You are about to buy a new house, and you have chosen a beautiful location with a fantastic view. After a few visits and after being convinced by a property broker that you must buy this house, you close the deal. Then after a few months, you finally found out there are hidden defects in your dream house. You are then left with a ton of repairs on hand, a headache, and a lingering regret for not choosing to do a prior inspection before purchase.
A simple building inspection is the solution to this kind of problem. People planning to buy a house should allot enough time for a prior inspection of the place. It is a standard practice, which, unfortunately, is often overlooked. Building inspection reports are essential for buyers whenever they consider a property. It saves them the headache of fixing problems one by one as they appear. Here is a simple guide on everything you need to know about building inspection reports.
What is a building inspection report?
A building inspection report is a written assessment of a property that is done before purchase. This report gives the buyer information about any flaws, defects, or other problems on a property. It is essential for a buyer to have this information when deciding to buy a property. This short assessment report is vital for a buyer to avoid headaches down the road.
Reasons to get a building inspection report.
- Avoid unexpected problems – A building inspection report allows buyers to avoid potential headaches when buying property. There are many cases where buyers are faced with unexpected problems when hidden property defects show up a few months after settling in. These problems can often appear during periods of inclement weather (i.e. storms, rain, sleet, snow).
- A detailed report of the property – If you opt to get a building inspection report, you will get a detailed description of the property you’re interested in buying. Having a detailed report on each problem at a property makes conducting repairs easy. You can quickly call a specialist for the specified problem, instead of hiring an all-around maintenance specialist. A building inspection report will also reveal any hidden weaknesses in the structure of the house, enabling you to avoid mishaps and accidents in the future.
- Ability to negotiate property prices – If you receive a detailed report on your house, you can use this information as leverage when negotiating property prices. Structural problems, defects, and even aesthetic problems will lessen the value of any property. With such a report, you can see whether the property is overpriced or a bargain worth taking despite the flaws. You can better determine whether the property is worth it if you have a building inspection report on hand.
- An advantage in the real estate business – If you are planning to enter the real estate business, a building inspection report can help sell properties to potential customers. Being honest to clients by providing a detailed description of the defects and problems of a house helps resell homes.
What is included in a building inspection report?
A building inspection report is a collection of assessments about the different areas of a property. In this report, every inspection result is detailed and itemised to provide an honest and transparent view of the property. Included in this report are the following:
- An Overview – This is a brief description of the property and the various areas to be inspected. Here the dimensions of the property are set out. The size of the property and the specifications of the materials used in construction are listed. Included also is the time of the inspection, what the weather is and if the property has specific safety devices such as smoke detectors, and alarms.
- Defect Assessment – In this part of the report, the defects are listed. Each defect is grouped into one of three major categories. First is the structural damage section where actual flaws present in the property are recorded.
Next are the defects on secondary construction elements, which are defects in the finishing or aesthetic aspects in the property. These are not as severe as structural defects, but can still devalue a property significantly. Finally are defects that are conducive to damage. These are small defects in the design that may lead to structural damage.
- Recommendation – In this part of the report, the building inspector provides solutions to solve the property’s issues. The recommendations page gives the potential buyer an idea of how much to spend to resolves the property issues and determine if buying the house is worth it.
Building inspection report process
In a building inspection, each part of the property is assessed based on other properties of the same type to determine the value of the property when issues and defects are revealed. The process starts with the structural inspection of the house, which generally includes the following:
- The structural integrity of roofing frames, the walls both internal and external, the windows, door frames and floors.
- The perimeter of the property, the fences, and other outbuildings.
- The interior, which includes the electrical circuits, plumbing and other essentials needed in a home.
- The aesthetic elements are then inspected along with the secondary structures in the house.
How much does it cost?
The cost for a detailed building inspection report depends on the type of the property, the size of the area to be inspected, and the type of inspection conducted. Usually, the price range from $800 to $1,000 in metropolitan areas, while it is a lot cheaper in the regional areas ranging from $400 to $500. Another factor that can affect the cost of an inspection is the location of the property. Additional services such as pest inspection have separate charges and will be added on top of the standard price for building inspection.