If you're purchasing a brand new property or are having one built, we highly recommend hiring a professional building and pest inspector pre-settlement.  

Whilst council inspectors or building certifiers might give it a tick of approval, they don't do a thorough inspection like independent building inspectors who look at materials and workmanship and identify any defects that require attention. 

A trusted and professional builder will perform repairs on defects before your inspection, however, you might find some that only tend to the basic requirements, and might not be up to a high standard.  

Hence why we recommend hiring an independent building and pest inspector who will check for cosmetic defects and most importantly structural and mechanical defects, and present them in a detailed building inspection report. 

Here are some common defects that we have found when inspecting brand new properties: 

Cosmetic defects:

• Cracked mirrors or tiles
• Minor wall cracks
• Chipped kitchen, bathroom or laundry benchtops
• Paintwork, incomplete or sub-standard
• Leaking tapware
• Cupboards not installed properly

Structural & mechanical defects:

• Fall in the wet areas is not draining water properly
• Unstable foundations 
• Electrical wiring not installed properly
• Plumbing and drainage issues that might cause leaks and long term water damage
• Doors not opening properly or rubbing the flooring
• Faulty or damaged window installation
• Faulty airconditioning and ventilation 

And if you have a fixed full turnkey contract with the builder that has a landscaping clause, make sure the grass is established pre-handover. 

As a qualified property investment advisor and build consultant, Edward Reavy can take you through the entire process from sourcing the land, the building design and build tender process, managing the build, to renting the property.

He can manage those time-consuming tasks such as the build progress payments, organising independent building and pest inspectors to check for defects, arranging a tax depreciation schedule and sourcing the right property manager to manage the property on your behalf. Plus much more. Take the guesswork out of the build process and get in touch with Edward at 0404 784 864 or email info@ekrproperty.com.au