BUILDING INSPECTIONS ACT, CANBERRA & NSW

Selling or Buying your Home? You Need an Inspection.

0418 388 911

Often Building Inspectors are not Registered Builders, but We are.

At My Canberra Building Inspections ACT our work is in ACT, Canberra and nearby NSW. That includes termites and timber pest inspections.

We can also inspect your shop, home unit, partial build, offices, medical centres, and anything you think you can use us for. We have even provided expert witness testimony.

In ACT any house put on the market must have its package of building inspections. This applies to townhouses as well. The four inspections in the package for ACT are listed below. Other states do not have this, but ACT does. It is the vendor who must supply these. Our price for this package in $977 plus GST. See our pricing page for more information.

So, for home units, most apartments and flats, the purchaser arranges all these as they need them. The vendor however must still get the below energy rating done in ACT.

Here are the five:

1. ACT Building Inspections

The inspection is mostly about the workability of the of the house in relation to its age. A forty year old house is viewed differently to that of a two year old house. The structural integrity is looked at, as does the workability of the electrical; and plumbing items.

Piers under a house.

On the right is a correct pier. On the left is a pier that is dangerous and was only one of several hastily put together.

We turn on and off power points and stoves and ovens and hotplates. We do not test dishwashers, farm pumps or solar panels. We check that lights turn on and off. Do the smoke detectors work? For the seller it assists his sale price when the buyer knows the house works. Most people are proud of their homes. And if they need help on how to fix some of these items, we can give free advice. We can also give free professional handyman referrals. SEE THIS PAGE

Our price for just the home inspection alone is $497 plus GST.

2. The Termite and Timber Pest Inspection

Here we cover all timber pests, meaning fungi, borer, termites and so on. With the cold the wood sometimes rots as it freezes and expands. We need to also look out for termites and that they stay out of our home and do not breed next to us. Fortunately the cold can keep the termite problems down.

Borers in trees also have to be reported.

The inspection will also mention materials found conducive to termites living there or being food for termites. Damp areas in the house are looked at.

Timber Pest inspections should also include not just current termites and other timber pests. The reports should also include previous damage found, and what is seen as conducive material that would encourage future attack. Such conducive material should include stacks of untreated timber, areas that are damp under a house, as termites like damp areas. Plus one should report on any materials found in construction that are untreated.

Fungal decay causes backyard fences to fall apart. This is not uncommon, but must go in the report.

It should be noted that as vigilant and as professional as one can be, termites have survived through hiding. An unobtrusive inspection has its limits. Furniture can hide pests. The inspector does not have a duty to move furniture, timber, bricks or anything else. He may however note what he could not see and why, and then recommend an intrusive test. But in saying this the inspector we have is good, and will spot well what is there to be observed. For more information: SEE THIS PAGE

Our price for the Building and Timber Pest Package is $647 plus GST, and this applies to nearby NSW as well as ACT.

3. The ACT Energy Efficiency Rating

This is a report from a computer-program, of which there are different versions in Australia. Contact us and we will give you our best advice. The law on this changed in 2019. It is part of the overall mandatory building inspection package for ACT. Those who do the ratings are Building Assessors.

Newer homes have been built with more energy efficient materials and designs. The report has a section that shows how an owner can also increase the energy efficiency of their home. All this is so a buyer can evaluate one home to another and know what he or she are buying in relation to energy efficiency. The report has stars and a three star property is not as energy efficient as a four or five star property. There is no room for the building assessor to evaluate the report. It is simply what it is. For more information: SEE THIS PAGE

Much of this blown-in insulation has blown out over the years. It might state 75 mm on the plans, but there is 25 mm or less now.

4. The ACT Compliance Report

This inspection is to look at what was approved by the ACT Planning Authority, and compare it to what is there on the block of land. Were all building additions approved? Were all the changes approved? And the sheds and pergolas, were they are approved or were they exempt from approval. It is all evaluated and put into the report. The report is precise, and what is looked for is no unapproved-structures on the site. For more information: SEE THIS PAGE

This inspection is part of the overall overall mandatory building inspection package for ACT.

This is recommended for all major commercial building inspections.

Some councils make this easy, but the smaller the council the more difficult it might be. Access Canberra is easy to work with.

5. The ACT Conveyancing File.

Then once all the above is done, the building file history summary is supplied by us, to you, from the ACT Planning Authority (ACTPLA). The vendor then has a copy of this file in the contract. A copy should also be at the home so that any prospective buyer can see items reported, and they can read the report and see how it refers to compare it to what is really there on site. This is a summary of all the pages of plans, with their respective approvals stamped on them.

For NSW councils it can be more difficult, especially in the pandemic. We always advise that someone obtain these for any buyer. Even the buyer’s conveyancer can get these.

For more information: SEE THIS PAGE

REQUEST A BUILDING INSPECTION

Please include your phone number and email address below. Please remember to allow us to get back to you.

Mid or finished Building? Need an Inspection?

PRACTICAL COMPLETION INSPECTIONS

Practical Completion Inspections are done when the building is livable in, and the work is practically complete. It is the most common form of construction inspection. Practical Completion is a legal term. When builders hand over the building at this stage they can get their last large payment. It is a common sense inspection and and at My Canberra Building Inspections ACT we prefer it if the builder is there. Please see this page here: SEE THIS PAGE

There are two major types of practical completion inspections. They are:

The Home Unit when it is bought-off-the-plan. This can be $447 plus GST.

The House at construction end. This is $497 plus GST. This can also be called a Practical Completion Inspection.

