Most people book a pre purchase building inspection because their real estate agent, their bank, or a friend who got burnt once told them to. Fair enough. But very few buyers actually know what happens once the inspector turns up. What are they looking at? What counts as a real problem versus something you can fix on a weekend? And what won’t the inspection tell you at all?
This is a walk through of exactly what we check, area by area, the same way we move through a property on the day across Melbourne, so you get the comprehensive, thorough picture our reports are built on. By the end you will know what to expect from your report, and what questions to ask before you sign anything.
What a Pre Purchase Building Inspection Actually Covers
In Australia, pre purchase building inspections of residential properties are carried out to Australian Standard AS 4349.1-2007. Whether you call it a pre purchase house inspection, a pre purchase home inspection, or a pre purchase property inspection, it is the same process under the hood. It is a visual, non-invasive inspection. That means your inspector will not be pulling up carpet, drilling into walls, or moving your vendor’s furniture to check what is underneath it. They are assessing what can be seen and safely accessed on the day, and reporting on the structural condition and safety of the property as it stands at that point in time.
Locally, you will see this searched as a pre purchase building inspection melbourne buyers rely on, or as pre purchase house inspections melbourne, pre purchase home inspections melbourne, and pre purchase property inspections melbourne wide, all describing exactly the same service under a different label.
It is worth remembering that a building inspection report is a snapshot, not a guarantee. It tells you what a qualified inspector could see and identify on the day, using the methods the standard allows.
Starting Outside: The Exterior
We always start outside, because the exterior tells us a lot about how the whole property has been maintained and whether water has been getting in where it should not.
Here is what gets checked:
- Roof covering, whether tiles or metal sheeting, for damage, wear, and incorrect repairs
- Gutters, downpipes, and eaves for rust, blockages, and signs they have overflowed in the past
- External wall cladding, brick veneer, weatherboard, or render, for cracking, movement, or moisture staining
- Windows and door frames for rot, rust, and how well they are sealed
- Decks, verandas, stairs, and balustrades, particularly whether handrails and gaps meet current safety requirements
- Driveways, paths, and paving for trip hazards or signs of ground movement underneath
- Retaining walls and boundary fences for leaning, cracking, or drainage problems behind them
Underneath the House: The Subfloor
Not every home has a subfloor you can access. Slab on ground homes, which make up a large share of newer Melbourne builds, do not have this space at all. Where there is an accessible subfloor though, this is one of the most telling parts of the whole inspection.
We look at the bearers and joists that hold the floor up, checking for rot, borer damage, or sagging. Stumps get checked for level and for signs they have shifted or deteriorated. We also check subfloor ventilation, because poor airflow under a house is one of the biggest contributors to timber decay and damp problems over time, and we note any standing water or drainage issues.
If we spot something that looks like pest activity while we are under there, we will flag it in the report. That said, a proper timber pest inspection is a separate assessment carried out under a different standard, AS 4349.3-2010, so if termites are a real concern for the property, it is worth booking both inspections together.
Up in the Roof Space
Getting into the roof cavity means checking the condition of the roof frame timber, whether the sarking (the protective layer under the roof covering) is intact, and how much insulation is up there and whether it has been installed properly. We are also looking for water staining or timber that has darkened or warped, which usually points to a leak at some point, even if it has since been patched up.
Moving Inside
Inside the house, we check ceilings and cornices for cracking or sagging, walls for cracks or signs of movement, and floors for noticeable slope or bounce underfoot. We use a level for this rather than guessing. Doors and windows get opened and closed, because sticking or misaligned doors are often one of the first visible signs that a house has moved or settled unevenly.
We also check for dampness, staining, or mould around bathrooms, kitchens, and any area prone to moisture, and confirm that stair handrails and balustrades meet current safety spacing, particularly in older homes built before today’s standards existed.
The Site and Grounds
The land the house sits on matters just as much as the house itself. We check that the site drains away from the building rather than towards it, look at paving and paths for trip hazards, and check fences and retaining walls for leaning or cracking. Poor site drainage is one of the most common causes of long term structural problems, and it is often the cheapest thing to fix if it is caught early.
Why Local Soil and Building Age Matter
A lot of what we find depends on where the property sits and how old it is. Much of Melbourne’s south eastern growth corridor, including Cranbourne, Berwick, and Pakenham, sits on reactive clay soil that expands when it is wet and shrinks back as it dries out. That seasonal movement is one of the more common causes of cracking we see in newer estate homes, and it is why drainage around the foundation matters as much as the foundation itself.
