Hello everyone, I am looking for recommendations for a reliable inspector for my new unit in North West Sydney.
A couple companies I contacted said their services do NOT include electrical and plumbing checks - and Iām not sure if this is normal.
Any help or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance. š
this is the only answer, let's goooooooooo
š Thanks.
A couple companies I contacted said their services do NOT include electrical and plumbing checks - and Iām not sure if this is normal
As 99% of pipes and wiring is hidden, I would say yes it's normal.
An electrician can do a an earth leakage test, but It would have been done by the contracted electrician.
That makes sense, thanks.
I don't know if this falls under plumbing per se but our inspector in WA found that a pressure relieve valve ons the gas hot water system wasn't working correctly and the seller ended up replacing the entire HWS at $2k before settlement.
Thanks for that anecdote - that sort of thing is my worry even with a new build.
For a new build there is also a maintenance period of 3 months where you report any defects and they will come back and sort them + builders warranty.
Plumbing was not checked because I am not a plumber, electrical was not checked because I am not an electrician, outside walls were not checked because garden was in the way, roof was not checked because access hatch was not accessible, house was not checked for termites or other pests because I am not a pest controller, house may contain asbestos but it also may not as I am not certified to assess hazardous materials, there was some discolouration around around one of the eves which may be moisture damage or it may not and it may mean that the house is about to fall down or it may not, a door was sticking when I tried to open it, 10 page long legal disclaimer.
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roof was not checked because access hatch was not accessible
Too fat and lazy to go through most likely.
Yes. This
These checks are good for some peace of mind, but not much else.
We found some issues in our last place that the inspector should have picked up (obvious visual problems which could have indicated some major moisture problems), but when we questioned him about them, he essentially used his legal disclaimer to absolve himself of any responsibility. Eventually we found that he wasn't even a registered HIA approved inspector but was using it fraudulently on his website. Yadda yadda yadda in the end, it really came to nothing at all, but it was concerning to think that the guy clearly wasn't really trying very hard and the inspection wasn't worth the paper it was printed on.
These guys do a basic visual check, test your water pressure, check your stove, and honestly not much else
The inspection should highlight major/effectively immediate visible defects, but that will be about it.
You need to factor in 1-2% of your purchase price for things that could fail in the first year or so of your ownership. For example … I bought a place a couple of years ago, inspection report was "all normal" and in the first year the hot water service started spewing out water with no warning. Can't remember the exact thing that failed, but anyway that was a $2k sting out of nowhere.
Any number of things may simply reach end of life within a short space of you becoming the owner (previous owner may have "sticky taped" it together). You have to be aware of this reality.
I'd do it myself. Doors, windows, hot and cold taps, air con, oven power, ventilation fans, and dishwasher if you feel the need. If the place is a brand new unit then every thing should be under warranty and if it's not brand new the not much you can do.
every thing should be under warranty
hmmm.. not sure I'd want to rely on that ;)
If your alluding to the fact that the owners corp will more the likely enter into a legal battle with the builder during the warranty period, then the op had already committed to this if his doing a pre inspection.
Whilst on my rant, the state governments really need to back and support owners of apartments better if the government keeps pushing high density living as the solution to lack of housing.
sorry, no, I just watch a lot of Site Inspections videos and know how useless a builder warranty can be and how hard it can be to get them to fix things.
https://youtube.com/@siteinspections