The leaky homes crisis has cost New Zealand billions of dollars, and it’s showing no signs of slowing.
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The Government claims around 42,000 homes are affected, but other experts claim the number is twice that. Buying a house is one of the biggest and most stressful times in a person’s life, so how can you be sure you’re not buying a leaky home? 

Moisture is great at hiding. It likes to gather in hard to reach places like behind walls or under floorboards. If it was harmless we could just ignore it, but unfortunately, it’s not. Not only can moisture rot wood, but it also leads to damp and mould, and this can cause serious health issues.

It may be difficult to find hidden moisture, but it’s not impossible. Using special thermal imaging cameras, HS Building Inspections can search your home and discover any areas affected by damp or mould – especially important if you’re considering buying or selling a new house.

Meth affected homes are a continuing and growing problem in New Zealand.
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While houses used to cook meth (i.e. meth labs) are increasing, simply smoking meth once in a home is enough to produce a positive test result.

​A building inspection can mean many different things. There is no official definition of a building inspection, and this ambiguity may lead to problems down the line. Homeowners can order an inspection, expecting a full, comprehensive report, but end up with a quick once over of the outside of the building. 

​Many people are struggling to buy homes in today’s housing market, and in some cases this can lead to the mistake of not looking before you leap. The desperation to buy a house is causing buyers to grab what they can quickly, but without a pre-purchase building inspection, the result may be catastrophic. 

For most people, signing on the dotted line and buying a house is the biggest financial move that they will ever make. After saving for years, it’s now time to take the leap and sign up to a mortgage for the next four decades. It’s a huge step, and one which might go wrong due to circumstances outside your control.

There are however some things you can control, and being informed about the shape of any potential home is one of them. A building inspection from HS Building Inspections is the easiest way to rest assured that you’re not signing up for years of misery, or worse, being conned into buying a lame horse. 
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In the same way you’d take a car for a test drive, you want to check out a new house before buying it. Of course, you can’t live in a home for a while and then decide if you want it or not, so the next best thing is a building inspection.

When it comes to building inspections, a lot of companies tend to look at what’s on the surface instead of what’s going on behind the scenes. Many people don’t realise that to get an accurate picture of what’s really going on, we need to look behind walls, ceilings and under the floors. 
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HS Building Inspections know the importance of checking these hard to reach places. Our team of fully qualified inspectors have the experience and knowledge to provide a fully comprehensive report, both written and verbal. We make sure you know exactly what’s going on in plain English, so you’re not left with any surprises after we’re gone. We know how important a pre-purchase inspection is when it comes to determining a property’s true value, so we have a core set of checks and balances which safeguard your interests; whether buying or selling.