Pre-settlement inspection - get a professional to do it?

Discussion in 'The Buying & Selling Process' started by Befuddled, 20th Jul, 2015.

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  1. Befuddled

    Befuddled Well-Known Member

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    I have a pre-settlement inspection booked next week for a brand new property. The property is a 2/2/1 apartment near Parramatta.

    I'm considering enlisting a professional to do the inspection because I lack the knowledge to identify defects that are not blatantly obvious.

    A prominent property inspection company has quoted around $660 for the report.

    What are your experiences with using professionals for pre-settlement inspections on OTP purchases? Is it worth it or a waste of money? How much did it cost?
     
  2. bythebay

    bythebay Well-Known Member

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    did you have a strata report done before you made an offer on the property? if so, I assume you were happy with the property and decided to go unconditional?

    If so, I don't see much point in you commissioning a further report so close to settlement. It probably won't tell you anything you don't know already. This close to the settlement, it'll be very difficult for you to pull out of the deal even if you found some issues you were unaware of previously eg: oven not working, cracks on wall which were behind the painting the vendor has now removed.

    I normally just turn up to have a quick look around to make sure the property is still there ... and no significant damage has occurred to it since you last looked at it.

    Congrats on your purchase. All the best with it.
     
  3. CosmicTrevor

    CosmicTrevor Well-Known Member

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    For OTP you can't inspect it until it is finished! My advice is to get a professional, they will spot things in 1 minute that you won't necessarily see at all. Then you can use the report as a basis for rectification.
     
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  4. Befuddled

    Befuddled Well-Known Member

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    Thanks. As CosmicTrevor said there wasn't anything to inspect!
     
  5. Befuddled

    Befuddled Well-Known Member

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    Can you recommend anyone? The quote I got was from Tyrrells.
     
  6. LATS

    LATS Well-Known Member

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    No experience with the professionals as we've done it ourselves on 3 OTP completed properties - 1 for myself and 2 as observers with friends who have bought it.

    My one (2000) from moment I got in left to right up and down I looked and write anything I wanted the developer to fix, scratches, chips, marks, dodgy paint work etc. move to next room and did the same. But all minor stuff. Big thing was gas leaks from under stove - that became apparent after we moved in and use it enough to notice. Let developer know straight away and it was fixed the next day.

    Friends one (2013) at Rhodes, developer provided structured template writing pads, we check and make notes, return, rectified. Rented from day one and haven't heard of big issues.

    They'll have to repair /make it right for you in the first few months anyway - still time for you to thoroughly check / find and have them fix so I don't see the point of getting a professional to do the inspection. But for peace of mind I suppose it's not a big cost.
     
  7. Befuddled

    Befuddled Well-Known Member

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    Thanks LATS. It really is for the peace of mind as I will be living there myself (Not saying investments don't matter as much...)

    Some developers could be more difficult to deal with once settlement has occurred, and will drag their feet or wiggle out of fixing minor issues. Have a friend who had problems with the bathroom shower and ended up fixing it at own expense because the developer was too slow to respond. That's why I'd prefer to identify and resolve any issues before the money changes hands
     
  8. CosmicTrevor

    CosmicTrevor Well-Known Member

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    I wouldn't strongly recommend the guy I used, from memory it was about $350 though. The key thing for me was having someone represent me, someone who has experience and knows what to look for. Nicks, dents and scratches are easy to spot - I was more concerned that my lack of building experience could result in me missing something major.

    One example my guy found was that the power point in the bathroom was too close to the basin, basically he thought it didn't meet a particular code/standard. The developer didn't argue and rectified right away. I would not have picked this up.
     
  9. 380

    380 Well-Known Member

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    Yup, best to pay professional.

    Slippery tiles
    Windows not installed correctly
    Slopes in bathroom

    Are few big ones to look out for.

    Most property buyers wont be able to identity these defects.
     
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  10. Befuddled

    Befuddled Well-Known Member

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    Thanks everyone for your input. I'm going to proceed with this. Will post back when it's all done and dusted :)