Ultimate Property Inspection Checklist Guides
Ultimate Property Inspection Checklist Guides
Inspection Checklist
Property Inspection
Checklist
Second Inspection
Property Inspection
Checklist
First Inspection
Building Inspection
Checklist
The checklists contained in this book are basic and not all encompassing. They are not designed to be
used as a replacement for a professional building inspection. A qualified building inspector will evaluate
literally thousands of additional components taking into consideration building code compliance, structural
adequacy, health and safety issues and much more to provide you with a sound overview as to the true
condition of the house.
© Action Property Inspections Pty Ltd, 1995-2020
© Action Property Inspections Pty Ltd, 1995-2020
Building Inspector
Checklist
BUILDING INSPECTOR
Property Inspection
Questions to ask the
Checklist
agent, vendor and
Property
When Inspection
Checklist
ask the following
Final or Pre-Inspector
choosing your Building
Settlement Inspection
questions.
First Inspection solicitor Second Inspection Checklist
The quality of building inspections and the accompanying report can vary significantly. Choosing the
incorrect company could ultimately prove to be expensive and dangerous, therefore you need to ensure
you’re making the best decision by going through the Building Inspector Checklist.
Unfortunately, the building inspection industry is far from honest and, some inspection companies are
affiliated with real estate agencies. This means they receive referrals or even commission and are more
likely to overlook deficiencies in your property, to ensure they maintain their relationship with the real
estate agency. Action Property Inspections are NOT affiliated with any real estate agencies and proudly
82% of business is referred from clients.
To safeguard against these types of companies, Action Property Inspections have created a
comprehensive Building Inspector Checklist which includes questions to ask when speaking to home
inspection companies.
Action Property Inspections guarantee’s to complete the most thorough building inspection possible and
YOUR
provide aINSPECTOR… ACTION
comprehensive, professional, and timely report without compromising integrity. ?
Is your inspector a fully licensed Building Inspector and fully licensed Builder?
✓
Request license numbers and check with the Building Services Authority
www.bsa.qld.gov.au or 3225 2855. On site request to see the inspectors License and
check the expiry date. The License must state “Completed Residential Inspection”, if
inspecting residential properties. Ensure the inspector on site actually works for the
company and is not just a temporary sub contractor.
Does the inspector carry full Professional Indemnity Insurance? It is very
important to sight their “Certificate of Currency” for Professional Indemnity Insurance.
Check the dates. Unfortunately, only 50% of the industry is currently insured as it is ✓
not a compulsory requirement. The insurance must be in the name of the inspector
and business/company name.
✓
Does the inspector use the latest fault detection equipment eg thermal image
scanning and moisture meters etc and up to date report writing technology?
✓
Is your inspector a member of the Queensland Master Builders Association and
the Institute of Building Consultants?
✓
Does your inspector specialise in carrying out pre-purchase and litigation
building inspections on a full-time basis?
Are you entering into a Building Inspection Agreement with the company
✓
carrying out the inspection prior to the inspection being carried out? To comply
with "Australian Standard AS 4349.1 - 2007 Inspection of Buildings Part 1: Pre-
purchase inspections - Residential buildings" a Building Inspection Agreement
between the client and inspector must be entered into prior to the inspection taking
place. Anyone not offering you this is in breach of the current Australian Standard and
therefore most likely jeopardising their insurance, if they have it.
Will the inspector physically get on the roof of both single and two storey
dwellings and actually crawl through the entire roof? Most inspection companies
limit their roof access to a maximum height of 3.6m (single story). Action Property ✓
Inspections will access a second story roof, provided it is safe to do so and we can
gain access from our standard ladders.
✓
Will the inspector access all under floor areas and not just around the
foundation entry door?
✓
Are you encouraged to be on site for the inspection?
Is the report a Full Defect Report? A “structural only inspection” does not comply
with the Australian Standards and unlike their name suggests, do not guarantee the
structural integrity of the building inspected. There may be many items costing tens of ✓
thousands of dollars to repair that are not necessarily classed as structural. A
“structural only inspection” will not disclose these. Only a Full Defect report truly
complies with the Australian Standards.
✓
Will I receive a detailed 40+ page building report unique to the home being
purchased?
