Building & Timber Pest Inspections – Combined

When Should Sydney Buyers Arrange a Building and Pest Inspection?

The sooner the better…

When you purchase a property via private treaty and exchange contracts, there is usually a 5-day ‘cooling–off’ period. During this time, you have the option to cancel the contract or pull out of the deal. Many Sydney buyers arrange a Building and Pest inspection during the cooling off period. However, it is recommended that you arrange the property inspection before you exchange contracts. As soon as you know you are interested in the property and plan to proceed. This gives you time to understand the building, and in certain situations, it may be appropriate to adjust the offer based on the report findings. Failure to proceed will normally cost you 0.25% of the purchase price, which equates to $2,500 on a $1M property.

A cooling–off period does not apply if you buy a property at auction or exchange contracts on the same day as the auction after it is passed in.

Sometimes, the agent may request that you agree to a 66W. This waives your right to a cooling-off period. In this case the inspection must be done before the exchange of the property.

Often, Sydney property vendors arrange Building Inspections and Pest inspections with our firm. We provide copies of these reports to prospective buyers at a discounted rate.

{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “FAQPage”,
“mainEntity”: [{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Do you carry out Building and Pest Inspections on Saturdays?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Yes, we carry out building and pest inspections on Saturdays. There are no additional charges for inspections carried out on a Saturday”
}
},{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What Qualifications do Sydney PrePurchase Building & Pest Inspectors have?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Our building inspectors are accredited building consultants who have carried out specialised inspection training, hold current Builder’s Licenses and have a minimum of fifteen years building industry experience. Our Timber Pest Inspectors have undergone specialised training and accreditation through a rigorous qualification process. Sydney PrePurchase Building and Pest Inspectors’ expertise is based on decades of experience in all facets of the building and timber pest industry. Sydney PrePurchase is fully covered for Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance through Pacific International. We comply with the current relevant Australian Standards AS 4349.1 – 2007 & AS 4349.3 – 2010.”
}
},{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Do I need a Pest Inspection as well as a Building Inspection?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “When you buy a used car you wouldn’t just look under the bonnet. The vehicle needs to be thoroughly checked inside, outside and underneath for a range of mechanical and structural issues. It’s the same when you buy a house or unit. A Timber Pest Inspection, commonly referred to as a ‘Pest Inspection’ looks for Termite damage as well as Wood Rot (wood Decay Fungi) that can cause structural issues and potential safety hazards. You may not think termites are not a problem in a big city like Sydney. Think again. Up to thirty percent of homes in Sydney have had some form of Termite activity. The CSIRO has rated Sydney as the second highest risk zone in Australia for Termite attack. All homes contain timber elements in their construction and are at HIGH RISK of Termite attack That’s why we strongly recommend customers arrange a Combined Building and Timber Pest Inspection.”
}
},{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What is included in the Report?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Most of our Building reports are approximately 25 pages and include the following: A description of the property A photographic summary of the major defects A detailed “area by area” description of all the major defects found at the property Recommendations for further investigation A conclusion on the overall condition of the property. This compares the building with a property of a similar type and age. Most of our Timber Pest Reports are 10-15 pages and include the following Were Active termites found? Evidence of Termite activity. Evidence of any previous termite treatment (this is very important). Presence of wood borer damage. Presence of Wood decay fungi (wood rot), especially in external structures where wood rot can pose a potential safety hazard, such as steps, handrails and decks. Conditions that may be conducive to any of the above.”
}
},{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Will a Building and Pest Inspection reveal if a house has asbestos?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Our inspectors can notify you of any materials suspected of containing asbestos if requested. This is based on certain indicators such as property age, property type and other visual indicators. Please note however, we don’t carry out ‘asbestos inspections’ per se, because positive identification of asbestos requires removal of suspected material and laboratory testing. Visit our post to read about the likelihood and typical areas asbestos could be found within a house.”
}
}]
}