USE YOUR BUILDING INSPECTOR
by Dwell Building Services | August 2020 | Building and Pest Inspection Gold Coast
This doesn’t apply to all building inspectors, but we are special. We believe you get better value when you come along to your building inspection. While you’re there, ask us questions about your new property.
Some people have big plans and know what they want immediately, but in case you’re not that person, here are our top 5 things that you can ask about that will add A LOT of value to your building inspection.
Jason Dodds, our helpful building inspector is also a licensed builder - so ask him what he thinks.
1. Can I knock out this wall? ~ saves you getting someone in later, saves you finding out later that no, you can’t or that it’ll be very difficult. Could save you $$$
2. Is it expensive to fix..? ~ we won’t be able to give you a fixed-price quote on the spot, but given that the building inspector will be able to see the size of the kitchen/bathroom etc you’re planning on renovating, he’ll be able to give you a realistic idea of ballpark renovation costs. It won’t be down to the cent of course, because you might want to install a golden toilet, or custom shelving but he can give you an idea about how much you need to save up.
3. What is that? ~ This won’t apply to a lot of properties, but some have “unexplained features” like cables going in/out of walls or cut holes in places where you wouldn’t expect. We take heaps of pictures throughout the inspection to give you a good overall picture of things but if there is something unusual to see and we take a picture of it, that might not be enough. There is nothing better than seeing it for yourself with us, and getting the explanation there in person.
4. So is that a defect? ~ There are circumstances where the property you are buying might be old enough that building code has changed since it was built, and a particular aspect of it is “wrong”. For example a few years ago, the building code was changed so that internal stairs bounded by walls are now required to be built with handrails. This wasn’t the case until just recently, so it comes up a bit. There’s also the matter of balustrade heights and sill heights to windows.
5. What (in terms of maintenance) is going to “go” first? ~ This is not a question that gets asked enough during the purchase process but we get it from friends/family who already own homes. It could be an important question at time of purchase, since there’s only a limited amount of money at any one time to maintain your property…so where is it best spent?? A builder can tell you!
And lastly, The Bonus Question:
6. How much to fix termite damage? ~ The answer is always “how long is a piece of string” – unless all the sheeting has been taken off the walls, the bad news is that termite damage to wall framing can go and go and go…around corners, up to the roof and into the garage…the framing is all connected and so the termites get around.
These are just a few ways you can use your building inspection as a building consultation!