✓
Will the report advise not only what the fault is but what I need to do to rectify
the fault and provide me with a time frame in which the fault needs to be
repaired so I can plan future maintenance?
✓
Will the report include digital photographs of the actual faults in question?
Many reports come with indicative photos which do not even relate to the property you
are purchasing. Ensure that the photos in your report are of the house you are
purchasing.
✓
Does the report include a glossary of building terms used?
✓
Is the report written in layman's terms so that it can be easily understood by
someone with no building experience?
Will the report and photographs be guaranteed to be delivered via email the same
evening the inspection is carried out? Beware of reports available at the time of the
inspection. A legitimate inspection and report cannot be completed within the time ✓
frame. It would suggest that either a “tick and flick “or premanufactured report is being
used. A further 1½ hours is spent in the office preparing the report.
✓
Does the inspector spend at least 1½ to 2 hours on site to complete the building
inspection alone? The pest inspection would require a similar time frame.
✓
Is there ongoing phone support after the inspection is completed?
✓
Is my inspector available after hours to assist with any further questions I may
have?
✓
Can your Building Inspection company liaise with independent pest inspectors
who utilise thermal image cameras, termatrac detection equipment, along with
the traditional method of tapping all the skirtings and architraves?
✓
Can the pest inspection be carried out by a completely independent company at
the same time as the building inspection?
✓
Is the company totally independent from all real estate agencies? That is no
referrals are given or commissions paid, no affiliations whatsoever?
✓
Does your inspection company have a proven track record and has the company
been operating since 1995?
✓
Has the company consistently achieved awards being recognised for excellence
in customer service, business ethics & professionalism?
✓
Does your inspection company adhere to a strict Code of Ethics?
Is payment for the inspection NOT required before the inspection has even been
completed?
✓
✓
Is my inspector honest, down-to-earth, approachable and happy to listen to my
concerns?
✓
Is this a company that prides themselves on professionalism and second to none
customer service?
When you first inspect an individual house, it is predominantly to get a feel for the house and to
establish whether it fulfils your basic requirements. In this initial inspection you should however
consider a few fundamental logistics.
Property Address………………………………………………………………
Public Transport Recreation
Buses Library
Trains Parks
Sports Club
Schools Gym
Child Care Pool
Primary
Secondary Food & Entertainment
TAFE Cafes
University Restaurants
Cinemas
Medical Shopping Centres
Dentist Service Stations
Doctor
Hospital Traffic & Area Noise
Medical Centre Low
Medium
Neighbouring Properties High
Overgrown
Well maintained
KITCHEN NOTES
✓
Oven
▪ Gas
▪ Electric
Cook Top
▪ Gas
▪ Electric
Dishwasher
Rangehood
BEDROOMS 1 2 3 4 5 NOTES
Built in wardrobes
Air Conditioned
Ceiling Fans
Ensuite
Floors
▪ Carpets
▪ Floorboards
▪ Tiles
▪ Vinyl
▪ Other
Flyscreens
Security Screens
TV Connection
Are there any easements on the property that may affect future
alterations to the property e.g. adding an extension to the house
Easements or the construction of a shed or swimming pool?
Are there any flood level maps for your area that may provide
insight into the vulnerability of your allotment succumbing to
Flood Maps flood conditions?
Below is a brief list of some basic fundamental items that you could check to help ascertain whether there
are any obvious flaws within the property before signing a contract.
Warning: This checklist is only very basic. A qualified building inspector will evaluate literally thousands
of additional components taking into consideration building code compliance, structural adequacy, health
and safety issues and much more to provide you with a sound overview as to the true condition of the
house.
Remember, every house will have some faults. The question is, how severe are the faults and how many
faults does the house have? Lastly, given the nature of the faults and the subsequent cost of the
rectifications, are you paying the correct price for the property?
It is unlikely that you will have time to evaluate all the issues listed below during your second inspection
however where possible checking these key components could determine whether this particular house is
worthy of signing a contract. Should you proceed to signing the contract, don’t forget to ensure that your
contract stipulates that you can have a building and pest inspection. We would recommend that the
building and pest inspection clause be 14 days to enable adequate evaluation of the inspection results.
