Inspections to conduct prior to purchasing an established home

Have you ever been in the situation where you are looking at a home, but you feel like there are some things that you haven’t checked? While most Australian home buyers are savvy when it comes to doing the checks in and around the home, sometimes we miss important things in the property that could cost us a lot more over the long term. It is important undergo a checking process and be as attentive as possible to the details in the property to minimize any risks that could see you incur additional costs over the long term. Below are a list of inspections that we recommend carrying out when you are investigating your next property.

Check the state of the roof.
Make sure that the roof is in a good condition. Should any issues arise from the state of the roof, the repair bill could be quite hefty. Consider working with roof replacement services from Melbourne that can help you identify:

● Any cracks or splits in the roof
● Detailed analysis of roof flashings or any roof penetrations.
● The detailed state of your gutters and chimneys.

Check to see that the property has proper drainage.
It isn’t something that is obvious at first, but it is important to find out if the property has proper drainage. Poor drainage may impact the living conditions and maintenance of your property. Furthermore, it is likely that it will impact your insurance policy. Things that you should look out for include:

● Checking the property for any evidence of standing water.
● Checking the property that there is proper drainage systems that ensure the flow of water is away from the house.
● Should the property have septic tank, that there aren’t any leaks.

Check the structure of the property.
Ideally, you will have a building inspection to identify the specific details of the building, however it is ideal that you familiarize yourself with with areas of the property that should have a solid structure. Ensure that areas of the house such as the walls and board lines appear straight and are not bowed or sagging. Also ensure that there are no cracks, loose fixtures or decay in any of the structures. Look out for flaking bits or blisters in the paint’s exterior and also any dents in any of the metal fixtures on the property.

Check to see that doors and rooms are where they should be.
It seems so obvious that it is something that can easily be missed. Check the home for any fixtures that could be missing such as doors, windows and railings. Check underneath the floorboards and the carpets to ensure that there aren’t any missing planks or fixtures that may need to be replaced.

Check the property a few times.
One of the rookie errors with first time homebuyers is that they don’t check the property several times to identify any potential changes or things that they missed from their initial inspection. Sometimes things get overlooked, so it is best to take precaution and check the property until you are 100% happy with the inspection.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
If you have a feeling in your gut that something isn’t right with the property, make sure to ask the real estate agent and the property owner. Go that extra step further and ask surrounding neighbours if they have noticed anything with the property to get a bit more insight into the history of the property. Ensure that you gain enough facts to know that the property that is being sold to you is safe and won’t put you in a position where you will incur several thousands of dollars in additional costs.

Australians need to be aware of the potential risks that come with purchasing a home. The main risks can be avoided if they undergo a detailed home inspection. While we have provided an overview of inspection tasks, it is recommended that a more detailed analysis is conducted by an expert.