The search is over, the papers are signed, even the escrow period is complete. You’ve made it through with relatively few bumps and bruises, and you think the journey is over, right? Wrong. Let the fun of building inspections begin. This can be a tricky time to navigate, especially if you’re not used to the process. You don’t want to be taken advantage of, when it comes to the cost of the inspection, or the results that they share with you. But you also are looking for a comprehensive analysis of anything that could be wrong with your future home. Luckily for you, Restumping Melbourne is no stranger to such things. Read on for your pocket guide to building inspections.

First up, let’s get back to basics. What the heck is a building inspection? Also known as a property inspection, it can uncover design defects in the structure of the building, issues with the stability of the structure and conditional damage. A lot of the things that experts unearth are buried deep or difficult to find. Think of them as a support staff for when you’re riding the euphoric high of being a new homeowner. Examples of what they may find? Structural cracks, faulty roofs, evidence of termites, and rising damp.

It may be tough to source a building inspector that you can trust. You can rely on your broker or real estate agent to have recommendations. Just make sure that they’re accredited by Australian Standard. Research different rates, but know that the investment is necessary. A building inspection that unearths minor problems now, can save you thousands of dollars later. Bonus points? If you find significant issues before you sign on the dotted line, you may even be able to negotiate down the price of the home OR ask that the sellers mitigate any problems that are identified.

Building inspections are not all-encompassing, so we want to set expectations before you reach out to your company or consultant of choice. It’s their job to identify the problems, not necessarily to tell you the range of pricing for the solutions. It’s also not in their scope of work to take a closer look at plumbing or draining, paint, appliances or any of the electrical wiring.

Now we’ve gotten to the meat of it—how much is this going to set you back financially and how long is this going to take? First, the financials: Ballpark? A few hundred dollars. You may see that the companies you’re reaching out to are consolidating a building inspection with a pest inspection. This is not a red flag, rather, potentially a way to save even more money. Who wants to find out retroactively that there is a pest infestation in-between your home’s walls? Not us at Restumping Melbourne, that’s for sure. Now on to timeline, a building inspection will take between two-three days, not a timeline that will interfere with your daily schedule or obligations.

Bottom line—this is a good thing. Questions about building inspections? Let the Restumping Melbourne team know. We’d love to hear from you.