✘ ✓
Paths and Driveway
Check for excessive cracking or movement to the driveway and surrounding
paths. Excessive cracking or movement may indicate a reactive allotment prone
to ground swell during rain and drought periods.
Fences
Check for decay, corrosion or excessive movement to the perimeter fences.
Deteriorating fences can be costly to rectify and can involve hostile negotiations
with some neighbours.
Surface Drainage
Does water flow down towards the house during rain periods? The surrounding
allotment and paths should disperse water flow away from the house
foundations. Investigate to establish whether any visible drains were noted
around the house to capture water and take away from the house foundations.
Retaining Walls
Check retaining walls for signs of obvious cracking or outward movement.
Allotment boundary retaining walls can be particularly difficult and costly to
rectify.
Surrounding Trees
Are there any large trees close to the house? Tree roots can impact on the
stability of the house can cause drainage blockages.
✘ ✓
External Brick Wall Cracks
Check for obvious signs of cracking to external brick walls particularly radiating
above or below window and door openings. Also check for gaps between the
window frames and surrounding brickwork.
Rising Damp
Check to see whether the lower bricks are crumbling or have an excessively
white powdery finish due to rising damp.
Weep Holes
Check whether there are visible weep holes (drainage/ventilation slots every 3rd
or 4th brick.) to the external brick walls.
Bowing Walls
Check for obvious signs of wall frame bowing, sagging or distortion. This may
be particularly noticeable on long straight sections of wall or around window
and door openings.
Decay Damage
Check for obvious signs of decay damage or crude patching.
Paint Finish
Is the external paint blistering and deteriorating. It should be noted that older
houses may have a lead based paint that is potentially hazardous when sanding
back prior to repainting.
✘ ✓
Fascia and Eaves
Check for obvious signs of decay particularly to the internal and external
corners of the timber fascias or water staining to the soffit linings. Signs of
deterioration in these areas usually indicates water penetration issues due to
either cracked or leaking roof tiles, damaged flashing or inadequate or damaged
guttering.
Stairs
Stair construction is fairly complex and involves many building code
requirements and should only be evaluated by an experienced building
inspector. Some obvious faults should however be checked where possible eg.
is there any sign of decay to the handrail or stair structure? Do the stair treads
feel secure and are the stairs easy to walk up and down.
Does the Verandah/patio structure move when you push against the
roof or deck support posts?
Does be deck structure feel bouncy when you walk across it or jump
on the deck?
Are there obvious signs of decay to the hand rails, decking, beams
and posts etc?
Steel Stumps
Is there evidence of rust to the bottom of steel support posts?
Concrete Stumps
Check for obvious signs of cracking (spalling damage) to the stumps as these
stumps will require replacement depending on the level of cracking.
Decay
Check for signs of obvious water staining to the underside of bathroom and
toilet floor areas as this may indicate leaking plumbing or a deteriorated
waterproof membrane within the shower area.
Roof Exterior ✘ ✓
We would not recommend obtaining access to the roof exterior for obvious safety reasons
and because you could potentially cause damage to the roof if you are unfamiliar with
how to walk across a roof depending on its type of roof covering. Some obvious faults you
may however be able to detect from ground level are:
Roof Sag
Where possible stand back and look at the roof for obvious signs of sagging or
distortion. This may indicate a partial failure of the internal roof structure.
Rusty Gutters
Look for obvious holes or evidence of water leaks from the surrounding gutters.
Antenna
See whether you can see an external TV antenna.
Roof Interior
We would not recommend obtaining access to the roof interior for obvious safety reasons
and because you could potentially cause damage to the roof if you are unfamiliar with
how to walk through a roof. Some obvious issues you may however be able to detect
should you be able to peer through the manhole opening are:
Sarking
Can you see silver foil (sometimes also blue or brown) across the top of the
roof? This foil (sarking) is extremely beneficial on tiled roofs as it acts as an
additional waterproof barrier during heavy rain conditions. Not to be confused
with a thermal blanket which also incorporates a form of insulation backing.
