A house or apartment may appear to be in excellent condition when open for inspection. However, costly structural issues may be buried behind that fresh coat of paint or beneath the new carpet. It’s pricey enough to buy your first house. So the last thing you want is an unexpected repair expense for a building that turns out to be structurally faulty or even dangerous.
Some problems are apparent. Uneven floors, wet areas, and numerous fractures in the walls indicate that maintenance is required. But how can you know if the wiring is bad? What if the sub-floor is infested with termites? This is where a Building & Pest Inspection comes in.
You may obtain a report outlining the property’s flaws and estimating the cost of necessary repairs for a nominal fee. If you have such information before signing the contract of sale, you may be able to negotiate a lower price. If the issues are too significant, you can walk away.
What are a Building and Pest inspection?
Building and pest inspections are what they sound like.
A building inspection can reveal structural, conditional, or design flaws or faults in a property’s interior and exterior, some of which may not be obvious at first look. These are some examples:
- Increasing dampness
- Cracks in the structure
- Roof flaws
A pest inspection can reveal indications of termite damage, for example. A pest inspection is independent of a building inspection and should be considered separately. Termites and other wood-eating insects may physically nibble through a house’s structure and flooring, producing little heaps of sawdust and enormous repair expenditures.
A pest inspector will investigate the house and the surrounding region for termite activity. They will analyze if pests offer a future concern and report current harm.
What is the cost of a Building and Pest inspection?
A building inspection will often cost hundreds of dollars. Many inspectors will combine a building and pest inspection for less than the cost of individual inspections. However, you may wind up getting an inspection report on more than one home throughout your house search, so add this into your budget.
Choosing the best building and pest inspector for your needs
Choosing a reputable building and pest inspector is vital that takes a comprehensive approach. Inquire with relatives and friends about professionals they have recently utilized, or ask your real estate agent to identify specialists specializing in your region. Make sure you ask them for past reports they have completed, so you know what sort of report you will receive from them.
In conclusion, even if your state or lender doesn’t specifically demand a building or pest inspection, it’s probably in your best interest to have one before you close on the house. If you discover that you’re living amid unpleasant insects or unstable construction after you’ve moved in, you’ll have to invest the time — and money — to deal with it.
A building and pest inspection is quite affordable compared to the other expenditures of home buying and may wind up saving you a lot of money and worry in the long run.
All inspectors registered with the Victorian Building Authority