The thought of a home inspection can be a little terrifying! Although it is designed to help reassure you that the home you wish to purchase is sound structurally. If the survey is bad you’ll be faced with a tough decision, to renegotiate the price and take on the work, or to simply walk away.
Neither is desirable but it is better to be aware of any potential issues and then make your decision. However, before you rush to pick a building consultant Sydney, you should be aware of the following helpful tips.
Be Present!
If you’re paying for a home inspection then you should be at the property when the inspection is completed. This will allow you to identify what potential issues you have noticed and hear first-hand what the inspector has discovered.
Most importantly, you’ll be able to ask relevant questions and find out more about anything that concerns you.
Use A Reputable Firm
This is an important part of purchasing a property, you need to know that the person or company you are using is genuine. Take the time to do some research and find a company that you can trust. Ask family and friends for their experiences, you can also take a look at social media to see what other people have said about a specific company.
Most importantly, you need to be aware that not all feedback is positive. It’s almost impossible to keep every customer happy. But, negative comments are good. They highlight potential issues and allow you to see how the company dealt with the problem.
Photographic Evidence
An inspector will be getting into as many nooks and crannies as possible. They will probably take plenty of photos to illustrate the issues they find. However, it is a good idea to make sure they are going to do this. If they take pictures of all the difficult to access areas you’ll be able o get a better understanding of any issue and have proof to show if you wish to negotiate the price.
Don’t forget that infrared and thermal cameras can also be very useful to see through walls because you don’t want to be causing damage unnecessarily.
Walk-Around Yourself
You may be surprised at home much you can identify yourself. On your first visit to any property, you’ll find that you are looking at the layout and features. But, on a second visit, you can dedicate it to identifying potential issues.
Specifically, look at walls and floors for signs of damp/water ingression. You should also check the sockets, discoloration can indicate bad wiring which is a fire risk and potentially expensive to sort.
The Roof Needs Two Looks
The roof protects you and the house from damage. It’s worth taking a second look at it to ensure it’s sound. If possible find out the age of the beams and the tiles, this will give you a good idea of when it may need to be redone, which is an expensive job.
