Tips for Planning a Residential Building Inspection
Posted on: 20 June 2023
A building inspection involves a surveyor going over a structure and finding out what is sound and where any defects lie. Here are some tips for planning an inspection.
In What Situations Can an Inspection Help?
A building inspection can help in different situations. If you plan to buy a house, an inspection will tell you about the state of the property and whether it has minor or major flaws. You can use this information to negotiate a better selling price, work out the cost of potential repairs or avoid the house altogether.
A report will also help before a house renovation. If you find problems, you can fix them at the same time as the remodel. A post-renovation building report will confirm that the new structure is up to standard.
You can also get a building inspection report when you sell your house. While this may seem counterintuitive as it will highlight problems, the report will allow you to be proactive. You can repair any problems. Additionally, a report can reassure buyers and make your property easier to sell.
Does an Inspection Include Checking for Asbestos?
If you're buying a new home or renovating, you might want a building inspection to provide information about asbestos. Find out if that is covered. If you want to know about the presence of asbestos, you should check with the surveyor you hire, as an inspection may not automatically cover that.
If you're buying an old house, then it could have asbestos in different places. This is not always a negative, because if the asbestos is in good condition and of a particular type, it may not pose a threat. but needs to be managed.
If you check for asbestos during a building inspection before a renovation, the contractors can better manage the remodel with their extra knowledge.
What Equipment Does a Surveyor Use to Inspect a House?
How is a building inspection done? Is it visual, or do they use instruments? A building inspection is visual, but the surveyor may also use various equipment. For example, they can use radar to detect termites hidden in the wall. They may also use a termite donger, which they tap against timber to check whether it's hollow, a telltale sign of a termite infestation.
A building surveyor can also use moisture meters to measure the dampness within a surface, such as a tiled floor. They will also commonly use a spirit level, which they can place on floors, window sills and other spots to confirm that they're level. If the surfaces aren't level, the foundations could be sinking on one side of the house.
The inspector will combine these instruments with visual inspections. They can check for mould and dark patches on the ceiling, for instance, which could suggest moisture problems. By looking into the ceiling cavity, they can see evidence of water damage, or they may see sunlight shining through a gap in the roof cladding, suggesting a hole.
For more information on building inspection services, contact a company near you.
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