Buying a property in Perth can be a difficult and relatively expensive venture. After weeks or even months of searching you may only end up with a handful of suitable options to consider, and even before you sign on the dotted line, you’ll need to front-up your hard-earned money to conduct some Building Inspections on your top choices, even when you’re unsure if the inspection will be favorable or not.

With so much at stake during every step of the buying process, you’ll want to be certain that the building inspection reports that you receive are thorough, detailed and not just some cookie cutter template report.

What you’ll find in Total Home Inspections Building Reports

At Total Home Inspections we offer a variety of Building Inspections to suit your individual home buying needs. Here is our range of services:

• Pre-Purchase Building Inspection – Structural
• Pre-Purchase Building Inspection – Essential
• Pre-Purchase Building Inspection – Premium
• Combined Termite & Building Inspection Bundle
• Practical Completion Inspection
• Under Construction Inspection
• Pre-Sales Inspection
• Pre-Auction Inspection

All our building inspection reports are completed “live from site” meaning that as soon as we’ve completed the inspection, you’ll receive an emailed copy direct from site giving you a head start on the potential competition in the bidding process.

Structural Inspections

Evaluation of your property is carried out in accordance with AS 4349.1 Inspection of Buildings and will include areas such as the roof structure, subfloor and the interior and exterior walls of the property, meaning our inspectors will not only assess and report on the actual structure of the building itself but also any features such as existing stairs inside the property or any balconies attached to the property also.

Plumbing Drainage and Electrical Inspections

The “Essential” package will include items which the buyer can request the seller to repair prior to settlement from the REIWA offer and acceptance sales contract. In addition to the areas covered in our “Structural” Inspection the “Essential” package will report on:

• Electrical fittings, power points and light fittings
• Plumbing fixtures and fittings, including vanities and sinks. Baths, toilets and taps
• Appliances including ovens, rangehoods and air-conditioning systems
• RCD safety switches and smoke detectors

Our most comprehensive Building Inspection is our “Premium” package. On top of everything you’d get in the “Structural” and “Essential” packages, Total Home Inspections will provide an in-depth report on the following aspects also:

• Windows and doors
• Insulation
• Roofing, facia, gutters, downpipes, eaves and barges
• Vents and skylights
• Cabinets and benchtops to kitchen, bathrooms and laundry
• Boundry fencing and retaining walls
• Driveways and Pathways
• Surface water drainage

Timber Pest Inspections

Arguably, one of, if not the most important aspect of having a Building Inspection done is to check for Termites. Unknowingly purchasing a property with a Termite infestation can have devastating financial consequences and although this kind of assessment is critical when you’re serious about buying a particular property, it’s important to note that most basic Building Inspections don’t include this as a standard. At Total Home Inspections we offer the option to combine a Pest Inspection Report with our “Structural, Essential & Premium” Building Inspections.

New Build Inspections

If you’ve never built a home, how do you really know if your Perth builder is constructing your new home to the relevant Australian standards? Our “Under Construction Inspection” ensures your builder is doing the right thing at each and every significant stage of your build. Total Home Inspections will attend the site at each stage to conduct:

• Slab Inspections
• Frame/brickwork Inspections
• Roof Frame Inspections

Once your new home is complete, before making the final payment and receiving your keys, there is one final step you should consider: a “Practical Completion Inspection”. It’s often only after the final handover stage that problems within a property arise, and all those niggling issues that you uncover can quickly become a major problem when trying to have them rectified by your builder once you’ve paid the final balance. To avoid this, we’ll go over all the items listed in your building contract with a fine-tooth comb and provide you with a comprehensive report outlining any issues so you can arrange for them to be rectified before you move in, giving you complete peace of mind.

The “Practical Completion Inspection” covers everything included in the “Premium” Building Inspection service from Total Home Inspections.

Pre-Auction Inspections

Our “Pre-Auction inspection” will help to ensure that you know exactly what you’re bidding on in the Perth property market and help you to make the best-informed decision about what your potential home is really worth. Remember, home insurance doesn’t cover any pre-existing damage to the property that you have just purchased, and you can also forget about trying to claim for any termite damage or pest infestations. Once your bid has been accepted, you can often bid farewell to any chance of negotiating a Building Inspection being carried out before the sale is finalised.

Pre-Sale Inspection

Although it’s more common for buyers to seek Building Inspections when looking to purchase their new home, Sellers can also benefit from having their property inspected before going on the market. Our “Pre-Sale Inspection” Report will identify all those little issues that have built up over the years. Providing potential buyers with this report will not only give greater confidence to the buyer, but also greater credibility to you as the seller.

The Final Report. What’s next?

You can rest assured that a Total Home Inspections report will be thorough and easy to read but there may be areas or terminologies that could be difficult to understand. If there’s anything in the report that you’re unsure of, it’s always best to contact the inspector directly for clarification.

In most Building Inspections we conduct, there will usually be a number of minor defects identified and listed in the report. While these defects might not be critical issues like the structural integrity of the building, not tending to them promptly can eventually lead to expensive problems in the future.

Buyers often make the mistake of thinking there will be a “pass or fail” grade on the building inspection report. The reality is that the Building Inspection Report will just provide you with the relevant information that you’ll need to know to make an informed buying decision.