Is a building and pest inspection always necessary?

Some people are willing to risk it all come crumbling down because of an invader that’s only a few millimeters tall!

Termites are nasty little pests that can work away on undetected for months or even years, wreaking havoc with the foundations of your building before you know they’re even there. The average repair cost for termite damage to a house can be around $9,000. However, we’ve all heard horror stories where homeowners have been forced to part with tens of thousands of dollars to rectify a termite problem.

Similarly, structural issues can cause huge financial headaches – and building issues can be present in both new and old homes.

Therefore, when you’re buying a property, new or existing, it makes total sense to have a building and pest inspections by the experts as an essential part of your due diligence process.

And, a building and pest inspection is something that can be very valuable to help both parties when it comes to negotiating.

The seller can use it as a tool to give the buyer peace of mind.

If you’re the buyer, it can give you some insights to whether it’s a good buy or whether there are a few risks. It’s like buying a used car; you would have a mechanic take a look at the car before you make your purchase."

For an investment of a few hundred dollars – depending on where you are, a combined building and pest inspection will cost roughly $300-$600 ­– you’ll not only gain peace of mind, but you may also uncover valuable information to help you negotiate the purchase price.

This was precisely the case for first-time property investor Joanne from Narooma, who bought a three-bedroom house last year.

She made an offer and it was accepted, but the building and pest inspection revealed evidence of current termite damage in a nearby tree, and previous termite damage in the garage ceiling.

The building report also stated some evidence of water leaking in one of the bathrooms.

A quick call with the local building and pest inspectors confirmed that the issues not to be concerned about, and were in fact quite common of buildings of that age.

As a result of the reports, however, Joanne was able to negotiate a full termite treatment plan, removal of the infected tree stump and repairs to the bathroom, including a brand new toilet and cistern.

The work was valued at $4,000 and was carried out on the property, with the vendor paying the costs!

This showed Joanne that getting a building and pest inspection was the best decision she could have made.