re-negotiate the contract.
Never underestimate the power of the building inspection report in getting the right price for a property. The building inspection report is solid evidence that things need fixing and the perfect leverage for you to negotiate down the price. Those cracks in the wall, they may be nothing to worry about but they don’t look good and will need a paint – that there is $500 that could potentially come off the purchase price. How much more money could potentially be saved by re-negotiating over defects? Lots.
6. We can’t predict the future
As much as we’d love to give you a definitive answer when you ask us how many more years the roof has left in it or whether or not the current stumps will last another 10 years, we can’t give you an exact timeline but we can give you a very rough estimate. It’s important to remember that a building and pest inspection is a snapshot, it’s a report on what we see at that point in time.
Don’t be nervous.
It can be a nervous wait waiting for the outcome of a building and pest inspection. The ease at which an inspection is carried out also depends on a number of the factors we have discussed in this article. But what we want you to know is that the building and pest inspection process need not be overly nerve-wracking or tedious.
If we can offer any advice, go into an inspection with an open mind and expect defects because they will definitely be there, most of the time only minor. But even if major defects are discovered, it’s important to remember that it’s the very reason building inspection companies are hired in the first place, to mitigate your risk and help with your decision making process.