How To Get The Best Building & Pest Report

Sometimes when reading a Building & Pest Inspection Report (B&PIR) on your property you think, "This can't possibly be my home!" because the ‘High Risk’ ratings you see throughout the document don't match up with you having lived there without issues for years.

Your thoughts may be correct – the risk ratings are not always a result of actual dangers in your home. Because quality B&PIRs abide by the Australian Standards for building inspections, unless you know the standards back to front the reports can often seem unjustified.

This article will help demystify the B&PIR, and show how as a homeowner you can reduce those potential highlighted risks before the inspector arrives. This means a cleaner report for your property and less concerns from interested parties!

A ‘High Risk’ rating can mean that the inspector wasn't able to confirm that the property was free of defects or risks of pests. So if your property actually is pest and defect free, it can still receive a ‘High Risk’ rating if the inspector wasn't able to check all the areas of the property.

For example, when undertaking the Undetected Defect Risk Assessment inspectors will give a 3, 2, 1 rating on accessibility to these three areas:

• Subfloor space
• Building Interior, Exterior & Site
• Roof Space

Whether there is anything wrong with your property or not, if the inspector gives a rating of 7 to 9 points, your property is considered ‘High Risk’.

Below are some simple steps you can take to help avoid a ‘High Risk’ rating:

1) Ensure all areas of the property are accessible

A locked laundry door or hatch to the roof cavity will mean that the inspector cannot access those areas. To prepare for your inspection, make sure that all access points are unlocked and able to be used.

2) Remove obstructions

A fully furnished attic or packed storeroom are difficult for an inspector to examine, and can result in a ‘High Risk’ rating. Something like excess insulation in the roof cavity may prevent an inspector checking for termites, and increase your risk rating unnecessarily. When preparing for your inspection you should remove all obstructions you can, even if this means moving out furniture or other items.

Taking these simple steps in preparation for an inspection will help make sure your property gets the best inspection report possible.

Often a report isn't as it first seems and still describes that beautiful home you have had no troubles with. If you can't do all the steps above, don't worry. A good inspector will talk you and any interested parties through each of the ratings they have given in a report and explain how common or not they are in comparison to other similar properties.

Before You Buy has a panel of highly qualified and insured Building and Pest Inspectors. To read more about Building and Pest Inspections and order your report, click here: https://www.beforeyoubuy.com.au/building-and-pest-insp...