If you are ready to purchase a new home, then a building inspection is a crucial step before reaching a final settlement. Obviously, you will give the prospective property a look over when the owners or the real estate agent show it to you. But a professional building inspection will be more though. It will check for structural damage, pest control issues, and other problems before you settle on a purchase price. Here are several tips for conducting a pre-purchase building inspection in New South Wales:

Hire the Right Professionals

The first aspect of a building inspection is hiring the right professionals for the job. Search online for the most reputable building inspectors in the area. As a good practice, don’t hire inspectors recommended by the owner or the real estate agent if you want to get the job done right. Choose an independent contractor with great reviews and reasonable rates. Call up the inspectors in advance to make sure both parties can communicate well too.

Find Out Past Problems

Most homes in the state have their history indicated in property certificates NSW. So, if you want to know which building regulations apply to the house, if there are any regulations breaches in the past 10 years or environmental health issues such as smoke control orders, it should all be listed in this small piece of documentation. It is something that passes from owner to owner as the house comes under new ownership. But the document will contain regulatory issues going back at least a decade. It would be a good source of information on the history of the building. If there are serious issues affecting the house, you can know it all in advance by checking out this legal document.

Double Check the Sales Contract

Before the actual inspection commences, it’s worthwhile to check and see if everything the prior owner lists in the contract of sale is all there. For example, if the sales contract lists a pool enclosure, the pool enclosure should be there. Even little items can sometimes go missing, often unintentionally. You definitely don’t want to overpay for something that isn’t there. Therefore, with the help of the professional inspectors, check that everything is intact.

Examine the Air Conditioning

Home inspections are typically broken down into checking appliances, plumbing, the foundation, and also climate control. Don’t forget to ask the pros to check the HVAC system to make sure it’s working as intended. In addition, a climate control check would also include checking the hot water system, heating ducts, light fixtures, and fans if there are any.

Don’t Forget the Little Things

Make sure no one forgets to check the little things, like the doorknobs and how well the locking mechanisms work. The window locks and garage doors should be functioning properly or as described. If there are amenities like swimming pools, backyard barbeque equipment, or outdoor fire pits included, it’s important to do a quality inspection of these as well.

Make a checklist of everything that needs to be checked and make sure the professionals follow through. As a rule of thumb, have separate inspectors for pest and mould inspections. These inspections require special equipment and knowledge the building inspectors might not have. Don’t underestimate the importance of the pre-settlement real estate inspection if you want to avoid disappointment later.