Safehome Building Inspections Melbourne conduct thorough, methodical and  professional building and Pest Inspections Melbourne wide and supply detailed building and pest inspection reports to home buyers. 

Safehome Building Inspection Results for March and April, 2013 saw some great house inspection results for our clients. Clients were able to negotiate lower prices for the homes as a direct result of their house inspection reports. Below is some of the results of Safehome’s house inspections. These summaries should give potential home buyers some things to ponder while out looking at their potential dream home.

1.  Building and Pest Inspection in Brighton in late March, 2013.  The building inspector located a live termite infestation emanating from floor bearers in contact with the soil. Timber floor framing in contact with the ground surface provides an attractive food source for termites and soil should be lowered and a termite chemical barrier installed.

2.  House Inspection in Hampton East.  The building inspector rated this home in below average condition due to major footing settlement.  As you will observe from the photograph below there was significant unevenness in a perimeter double brick wall.  Take note of the window blind cord in comparison to the wall.   Another obvious indication of a significant problem was the difference in distance between the fire place which was plumb or vertical straight and the wall which was significantly out of plumb – see building inspection photograph below.

3.  Building and Pest Inspection in Prahran. This building inspection resulted in Safehome’s Client negotiating $15,000 from the original asking price.  The building inspector found illegal plumbing works where storm water had been connected to an unused sewer pipe instead of storm water and significant floor bearer damage due to an old shower base leak.

4.  Building Inspection in Richmond.   The building inspection at this dwelling showed some age related defects requiring rectification.  The electricity mains connection to the home had partially detached and it was a matter of time before it fully detached from the wall.

5.  Building Inspection in Bentleigh.   This one was different and I couldn’t work out what to ask the vendor who was present during the building inspection.  If anyone has any ideas please advise us – refer to the photograph below – please keep in mind that whilst doing the building inspection this computer was switched on and an old car tire was set up as seating.

Safehome Building Inspections hope this has given you some insight into what to look out for and also the importance of having an experienced and qualified building inspector assess your potential home before you buy.

Safehome Building Inspections in Melbourne conduct thorough, methodical and  professional building and Pest Inspections Melbourne wide and supply detailed building and pest inspection reports to home buyers. 

The second week in April, 2013 indicated some interesting building inspection findings in a number of homes for the Safehome Inspectors.  The majority of the house inspections we carried out were quite rewarding for our clients with nineteen Safehome Building Inspections clients securing the homes we checked for them, three of which received reductions in the price due to some defective areas and six opting to not proceed.  Below is just a small summary of some of the results we found last week.

1.   Building and Pest Inspection in Richmond, Melbourne.  

This home was rated below average by the Safehome Building Inspector due to a bearer having major termite damage to the bearer.  The bearer, being a load bearing timber member was classified as a major structural defect – our client who planned to carry out major renovations any way decided to proceed with the purchase.

 2.  Building and Pest Inspection in Parkdale, Melbourne.  

This home was rated below average by the Safehome Building Inspector due to being poorly maintained over time.  The home required re-stumping works and upon inspection of the roof cavity it was observed that the roof frame purlin had snapped.  This was a major structural defect and due to the potential costs involved in maintenance and repairs,  the client decided not to proceed.

3.  Building Inspection in Chelsea, Melbourne.

Safehome Building Inspection carried out a Building Inspection on a three bedroom home in Chelsea and overall the home was in good order with no structural defects or Termites visible.  The building inspector checked the sub floor area and noted a leaking shower area into the flooring and some loose hanging wiring which was tested to be live.

Overall Safehome Building Inspections Melbourne assisted nineteen home buyers with Building and pest inspections and placed each client in a well informed position prior to purchasing their dream home.

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us and we can assist you with all your building inspections Melbourne wide.

Safehome Building Inspections Melbourne carry out thorough, methodical and  professional building and Pest Inspections Melbourne wide and supply detailed building and pest inspection reports to home buyers. 

In Melbourne there is an Australian Standard for both a Building inspection and a Timber Pest Inspection.  AS 4349.3 – 2010 – Inspection of Buildings Part 3 Timber Pest Inspections refers.

In the past I have touched on the Australian Standard for pre-purchase building inspections – see blog articles – but now I want to elaborate on the Australian Standards for the Timber Pest Inspection or commonly known as a Termite inspection.

I won’t go into all the details of the standards for timber pest inspections is quite lengthy.

Basically, the purpose of a timber pest inspection Melbourne wide is is to assess for evidence of timber pests – (termites, borer and timber fungal decay), ant timber pest damage (termites, borer of timber fungal decay), the susceptibility of the house to an infestation by timber pests, the remedial and protective measures that are required and what further investigation is required.

During the building and pest inspection there will be areas that are excluded from reporting – this is house furniture, furnishings, stored items and concealed timbers.

Areas susceptible to a termite infestation include the areas that can’t be inspected during the building and pest inspection, the presence or non presence of a termite barrier, sub floor ventilation and drainage, the influence of pavement and garden beds, areas of damp that will be conducive to a termite infestation including leaks, storm water not being connected, timber stored under the home or against walls, framing timber in contact with the ground, timber sleepers etc.

