So you’ve brought your builder mate Dave along to help you inspect your future home.
Dave is a professional and has built a gazillion houses in his time. He has assured you that he’s “got a keen eye for this sort of thing”, and you’ve seen his work — he knows his stuff… You like Dave. You trust Dave. Dave has got this.
I might be a little biased here, but I can pretty safely say that ‘No, Dave has not got this’. He might be an astounding builder, but he’s not going into this with the experience, the know-how, the time, or the specialist equipment that are often needed to thoroughly assess a property.
We appreciate that in some circumstances it might feel easier not to bother getting a pre-purchase building inspection, but it can also be one of the riskiest, most dangerous, and most costly mistakes you could make.
So, with that said, I’m going to take you through just some of the reasons why you might want to think twice about deciding to forgo a pre-purchase building inspection.
1. Cost-savings of Thousands of Dollars
Contrary to the idea that pre-purchase building inspections are nothing more than a waste of your hard-earned money, you might be surprised to learn that they can actually save you thousands upon thousands in the long run.
Just think about how high those stacks of cash would look, then imagine throwing it all into a fast-flowing river, because that is essentially what can happen when well-meaning individuals decide not to bother with a pre-purchase inspection and find themselves up a certain kind of creek with not a paddle in sight.
So, how is it that you could end up paying more by forgoing a pre-purchase building inspection, I hear you ask?
Hidden repairs.
A large majority of housing defects are not easily found, and many can’t be detected with the naked eye. Oftentimes, only in-depth knowledge, specialist equipment, and many years of experience are what’s needed to completely uncover the full extent of problems a house may have. And it’s precisely when these hidden issues go undetected that the unsuspecting buyer (hopefully not you after reading this!) is the one who ends up having to pay an arm and a leg to undo said damages.
2. Plan for renovations
If you’re entering the property market with the intention of flipping a house or you’re on the hunt for a bargain, then you’re likely going to find yourself looking at something that requires a little TLC — “a renovator’s dream” if you will. This can be a great way to save big on the outset, but it definitely needs to be well thought out because if you don’t know exactly what you’re working with, you could end up in hot water.
By getting a pre-purchase building inspection, you’re handing over the responsibility of finding out everything you need to know about this property to an expert in the field. And, if they know what they’re doing, then they’ll be able to tell you exactly what you’re getting for the asking price of the home.
If you want to take the guesswork out of estimating repairs, then the best thing you can do is have a highly trained expert (preferably with over 40 years experience *wink, wink — nudge, nudge*) to conduct a comprehensive pre-purchase building assessment so that you can make well-informed decisions.
At Building Masters Inspections, we check for hundreds of potential defects, which means you’ll have a full list of each and every bit of work a given property needs done, and an estimate of how much it’s going to cost you. From there, you can do the numbers and decide on the best course of action.
3. Safety, safety, safety!
Did I mention safety? If you’re thinking of buying a family home, then safety is going to be at the top of your list… at least it should be, unless you’re a family of thrill-seeking, bungee-jumping, monster-truck driving maniacs… but even still! I think we can all agree that living in a home free of potential dangers is a priority for just about anyone.
Unsurprisingly, this is where a pre-purchase building inspection comes in handy.
Ever heard of asbestos? If the answer is “yes”, then it’s likely you’re well aware of the potential dangers it can pose. ‘Silent but deadly’, couldn’t be a truer description.
Here’s a helpful guide to what asbestos looks like, and what to look out for.
If you’re looking at buying a home that was built before 1990, there’s a significant chance that it was built using asbestos, and if there’s any chance that your dream-home-to-be is secretly harbouring asbestos, believe me, you will want to know about it.
Did you know that it is estimated that around 1 in 3 homes contain asbestos?! Asbestos is common in older homes in Melbourne, as it was widely used in Australian residential construction from the 1940s to the late 1980s. Asbestos materials were cheap, durable, and fire-resistant, so they were used in hundreds of thousands of houses.
Typical locations where asbestos is found include eaves and soffits, bathroom and laundry wall linings, external fibro cladding, corrugated cement roofing, vinyl floor tiles or underlay, fencing and outbuildings.
On top of this, potential dangers that can easily go unnoticed during a standard house inspection are possible faults with electrical wiring, which can sometimes be a serious risk of electrocution, and even start fires.
4. Termites and Termite Damage
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to experience the joys of a termite infestation, then you’ll know just how much fun they can be, and if you can’t tell that I’m being sarcastic, then you clearly know nothing about termites.
They ain’t fun.
These pesky little critters spend their days running around your home and slowly eating it from the inside out. And because they are notoriously difficult to detect, this can often go on until the wooden structures reach a point of no return, and there’s nothing left to do but dismantle and demolish. And it can cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair – if the problem is severe and the damage is significant.
A helpful blog post: Termite Termination Techniques
By getting a pre-purchase building inspection, you can rest assured knowing that you won’t have to worry about whether or not these pests have set up camp under your roof once you’ve moved in. And if it so happens that they have, then the pre-purchase inspection will help you determine the extent of the damage already done, and whether or not you want to go through with the application knowing that you’ll now be sharing your home with a few hundred thousand pestiferous housemates.