Older weatherboard homes closer to Melbourne’s established suburbs tend to show a different pattern of issues altogether, more around subfloor ventilation, timber condition, and past renovations that were not finished to a proper standard. Neither pattern is necessarily worse than the other, but it does mean two inspections on paper can look quite different depending on the age and location of the home.
How Defects Get Classified
Once the inspection is done, everything we have found gets sorted into categories in the report.
Major defects are problems serious enough to affect the structural soundness of the building, or that would cost a significant amount to put right. Think sagging roof structures, extensive termite damage to structural timber, or serious foundation movement.
Minor defects are the maintenance and cosmetic issues that come with any home. A cracked tile, a dripping tap, or a section of peeling paint falls into this category. They are worth knowing about, but they do not threaten the structure of the property.
Safety hazards are flagged regardless of how minor they might otherwise seem, because they present an immediate risk. A balustrade with gaps wider than current standards allow, exposed wiring, or a broken step are treated as safety issues rather than filed under general wear and tear.
What a Building Inspection Does Not Cover
A few things sit outside the scope of a standard building inspection, and it catches people out if they do not know in advance:
- Timber pest activity, which needs its own inspection under AS 4349.3-2010
- Swimming pool and spa equipment
- Gas fitting and electrical compliance, which require separately licensed trades
- Invasive or destructive testing, since inspectors cannot cut into walls, lift flooring, or move stored belongings
- Common property in a strata titled building, where the inspection is generally limited to the interior of the unit itself
If any of these matter for the property you are looking at, it is worth arranging the extra checks alongside your building inspection rather than assuming they are already covered.
What to Do Once You Have Your Report
Book the inspection early in your due diligence period, not on the last day before your contract becomes unconditional. Getting a building inspection prior to purchase, rather than treating it as an afterthought, gives you time to actually read the report, ask the inspector questions about anything that is not clear, and get a trade quote for any major defect before you need to make a decision.
Your report should do more than list problems. Look for photographs against each finding, plain English descriptions rather than just codes or abbreviations, and a clear split between major defects, minor defects, and safety hazards, so you are not left guessing which issues actually matter. If a report cannot explain a finding in a sentence a non builder would understand, that is worth questioning.
A building inspection will not tell you whether to buy the house. What it does is give you an honest, independent picture of its condition, so whatever you decide, you are deciding with your eyes open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I attend my pre purchase building inspection?
Yes. If you would like to be there while the inspection is carried out, just let us know when you book so we can plan the visit around you. Plenty of buyers find it useful to walk the property alongside the inspector and ask questions on the spot, rather than only reading about a finding afterwards.
Q. What happens if the inspection finds a major defect?
It depends on your contract conditions, but generally you have a few options. You can negotiate the price down to cover the cost of repairs, ask the vendor to fix the issue before settlement, or, if the contract allows it and the defect is serious enough, walk away from the sale altogether. A clear, well categorised report is what makes any of those conversations possible.
Q. Do I still need a separate pest inspection?
Yes, if timber pests matter to you, and for most Australian properties they should. A building inspection under AS 4349.1-2007 does not cover termites or other timber pests, that falls under AS 4349.3-2010. We can carry out both on the same visit, and combining them usually works out cheaper than booking two separate appointments.
Q. What if part of the house cannot be accessed?
Sometimes a section of subfloor, roof space, or wall cavity simply cannot be reached safely on the day, whether that is due to stored belongings, a locked area, or a genuine access limitation. When that happens, we do not guess. We note exactly what could not be accessed and why, so you know precisely what the report does and does not cover.
Q. Does the inspection cover common property in an apartment or townhouse?
For strata titled properties, the inspection generally covers the interior of your unit rather than shared areas like the foyer, lifts, or common gardens, since those fall under the body corporate’s responsibility rather than yours. If common property condition is a concern, it is worth asking the body corporate for their own maintenance and building records before you buy.
Q. How soon will I get my report?
Same day, in writing. We understand you are usually working to contract deadlines, so we do not sit on a report any longer than we have to.
Book Your Pre Purchase Inspection
At Casey Building Inspections, every report we prepare follows AS 4349.1-2007, and we can add a timber pest inspection under AS 4349.3-2010 on the same visit if you would like both covered in one appointment for complete peace of mind. We service Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula, Gippsland, and Hobart and Southern Tasmania, with same day written reports. Call us on 0488 339 686 to book your inspection.
0 Comments