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 prepurchase building inspection, the result may be catastrophic.
Why you should never avoid a prepurchase building inspection
We recently had a client who had missed out on several properties at auction. As they became more frustrated at the process, and more worried about never owning their own home, they cut corners and bought a house without having a proper inspection done first.
They won the auction, but unfortunately, things didn’t go as expected for them. After moving into their dream home, it became obvious that things weren’t as good as they seemed. There was a leak in the bathroom, so they called us in to have a proper look at the state of the building.
Our full building inspection revealed more than just a small leak in the bathroom. There was also another serious leak in the ensuite, with considerable damage to the structure and subfloor. Unfortunately both bathrooms had to be completely torn out and rebuilt, at considerable cost to the new home owners.
Why you should get a prepurchase building inspection
If those new homeowners had called us before buying, an inspection would have cost as little as $350. As it turned out, replacing both bathrooms cost somewhere in the region of $50,000.
This very costly lesson for the homeowners is a great example of why you should always have a prepurchase building inspection carried out. You would never buy a car without taking it for a test drive, in fact, most people squeeze an avocado before buying it, so why risk signing on the dotted line for something so life-altering without due diligence?
What you get with our inspection
Our building inspection covers numerous aspects of the property. We will look at the grounds, cladding, drainage, roofing, plumbing, electrics and much more.
We start on the outside of the house first, checking around the grounds. Areas of flooding for example, often go unnoticed by potential buyers because it’s not raining when they visit the house. Once inside the building, every room is checked, both visually and with specialist equipment. This non-invasive procedure allows us to see things hidden to the human eye, while at the same time allowing you to get on with your day.
We check the materials used on the building and the quality of the workmanship, making sure cowboys didn’t build the property. Every potential issue we find is photographed and recorded, and all goes into a comprehensive written report.
Why choose us
After 3 decades in the business, HS Building Inspections owner and operator Graham Walton, an NZiBi Registered Building Inspector and ITC Certified Thermographer, has the experience and a keen understanding of the industry. His qualified and experienced team have been handpicked due to their commitment to quality, safety and professionalism.
Our reports cover almost everything you could need to know before buying a home. Every step of the process is explained both verbally and in writing, with suggestions on what to fix, how to fix it, and the possible consequences of not doing so.
Peace of mind is priceless, but a prepurchase building inspection is very affordable. Moving home is one of the most demanding times in a person’s life. A pre-purchase building inspection is at least one thing that can reduce the stress.
Contact us today on 0508 733 537 if you have any questions about our prepurchase building inspections, or you can contact us if you’d like to know more. Our friendly and experienced staff will be happy to help.