5. Structural damage
This is a big one. If you buy a home that is structurally unsound or has existing damage to its structural integrity, this could potentially spell disaster, with a capital ‘D’.
Firstly, properties are often built with little to no regard for standard building regulations, which is technically illegal, and if this goes unnoticed, you end up buying one of these dodgy builds. It becomes your responsibility to bring it up to code. I don’t think I need to tell you that this is an expense that you’d rather avoid.
Secondly, a property that has serious structural issues can often be irreparable, meaning that no matter how much you might love that gorgeous seaside cottage you’ve always dreamt about, there will be no way of returning it to its former glory.
Thirdly, and far more serious than a broken heart, is that a structurally unsound home can quite simply be at risk of collapsing, meaning that someone is going to end up with far more than a broken heart in this instance.
Pre-Purchase Building Inspections are a MUST DO! But when?
Is it just me, or have pre-purchase building inspections started to look a lot more attractive over the course of this article?
The crazy thing is that this is by no means an exhaustive list of reasons why getting a pre-purchase building inspection is in your best interests. This is more of a snapshot of just some of the most common, important, and disastrous situations that I’ve come across in my extensive career as a building inspector.
So now we’ve clearly established that a pre-purchase building inspection is a MUST DO. But while I have your attention, there’s another important factor to be aware of… timing is important too! And I bet your mate, Dave, has no idea about any of this stuff…
Residential Property Sale Cooling-off Period
In Victoria, the cooling-off period is a short period after signing a residential Contract of Sale during which the buyer can cancel the purchase for any reason, including change of mind. The cooling-off period is 3 clear business days from the date the buyer signs the Contract of Sale.
“Clear business days” means that the day you sign does not count, and weekends and public holidays do not count. For example: If you sign the contract on Monday, the cooling-off period ends at 5pm Thursday.
Let’s say you fall in love with a property, happily have your offer accepted and sign on the dotted line – the very next thing you need to do is call your building inspector – STAT!
Building Masters Inspections will always endeavour to complete your building inspection within the 3-day cooling-off period. This is important because the building inspector could find many defects in the home that will add up to significant repair costs (which we’ll let you know about, too!). However, they may not be able to be defined as a major structural error, or as that which could lead to a major structural error. Only defects that are able to be defined as such are acceptable for withdrawal under the Subject to Building and Pest Inspection clause. So, in such a case, your only option is to withdraw within the 3-day cooling-off period.
Many contracts will stipulate a 0.2% fee for withdrawing using the cooling-off period, another dirty trick of the real estate agent (don’t get me started!). However, this will be significantly less than the potential costs of repairing a multitude of hidden defects in the property.
Be aware – in Victoria, the cooling-off period does not apply if the property was:
- Bought at auction or within 3 clear business days before a scheduled auction
- Used mainly for commercial or industrial purposes
- Purchased by a company (in some cases)
- The buyer waived the cooling-off period in writing
In these cases, the building and pest inspection needs to be done BEFORE you sign a contract.
So it’s a great idea to get in touch with us at the beginning of your property journey – get us on your team from the outset!
You can learn more about pre-inspection reports here: https://buildingmastersinspections.com.au/inspections/pre-purchase-building-inspections/
Buying at Auction
If you are considering buying a property at auction, it is important to be aware that a property purchased under auction conditions is purchased unconditionally.
This means that it cannot be ‘subject to’ conditions such as finance, or the outcome of a building and pest inspection. Therefore, make sure you do your due diligence BEFORE bidding in an auction so there are no nasty surprises!
I hope you’ll trust me when I say in all honesty that making the choice to pay a small upfront fee to have your future dream home thoroughly assessed could in fact be the best one of the best decisions you ever make, no matter how much you trust your builder mate, Dave. Sorry, Dave, it’s not personal.
If you’re on the lookout for a new home, then getting a pre-purchase building inspection is going to be your next best move!
Give Building Masters a call on 1300 033 332 or inquire online for a highly professional, expertly conducted, and very affordable service that has left hundreds of satisfied customers in the best purchasing positions possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What makes Building Masters Inspections different from other inspectors?
Unlike many inspectors in the pre-purchase industry, our team is made up solely of senior, qualified builders with decades of real, on-the-tools experience. We are fully independent, do not work with selling agents, and never provide “soft reports.” Our only responsibility is to give you honest, clear advice that protects your interests.
2. Will my report be easy to understand if I’m not familiar with building terms?
Yes. All BMI reports are written in plain, everyday language with photos and clear explanations. We avoid jargon and template filler, and we talk you through the findings so you know exactly what matters — and what doesn’t.
3. How quickly can you complete an inspection and deliver the report?
We understand buyers are often under tight auction or contract timelines. We can usually inspect within 24–48 hours, and most reports are delivered the same day or the next day. In urgent cases, we also offer same-day verbal feedback after the inspection so the buyer can act immediately if required.
4. Do you provide repair cost estimates?
Yes. Our senior inspectors provide practical repair cost estimates based on real building experience. These figures give you a clear understanding of the property’s true condition, and often become powerful tools in price negotiations.
5. Will the agent see my report?
No. We have a strict privacy policy. Your inspection findings are provided only to you. We do not share information with selling agents or other buyers, ensuring you maintain a genuine advantage and avoid any conflict of interest.