Are you searching for a property?
You will have heard that engaging a building inspector to carry out a pre purchase house inspection is a must before you bid at auction or make an offer on a property.
Finding a reputable building inspection company can be daunting in a field where many companies offer a similar service.
Keep reading to learn the eight important questions to ask when choosing a building inspection company.
1.What are your qualifications?
In most states and territories of Australia, building inspections do not need to be carried out by a registered builder –in fact no particular qualification is required at all. In Victoria, you can easily check the accreditation status of your inspector by visiting the VBA’s Find A Practitioner tool.
Many people are also not aware that a defects inspection report (an owner builder defects or 137b report) can only be carried out by a registered building practitioner. This category includes building surveyors, building inspectors, engineers and architects.
Do not hesitate to ask your inspection company to provide proof of your inspector’s qualifications.
2.Are you experienced in this type of inspection?
It can be hard to tell by looking at a company’s website or social media how long they have been in business or the size of the business. If your inspection company is not up front about how long they have been in business or how many inspections they have completed, you are within your rights to ask for this information.
Some building inspection companies specialise in certain inspection types while others offer a broader range of services. Again, if your company markets themselves as experts in a certain inspection type, you may ask for verification of experience and qualifications.
3.How thorough is your inspection? What do you check?
Your building inspection company should set out in their marketing material or on their website a comprehensive list of what is covered in each inspection type. A sample report for each inspection type offered should also be available on request.
4.Can I speak to you after the inspection about your findings?
A reputable inspection company should be happy for you as the client to meet your inspector at the conclusion of the inspection to discuss his or her findings. If you are not available to do this, a phone call is another option for your inspector to summarise the inspection and its findings.
5.How do you provide your reports?
A professional report should be provided in digital format, accompanied by high-resolution images. This avoids any confusion or ambiguity regarding the contents of the report.
6.How long will it be until I receive my report?
Many inspection companies promise same-day delivery of their reports – while this is sometimes possible, depending on the complexity of the report, it’s better to give our clients a realistic timeframe about delivery times. This gives your inspector time to thoroughly complete the report and complete it to a high standard.
7.Can I see your customer reviews?
An established, reputable company should be able to provide verifiable testimonials from satisfied clients. While testimonials on a website are good, it’s preferable to see reviews on public platforms such as Google and Product Review. It’s easy to spot genuine reviews – they will include verifiable details such as employee names and provide details about the job itself.
8.Are you independent?
Beware of any inspection company who claims to be independent, but who receives referrals from real estate agents. A reputable inspection company should not have any type of ongoing referral arrangement with a party that causes a conflict of interest.
At The Home Inspection Hub, we take pride in being to answer these questions with confidence.
Why?
We have been in operation since 2002 (starting out as our sister company SPI Property Inspections) and have completed over 25,000 inspections to date.
Our experienced team comprises a group of inspectors each with a minimum of 20 years’ experience in their respective fields. All inspectors are either registered builders or architects.
We cover the complete range of residential building inspection services:
- Pre- purchase house inspections
- Building and pest inspections
- New home construction inspections
- Renovation inspections
- Special purpose inspections
- Owner builder defects (137b) reports
- Dilapidation reports
- Contract review
- Tax depreciation schedules
- VCAT reports and expert witness
We cover all of Melbourne and surrounds as well as Geelong and Central Victoria.
For a free quote and sample report today, contact our friendly booking team on 1300 071 283 or email info@thehomeinspectionhub.com.au