Units Off The Plan: The Pre Settlement Inspection

When a person buys a unit off-the-plan there are many advantages. But for the building, he is not dealing with the builder, but rather he is dealing with an agent, representing the developer or the real estate company. This is very different to building a house. We would recommend that all buyers get an inspection. That is our experience. And some buyers are bullied when they want to have the time needed to see the property properly. Our inspectors will not be bullied by builders or developers. We have been there ourselves. We know what is going on. And that property is going to get its inspection. If it takes time, a lot of time, that is because of the errors found that need to be fixed. The price is $447 plus GST. Please note that we do not inspect your contracted legal inclusions to see if they are present, but rather we inspect that they work. We expect you to know what you bought, and for you to be there at the inspection as well. Please see this page here: SEE THIS PAGE

90 Day Defects Inspection.

When you want a 90 Day Defects Inspection, the cost is $497 plus GST. This 90 day inspection is for defects that have occurred or become evident after the you have taken over the building. Understand, by accepting the building, and paying for it, to gain access, you have usually accepted it the way you have taken it. It is generally late to suggest that it should be rebuilt or made better. The Practical Completion Inspection is really the last chance you have to say the building should have been built better, painted better, have better fittings etc. The 90 Day Defects Inspection is for those things that went wrong with what was built. Those things have gone defective, or were defective are valid here. Paint that is flaking, degrading, is valid. But paint runs and dribbles found, usually are not valid. Paint runs should have been picked up in the Practical Completion Inspection. But, if something is found against the building codes, it is still valid. If you are not sure which is which, and you have not signed up, get your lawyer to make an easy-to-understand clause on which is which for you. But also keep in good with your builder, as his reputation is important to him. Most want to do well for you in exchange for a good reputation.

Staged Inspections

Have as many inspections as you need through your house construction. SEE THIS PAGE

House Building

These inspections start with the builder and client working together. And why not? A good set of inspections applies a little ethical pressure on the builder, to do better than he would if he was left to deal with the client alone.

Years gone by it was the architect who had this role, working between builder and client. The architect has all but gone. Without this third party role, relationships between builder and client can get strained. Our job is to help the client and builder have more trust in each other and bring the building to an ethical construction solution.

The house builder is expected to attend the practical completion inspection, and it is necessary for the inspector to make sure these two parties are working together.

The inspector is not there as an opponent to the builder. The home is benefited by both parties working together and that is what we want as an inspector. And we will also be mediators if needed.

This water under the footing is 70 mm in.

If the builder is not present then the inspection is done just matter of fact and all items noted. It was noted that in one inspection the drawings showed underfloor insulation, but upon inspection, it was missing. The reports can be heavily documented with photographs and be dozens of pages long.

Special Inspections

These are anything from legal needs, insurance, court attendance, a call out for a second opinion, just to know what is happening with their house. Generally these are $547 plus GST. Generally the report writing is longer and the inspection needs more time on site explaining what is there and why with the client.

Some of these inspections are because the client is worried about some work done by others. Some of these inspections are done for legal cases by lawyers. Some are done for submitting to legal bodies in ACT or NSW. Please see this page here: SEE THIS PAGE

This client just wanted to know, what was this water from.

Commercial Inspections

Commercial inspections can be of a shop or a a medical centre. These are not uncommon. If they are existing buildings they can be a swiftly inspected, as shops and offices are open, without furniture, with little vegetation.

They can be factories, shops, medical centres, and even pups, small or big. But if big they may also need an engineer or a professional roofing plumber. Such professionals will often be recommended in bigger properties with their reasons for that property.

Commercial Inspections can also be a development off-the-plan. This gets more complicated as that requires plans to be sent to us, and what the person contracted to buy. It always includes looking at common areas, as do existing shops and offices. Also SEE THIS PAGE.

Generally these are $547 plus GST, but can cost more depending on the building, its size, and where it is. We recently did a pub a few hours out from Canberra.

New South Wales

We go to nearby New South Wales. We inspect in Boorowa, Bungendore, Cooma, Googong, Goulburn, Gungendai, Harden, Jindabyne, Murrembateman, Queanbeyan, Sutton, Tumit, Wagga Wagga, Yass and so on regularly. We will do farm sheds too. We have even done Sydney home inspections. We have done other areas a few hours away, but will ask for renumeration based on the time and travel distance.

We will list all the suburbs here where we love to inspect: Aranda, Cook, Charnwood, Belconnen, Bruce, Evatt, Florey, Flynn, Frazer, Gungahlin, Giralang, Grace, Hawker, Hall, Holt, Kaleen, Kippax, Latham, Lawson, Macgreggor, Mackeller, Macquarie, Ngunnawal, Nichols, Woden, Palmerston, Write, Tuggeranon and their nearby areas.

AUTHORITY FORM

The ACT Planning Authority (ACTPLA) need from every inspector a signed authority by the vendor. It needs to be downloaded, filled in, and returned. The form then goes to the ACT Planning Authority so that we can pay for the conveying package and complete the inspection for you.

Download the Authority Form here

Additionally, visit our Download Page and select the PDF files from there. This includes sample reports.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

It is a matter of insurance protocol that you have, or have access to, the Terms and Conditions which are being used here for all Building Inspections. They are being presented here. Please visit our TERMS AND CONDITIONS page of the website. These Terms and Conditions will be sent to you as a PDF when you become a client.

All inspections are done by Nick Broadhurst, our inspector. SEE MORE HERE ABOUT NICK

Please also support our site by giving it a like on Nick’s and our pages on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM. Thank you. We really hope to hear from you.

Phone me, and I’ll answer all your questions. 0418 388 911

Inspection Types

Most Building Inspections in Canberra are the mandatory seller residential Pre-Inspection Reports legislated by the ACT government. But there are others. There are those who prospective buyers initiate themselves. And there are also commercial inspections of varying degrees. And there are people who just need help from someone who knows.

Book Now Today

Cottage in the countryside for inspection.

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