Hello OZBargainsers,
I am building a new home and moving soon next month. Builder said once it is completed then we have a walk through together. Have you got any suggestions what things needs to consider in particular during the walk through?
We are not going for private inspection. So far my experience with builder has been good.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks
Did you design the house layout yourself or did you buy one of the specced plans? If you design the house layout yourself, you may want to check that the location of doors are practical, not so much to check the builders work, but how practical your design is. It is probably easier to change it now than after you moved in.
specced plan. im not fuss about design, it is investment property. as long there are no cracks, and they make 3 rooms as the original plan, then im fine. ah thanks to remind me to bring the floor plan next week when doing the inspection. doh.
You will need to check the house against the agreed upon build within the contract, there are too many things to list TBH, might be worth getting a professional inspection which is what I had done with following things found:
That is just off the top of my head, there were a couple more here and there, all fixed by the builder (Mirvac) after the report presented to the foreman.
What the building inspector won't look out for is stuff like finishing which you will need to look for and get rectified if you are so inclined.
Look for things like
1. Any additional GPOs lining up and being level
2. Feature walls are painted properly at the corners and edges
3. Any external metal fixtures damaged by the final "acid" wash (look for rusted nails/screws)
4. Ceiling plasterboards have been installed correctly (turn on lights and observe from an angle, if you can see where the boards were joined the painting was likely only 2 coats, you will need another 2-3 coats to cover this)
5. Creaks in floorboards for double story houses
6. Silicon applied appropriately around sinks all around the house, including the bathrooms
7. No excess silicon around wastes in the sinks - this will get mouldy in time and you will need to remove it yourself using a pen knife.
8. All areas that require painting are painted - think where fixtures may have been installed before painting such as kitchen and bathroom.
9. Check all toilets can flush and if you have a rainwater tank and pump, make sure that the pump is working correctly.
10. Bring something to test all plugs - hairdryer works well for this.
11. Check that on/off switches are correct especially for lights controlled by more than one light switch or multiple light switches on one plate - look for lights that are still on when both switches are off and where the switches are not aligned with the location of the light i.e switch on left turns on light on the right and vice versa.
12. Check that cupboards doors and drawers are aligned and level.
Again not an exhaustive list, just what pops into mind from my experience…good luck!
thanks i will just print this page :D
No problem…hope it helps!
I think it is worth paying for an inspection - I don't but my husband is super fussy and nothing gets past him . This is a sample checklist http://handovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/checklist.pd….
We have handover next week. I've got keys to the place so drop by and have a good look every opportunity I get.
Everything should be brand new and unmarked, just as if you'd bought it in a store. Sinks, bathtubs, showers, taps should all be blemish free. No cracks in tiles, all grouting and sealing complete…particular attention around the shower area (and I made sure the tanking/waterproofing was put on correctly before the tiles covered it up. Make sure every power socket has been installed as per plan. Make sure every light works, no flickering, not dim. Make sure all drawers, doors and windows open and close smoothly. Toilets flush, taps run (I turned on my hot water yesterday and it ran for about 20 seconds and then stopped running…the poly pipes can hold a lot of pressure, so if there are any blockages, the taps can still run for quite some time). Carpet should be perfect, floorboards should be perfect. All gaps should be sealed/caulked. Roof/guttering should be unscratched and undented. Paintwork should show no imperfections visible at 1.5m straight-on…apparently if reflected light at an angle shows up a fault…they don't have to fix it. There shouldn't be any cracks day 1…but over time cracks may appear…the cracks have to get beyond a certain size before the builder is obliged to do anything about it (probably when you can park a Mack truck in it).
Check if birds aren't nesting under the solar panel.
Check for even slightest squeaks in the double storey floors.
Check if solar panels actually work and generate during noon by checking the metering panel.
thanks to everyone
impoor @ Thanks for wise advice now we also want to appoint the building inspector . can you please give us yours one name and contact detail.
thanks
wow i will do the same one next week~ so you think its not necessary to pay the private inspections? they called it pre settlement inspection, correct?