Brisbane families – buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make in your lifetime. You definitely want to ensure that you are making a smart purchase decision and buy the right property for you and your family.
The best way to ensure this is through a property inspection with Action Property Inspections. But how do you decide when to book the building inspection? Should it be before or after you make an offer? And if you’ve made the offer and the building fails to pass the inspection, are you legally required to go ahead with the sale? Read on to find out everything you need to know before you buy your dream home!
Andrew’s Expert Advice on Building Inspections: Don’t let the current housing market scare you into buying a home quickly. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the stress of buying a home when there are lots of Brisbane home buyers pining for the same properties. I’ve been a builder for 30 years and inspector for 20, so I have seen Brisbane go through the property market cycle. And no matter the demand, you need to know everything about the property. Don’t haemorrhage money into repairs. Exercise your rights and make sure that inspections are part of the contract!
Do you get a building inspection before making an offer?
Wherever possible, you should always book a pre-purchase property inspection before entering into a contract. This will allow you the freedom to move on to another property if the one you’re currently interested in doesn’t pass muster. Unfortunately, there are times where this won’t be possible – such as when a property is proving to be very popular, or if you’re buying via an auction. In that case, you’ll want to make sure that the building passing a property and pest inspection is part of the contract, in order to protect yourself financially. A solicitor or a conveyancer can help you with the wording.
When should you get a building inspection?
In Queensland, the cooling off period when buying a property is 5 working days. You can pull out of the contract for any reason during this cooling off period, however, it should be noted a % of the purchase price is payable.
Is an offer on a property legally binding?
An offer to purchase a property is not binding until a contract has been signed between the seller of a property and the buyer. Even then, the buyer has a cooling-off period of 5 business days, where they are legally entitled to back out of the contract. Once the contract becomes binding, you must pay the deposit and follow the conditions set out in the contract. It is imperative that you ensure that any contract you enter into has a property and pest inspection included as a condition.
