Not all people doing your pre-purchase building inspections in Melbourne are qualified or insured.
When you are buying a very expensive home and need it checked out thoroughly, you’d hope the person is qualified and insured to do the job.
Unfortunately, people out there doing these inspections are not all suitably qualified or insured and you must obtain proof.
In Melbourne, there are 80 plus building inspection companies and you would not know who is and who is not qualified or insured. Many claim they are accredited, but have only completed a 2-day course. However, this is not recognised by the Building Act 1993 or the NCC.
Peter Alexander is the Director and lead inspector at Safehome Building Inspections in Melbourne and has been operating since 2004. He has completed a Diploma in Building Surveying. Peter also has Certificate in Inspect and Report on Timber Pests and Certificate 3 in Asset maintenance (Pest management Technical). Hence, he is recognised as one of the few qualified and insured building inspectors in Melbourne.
Doug has been working with Peter for 6 years and is a qualified bricklayer and timber pest inspector.
“In Victoria, unfortunately anyone can do pre-purchase house inspections without being qualified at anything, I know it sounds unbelievable but it’s true. They don’t even have to be insured,” according to Peter.
When I started in 2004 there were about 20 businesses, most were registered builders and a few qualified inspectors. Most had insurance. Then obviously word gets out that you don’t need any qualifications and there’s a buck to be made and everyone jumps on board.
“I’ve seen them come and go, normally they get sued and leave. Now there’s about 80 businesses in Melbourne and only three that I know of are actually qualified. I know some that are not even insured. The flow on effect from that is that some blokes don’t know what they’re doing and they give all of us doing the right thing a bad name”
“People looking for an inspector MUST ask for qualifications and insurance and then make their decision to engage them or not. The inspector should at a minimum have a lengthy experience in the construction industry,