House Interior ✘ ✓
Internal Linings Cracks and Movement
Check for obvious cracks to ceiling and wall linings as excessive cracking may
indicate movement to the house structure. Also check for obvious signs of wall
openings running out of vertical (plumb) as this may also indicate excessive wall
movement eg. around window and doorway openings.
✘ ✓
Hinged Doors
Open and close the internal and external doors to establish whether they bind
on the door frames. Also check to see whether the gaps particularly around the
top of the door are even or run out of parallel. Crude alterations or realignment
of door latch mechanisms in conjunction with uneven gaps around the door
could indicate excessive wall frame movement.
Sliding Doors
Investigate to establish whether sliding doors glide evenly along their tracks
and close correctly. When the door is fully closed there should be no gaps
between the door and the door frame. Large gaps could simply mean
adjustment of the glide wheels within the bottom of the door is required
however could also indicate wall frame movement.
Window Decay
Look for obvious signs of decay around the internal timber window reveals as
this could indicate water leaks.
Note: As a general rule many spiral staircases do not comply with the building code and should be replaced.
1 2 3 4 5
Bath Tub
Is there a bath tub and is it rusting?
Loose Tiles
Tapping on the surrounding wall and floor tiles could highlight 1 2 3 4 5
tiles that are becoming drummy eg. starting to dislodge. Also
check for excessive tile cracking as this could indicate some
degree of movement of the house.
Silicone Seal 1 2 3 4 5
The splash back tiles above the bath and vanity cupboard
should be sealed with silicone where they sit down on the
bath or benchtop.
✘ ✓
Toilet Leaks
Flush the toilet and watch for signs of water leaks behind the 1 2 3 4
toilet pan. Before flushing the toilet, lift the toilet lid to see
whether the toilet cistern is constantly leaking water into the
toilet pan.
Kitchen
Moisture Damage
Look for obvious signs of moisture swelling to the benchtop particularly around
the sink or swelling to the cupboard doors. Also look inside under sink
cupboard for obvious signs of plumbing leakage, water staining and decay.
Exhaust Fan
Is there an exhaust fan above the stove and does it appear to be ducted
externally eg. stand outside to see whether there is an exhaust vent pipe
projecting through the roof tiles above the kitchen or through the external wall.
Floor Drain
Is there a floor waste drain in the middle of the laundry floor? Although not
always a requirement in the building code, it is certainly beneficial to have a
floor drain should a washing machine hose burst.
Services
Electrical
Galvanised Pipes
If you can see the water supply pipes, are they copper or PVC or are they the
old galvanised water pipes? Old galvanised pipes may have a limited life span
and the water supply could be tainted due to internal corrosion.
Drainage
When the toilets are flushed, sink taps turned on or the shower put into
operation, does the water flow drain away quickly or is there signs of a
blockage?
Gas
So you’ve completed the checklist and you feel confident in signing a contract. Remember
this is only a very basic checklist. Don’t forget to book a Full Defect Building Inspection for
your protection as soon as possible.
Also, don’t forget to take out an insurance policy on the house from the moment you sign
the contract. Once the contract is signed you are responsible for the house and liable
should disaster strike eg. fire damage etc.
Many buyers seem unaware that they are entitled to a final or pre-settlement inspection.
Your estate agent may have forgotten to mention this to you.
A pre-settlement inspection is a must as you can ensure that no fixtures or fittings have been removed
such as light fittings, window and floor coverings etc. You also want to make sure that the previous
owner has not left behind any rubbish or unwanted furniture that you could be left with to remove and
to ensure that nothing has been broken from when you signed the contract and the settlement date.
Final or Pre-settlement inspections are usually carried out a few days prior to the settlement date to allow
time for problems to be solved. If the house is not found in the condition it was when you signed the
contract or if fixtures or fittings were removed from the house, you would need to engage your solicitor
to have this solved prior to settlement.
Light Fixtures
Water Taps
Ceiling Fans
Stove/Cooktop/Oven
Dishwasher
Air conditioner (remote if applicable)
Pool Pump
Garage door (remote if applicable)
TV Antenna
Smoke Detectors
Window & Door Locks
Window Coverings (Blinds, curtains etc)
Floor Coverings
Rubbish bins (Present and in good condition)
No unwanted items left by previous owners
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