Imagine if you purchased new house, move in then find you are spending more money and time on repairs than you had budgeted for. If you first hire a building and pest inspector in Melbourne before the purchase you may have been better prepared or purchased a better property elsewhere.

Here a couple quick points to check the next house you inspect for purchase.

1. Check, do the doors open and shut without obstruction of the door frame? The edges of the door panel should fit with an even distance of clearance within the frame.
2. Do the windows open and close smoothly? Check for cracked panels of glass and damp damage to the sills.
3. Make sure the walls around wet areas have no damp issues. There should be no mould stains and irregular coats of fresh paint can be a sign of a cover up.
4. Ensure that the ceiling has no odd areas of patch work repair. If it is consistent then it could be more reliable.
5. In the kitchen, look at sink and junction of the splash back. There should be no damp stains at all.
6. Make sure that plumbing fittings are secure and correctly fitted. In the bathroom, turn tap on and off, check hot water, edge of shower basis, bath tubs, leakage issues, tiles and exhaust fan.
7. In toilets firstly check toilet seat, waste pipe, silicon sealant. Moreover, flush the toilet and view the area behind the seat and look for leaks. See, if water continues to run even after cistern has been filled. Faulty cistern valves are a huge waste of our water.
8. Electrical appliances and services require electrical experts to assess. But make sure you check the fuse box for a visual observation of the existence of a “Earth leakage safety switch”.
9. View the roof from a distance and look for irregularities such as dips in the ridge line.
10. If the roof is of iron sheet are there any rust stains, if it is tiled is the surface non porous or does it appear to need a new surface coat.
This checklist can’t replace a professional building inspection but hopefully it can give you a better feel for what to look for when you buying a home in Sydney.

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