Pre-Purchase Inspections

Our inspector Gary Weeks found this impressive termite mud tube during a pre-purchase inspection. The termites appeared to be climbing up some string hanging off the wax paper under this patio slab.

Ensure no nasty surprises. Check for termites before you buy. Buying a home is probably the largest financial decision that you’ll make in your life, so it is crucial to know exactly what you are getting. It is very important that you have pest protection and select professionals who are experienced in pre purchase termite inspection procedures. If you are a Brisbane resident, you can rely on our team when you’re looking for an inspector to guide you through this important process. It’s also recommended that you attend your inspection if possible so the inspectors can explain any issues in simple terms prior to you receiving the report.

What is involved?

A pest inspection for the purpose of buying or selling a property (Pre-Sale or Pre-Purchase Inspection ) is a non-invasive assessment of all visible areas and timbers, focusing on evidence of termite damage or infestation, borers of dry seasoned timber, fungal decay (wood rot) and conducive conditions (things that make the property more attractive to timber pests).

The assessments from our qualified inspectors in Brisbane cover all accessible areas including:

External areas (fences, trees, stumps, landscaping, external timbers around the building).
Garaging (all accessible areas within the garage).
Outbuildings (other buildings on the property such as sheds, workshops etc).
Under floor areas (where an accessible sub floor is present).
Internal areas (skirtings, door frames, timber window frames etc).
Roofing timbers. We’ll all the way through the roof.

ARRANGE A PRE PURCHASE INSPECTION. CONTACT US

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The tools your inspector will have

Your inspector is required to have several tools for this purpose, the most important include a torch, ladder, moisture meter, and tapping tool. Our experienced inspectors, in addition to the basic tools described above, each have ‘high resolution’ FLIR thermal cameras (each worth around $16,000) which give us the best chance of detecting building issues such as roof leaks, insulation and moisture problems and, most importantly, termites. Not all cameras have the same sensitivity, so we have invested in ‘top end’ instruments as we know the ‘el cheapo’ cameras being sold on eBay for around $1,000 are like comparing a ‘box brownie’ with a 14 megapixel digital SLR. With our cameras we can even record and email the photos and videos of our pre purchase inspections to absent clients. Our thermal image gallery will show some examples of the issue that may exist in the home you are buying. There’s more to thermal than meets the eye.

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Some important things to be aware of

ost property sale contracts now involve building and pest inspection clauses. After many of the pest inspections (and particularly a termite inspection) buyers try to renegotiate prices by thousands of dollars if there are issues that arise during the assessment. In a buyers’ market, vendors now have to be prepared to listen. Most common issues are white ant ( Termite ) protection and structural faults. So, have your home inspected by our team in Brisbane before it hits the market. If there are problems, or there are termites anywhere near the home, we’ll find them – that’s our job! It may cost you thousands or your contract may crash if the buyer’s inspectors find them first.

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If you are a seller in Brisbane, our recommendations to you are:

Inspection(s) for signs of termites.
Termite treatment(s) and control.
Termite protection including a barrier or monitoring.
Present your home as clean and tidy as possible (get rid of that clutter!)
Ask your agent for any tips on presenting your home to its best advantage

Now put your property up for sale. Your agent will love you and you should sail through the buyer’s inspections, already knowing the outcome.

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If you are a buyer, our recommendations to you are:

Talk to our team and find out the costs involved in termite treatments and termite barrier protection.
Ask the seller to provide current termite treatment certification and if they can’t provide this, then you may choose to ask your agent to renegotiate the price with the seller.

Our team offers a free call booking service where we will coordinate the building and pest inspections with the agent, the buyers and the sellers. Our specialist inspectors are licensed and insured, and each inspector has conducted over several thousand assessments. Working in conjunction with Barry Moore Building Inspections, we both provide professional typed reports, not checklists, and we may attach digital or thermal photos taken during our visit to the property to illustrate our comments.

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We offer you extensive reports including photos

Interstate, overseas and absent clients love our photo reports. Where possible, our inspectors will walk our clients through the inspections and explain the good and bad points of the home. We’ll show you the areas of risk, and explain the termite protection methods used. We won’t alarm you or try to sell expensive treatments or home improvements, we just give you the facts. Our inspectors are working toward the new ‘Prior to Purchase’ code of practice. Our reports are available shortly after the inspection for delivery by email, fax, or post, and our reports don’t protect us….they protect you!

Remember, the agent is working for the vendors, we are working for you.