The Importance of a Pre-Purchase Building Inspection
Interview with Dave from Jim’s Building Inspections
We always tell our clients looking to invest in real estate about having a team you trust. That is important, so it does not cost you money down the track. One of the essential things before buying a property is getting a pre-purchase building inspection. Dave Waters, from Jim’s Building Inspections, is one of our partners and agreed on chatting with us about the importance of pre-purchase inspections.
The Importance of a Pre-Purchase Building Inspection
Justine: Can you talk a bit about yourself?
Dave: I’m a registered builder. I’ve also done specific training in pest management and asbestos identification. So I’ve got a broad area which I can report on. I’ve been involved in the building industry for over 30 years, and for the last seven years, I’ve been doing building and pest inspections. In that time I’ve done over 2000 inspections.
J: How does the inspection work?
D: I approach building inspections without any emotional involvement in the property, and I call it as I see it. I do everything per the Australian standard. The reports include photos alongside any relevant item.
J: And what is the time frame for the report?
D: There’s a tight timeline for getting an inspection report back to the client. So, typically, it is 24 hours – unless there’s some unforeseen event or I have got several properties for that client all at the same time. I always endeavour to get the report out within 24 hours, so there’s no waiting from me.
J: Do new properties, new buildings, need a report?
D: I pick up different things in my inspections of new properties. Some of them are very well built and some of them, not. So when I do a pre-purchase inspection on a new property, I’ll report on things non-compliant. In some cases, if I’ve got the opportunity, I refer to the documentation. In some cases, the contract documents don’t follow what’s being built.
J: Some investors are subdividing the block. If they’re going to demolish the property, do they need a report?
D: I believe so. It depends on their intention. I went to a property last week where there was termite activity. You might think “oh it doesn’t need to be pristine”, but if there are significant issues like termite activity, you certainly want to know because that’s going to be a costly fix – you don’t want to inherit a problem like that.
J: Countless investors buy properties in Perth. They’re paying 400 thousand dollars on a property but then forgetting to pay for a pre-purchase inspection. So we strongly encourage anyone looking for real estate opportunities to invest time into doing their due diligence before buying a property.
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