Investing in a home should be a sound decision. After all, a big chunk of your savings is involved and buying a lemon is not an option!
Protecting your investment means being smart about it. This means commissioning the services of not one but two property inspections before you decide to buy. One is a pre-purchase timber pest inspection and the other a pre-purchase building inspection.
The importance of having a pre-purchase pest inspection
A pre-purchase pest inspection is otherwise known as a pre-purchase timber pest inspection. This type of inspection is requested by buyers before purchasing a potential property.
A pre-purchase timber pest inspection is different from the standard termite inspection. Most of the time, a standard termite inspection is requested by property owners on their property.
Timber pest inspection, on the other hand, does not only concentrate on termites but include mould, borers, and wood decay fungi. The expense in providing remedies and repairs of property damages can be used in negotiations with the seller of the property.
The difference between a building and pest inspection
While both building and pest inspections can be requested, there’s a distinct difference between them. They are two different inspections and having both of them done to a potential property is ideal.
A building inspection can visually identify damage caused by termites. However, the inspection is not concentrated on looking for wood decay, termites, and borers.
A timber pest inspection not only covers inspecting over 30m from the main house for signs of active termite infestation. The inspection also involves inspecting the areas of the site and building inspected by the building inspector. Future threats to the property are made known to the buyer with this kind of inspection.
Guidelines for choosing a building and pest inspector
Don’t base your decision on price
Inspectors that come highly recommended or have long experience in building and pest inspections should be the best choice. The cheapest priced inspector should not be the basis for your decision.
It is highly recommended to hire two different inspectors rather than one to handle both building and pest inspections. While this may prove expensive, doing this will save you from future headaches and heartaches.
An expert inspector will find time to do a comprehensive inspection. He will not undervalue his expertise and time as well. Making a big investment decision means hiring the best inspectors as well.
Don’t get swayed by recommendations coming from real estate agents
Certain building inspectors and pest control companies are often preferred by real estate agents. While not exactly recommending these inspectors, real estate agents will give you information about them. Doing this absolves the agents when issues happen in the future.
Bear in mind that real estate agents represent the seller, and not you, the buyer. This means that they are not sympathetic to inspectors that make detailed inspections. After all, the sale price has a greater chance to go down or the deal fall through should the inspection report state damages to the property being sold.
Ensure insurance coverage, licenses, and qualifications
Make sure the inspector has the required license and current public liability and professional indemnity insurance coverage. A professional inspector will gladly present these credentials on request.
It has been said that “knowledge is power”. The same rule applies when making a sound decision about property investment. Book a building and pest inspection in Melbourne to be 100% sure that the property you are acquiring is worth the money you will spend.