Before a buyer in any property market sets out to engage the services of a building inspection service, they should have clearly identified parameters for the expense of repairs and maintenance.

If you have seriously assessed and set your limit on repair costs at $10,000 and discover through a professional building inspection it is more likely to be $30,000 then you need to consider pausing the process, is further negotiation an option or should you be pursuing another property.

If you are having trouble assessing exactly what a reasonable sum of money is to set aside for potential repairs and maintenance? You should seek the advice of a local building inspector.

Ask the local building inspectors what the typical defects are for homes in the area you are intending to buy? Ask if they can tell you, the most common maintenance required? Ask if you can have a ball park estimate of the average repair costs required of homes in the local area? Try to get tips or hints on what particular areas of the home should require close attention during your first inspection.

If you can get a local building experts picture of what defects or maintenance to expect then you will be better prepared to assess the results of an inspection typical for the location. If you can build rapport with a local building inspector you will also find, that when it comes time to get it professionally inspected, they will have a better understanding of your specific interests and may fit your job in with less delay.

It is usually in a “Buyers” market that the opportunity to engage a professional building inspector becomes more common. It is the lack of competition between buyers and lower levels of confidence in the market that generate an increased sense of caution and fear.

In a “Sellers” market the buyers begin a race to purchase and their actions are fuelled by competition for their slice of the property profits.

In the haste of a hot real estate market, it becomes more common for buyers to neglect the importance of spending a few hundred dollars for an independent building and pest inspection.

Before you engage the services of a building inspector or pest inspector, have clearly identified parameters for the expense you are willing to pay above the purchase price. Don’t presume nothing will go wrong. Even something as simple as a hot water service failure can cost a $1000 dollars to replace.

If you have seriously assessed and set your limit on repair costs at $10,000 and discover through a professional building inspection, it is more likely to be $30,000. You need to consider pausing process, further negotiation or passing the property by.

Ask your local building inspector what the typical defects and maintenance items are for homes in the area you are intending to buy? Ask if you can have a ball park estimate of common repair costs required to homes in the local area? Try to get tips on what areas of the property should require close attention during your first inspection. Visit https://www.inspectionangel.com.au  and download their handy checklist.

And don’t neglect to have it inspected by a professional building inspector before you sign an unconditional contract of sale.

Imagine if you purchased new house, move in then find you are spending more money and time on repairs than you had budgeted for. If you first hire a building and pest inspector in Melbourne before the purchase you may have been better prepared or purchased a better property elsewhere.

Here a couple quick points to check the next house you inspect for purchase.

1. Check, do the doors open and shut without obstruction of the door frame? The edges of the door panel should fit with an even distance of clearance within the frame.
2. Do the windows open and close smoothly? Check for cracked panels of glass and damp damage to the sills.
3. Make sure the walls around wet areas have no damp issues. There should be no mould stains and irregular coats of fresh paint can be a sign of a cover up.
4. Ensure that the ceiling has no odd areas of patch work repair. If it is consistent then it could be more reliable.
5. In the kitchen, look at sink and junction of the splash back. There should be no damp stains at all.
6. Make sure that plumbing fittings are secure and correctly fitted. In the bathroom, turn tap on and off, check hot water, edge of shower basis, bath tubs, leakage issues, tiles and exhaust fan.
7. In toilets firstly check toilet seat, waste pipe, silicon sealant. Moreover, flush the toilet and view the area behind the seat and look for leaks. See, if water continues to run even after cistern has been filled. Faulty cistern valves are a huge waste of our water.
8. Electrical appliances and services require electrical experts to assess. But make sure you check the fuse box for a visual observation of the existence of a “Earth leakage safety switch”.
9. View the roof from a distance and look for irregularities such as dips in the ridge line.
10. If the roof is of iron sheet are there any rust stains, if it is tiled is the surface non porous or does it appear to need a new surface coat.
This checklist can’t replace a professional building inspection but hopefully it can give you a better feel for what to look for when you buying a home in Sydney.