Visual Timber Pest Inspection – This means that during our building and pest inspection we report on what we can see – we are not able to dig or remove wall linings and the like to locate termites.  This is where the non invasive building inspection tools come into play – borer scopes, thermal imaging cameras and moisture meters.

In summary the timber pest inspection is an inspection for live termites, previous termite damage, borer and borer damage, timber fungal decay and conducive areas for a termite infestation that need rectification and then we need to make certain recommendations on what you need to do to the house in the future to prevent any timber pests.

The External Building and Pest Inspection - The building and pest inspection needs to be very, very thorough as termites are very hard to find. It is not just the house that is inspected – the yard is also inspected, looking at trees, tree stumps, fences, sleepers, carports, garages, pergolas, decking etc.

The internal Building and Pest Inspection – Internally we need to carry out through timber tapping of timber testing where all timber members are tapped for hollowness.  The walls in the wet areas are tested for moisture content using a moisture meter during the building and pest inspection.   We utilize a thermal imaging camera that can pick up larger termite nests or sub nests in wall and ceiling cavities.

Live termite in flooring

Safehome Building and Pest Inspections Melbourne hope this has assisted you in understanding our requirements when carrying out building and pest inspections and if you have any queries, please feel free to contact us.

Safehome Building Inspections Melbourne carry out thorough professional building and Pest Inspections Melbourne wide and supply detailed building and pest inspection reports to home buyers. Call 0409 49 59 49.

In the 1st week of April 2013 Safehome building inspections Melbourne carried out a total of 17 building and pest inspections and here is a summary of the results – Three homes had old termite damage and two had live termites.  The building inspection of the sub floor area during the house inspection revealed both homes having the live termites were entering via the bathroom and that both had slight shower base leaks. Thus, it is important to have a building inspection carried out at least twice a year to check for leaks.  Remember termites love an area where they have a source of moisture.

Other issues detected during this week’s building and pest inspections were a home with a poorly constructed rear deck.  The building inspection revealed major unevenness in the deck due to inadequate and decayed footings.  Repairs will be required to make the structure safe.   See how the deck is not level in the photo below.

The building inspection of the sub floor at another home inspection in Parkdale, Melbourne revealed excessive water in the sub floor.  The building inspector ascertained that this was emanating from a down pipe being poorly connected to the storm water.

A building inspection carried out in Mentone revealed that a number of stumps had been poorly footed, some were not even supporting the floor frame.

The importance of having a professional building and pest inspection carried out before you buy a home is obvious.  A thorough building inspection could save you thousands of dollars and also place a home buyer in a good position to negotiate the price before committing.

If you have any queries, please contact Safehome Building Inspections Melbourne for all your building inspection, house inspection and pest inspection needs.

Safehome Building Inspections Melbourne – March 2013 Findings.

Thus far, Safehome has carried out 65 building and pest inspections Melbourne wide, providing clients with detailed building inspection reports and assisted these clients in making an informed decision before purchasing a house.  Of these house inspections a total of 53 homes were found to have major defects including structural defects.  A total of 8 of the house inspections carried out had termite damage or activity.  This statistic reveals the importance of carry out a building and pest inspection prior to purchasing a property.  Below is a list of some of the items we discovered during March 2013 building inspections Melbourne wide.

1.  3 bedroom building inspection – Sandringham.

This home was rated below average after building and pest inspection was carried out.  Large slab subsidence was revealed, combined with 25 mm wide internal and external wall cracking.  The slab footing was visibly cracked when soil was removed from the slab edge and our client was advised to contact a structural engineer to assess.  No signs of excess damp or leaks to the area to confirm moisture issue.

2. 3 Bedroom Building Inspection – Chelsea.

A building and pest inspection was carried out on this home and revealed timber stump decay, combined with the existence of internal wall cracks over the door openings and floor unevenness.  Safe home Building inspections Melbourne advised the client that the home required re-stumping at an approximate cost of $10,000.  The client purchased after negotiating on the re-stumping costs.

3.  4 Bedroom Building inspection – Mentone.

A building and pest inspection was carried out at this home and live termites were found whilst inspecting the sub floor.  The subterranean termites had entered the home by travelling up the stump footing and into the bathroom window frame.  The building inspector noted that the hot water overflow was in close proximity and had a continual drip, a factor conducive to termite infestation.  The Safe home Building Inspections client walked from purchasing this dwelling as it was not possible for the building inspector to ascertain the amount of damage these termites had done within the wall cavity.

4. 3 Bedroom Building Inspection – Black Rock.

This house inspection revealed a number of defects that, overall were related to a lack of maintenance.  The building inspector noted rot to weather boards due to rusted guttering and lack of upkeep, roof rust and down pipes not connected to storm water.  Although drainage was very good in the area, the down pipes should be connected to prevent conducive areas for a termite inspection.

5.  2 Bedroom Building Inspection in Parkdale.

This building and pest inspection revealed a past termite infestation.  The building inspector noted that a number of timber floor joists and one timber bearer had been replaced.  One perimeter bearer had not been replaced and had significant termite damage which, as a load bearing member, should have been replaced.  Safehome Building Inspection client negotiated with the vendor and purchased the property.

There is a lesson to be learnt from every building inspection and the house inspection results are a good indicator of the importance of having a building and pest inspection carried out before you buy a home.  If you have any queries, please feel free to contact Safehome Building Inspections Melbourne and we can assist.