Do You Need a Building ' Pest Report On An Apartment?

When purchasing an apartment you may not think to order a Building & Pest Inspection, assuming they're only needed for houses, but this could not be further from the truth. While some structural issues are the responsibility of the Owners' Corporation, if it's part of your unit the entire cost may fall to you. And even if the costs are shared between the Owner's Corporation you could still be up for a hefty special levy you didn't budget for. This means that both a Strata Report and Building & Pest Inspection are vital to make sure you're properly protected.

One of the most common (and not to mention costly!) maintenance issues for apartments is water damage and leaks. Faulty workmanship, poor quality materials, ageing and poor design are the major factors in apartments developing water leaks. These can cause serious problems for owners, leading to repair costs of thousands of dollars, and if it's part of your apartment, you'll be on the hook for the bill. Another common source of repair costs is badly constructed balconies, where it only takes one poor sealing job, broken tile or blocked drainage point to cause a leak which can cause substantial damage to an adjoining property.

Water damage is not only expensive to repair, but it can also have major health and safety impacts. Water that gets into electrical fittings can make the apartment unsafe, and mould and rot resulting from water damage can cause health issues for occupants.

The best way to avoid these problems is to book a comprehensive Building & Pest Inspection prior to purchasing an apartment. If you book a report through BYB you can have confidence that the report is 100% independent, and performed by a qualified and insured inspector. While you're booking a Building & Pest Inspection, you should also pick up a Strata Report to check up on the financial health, conditions and levies of the Owners' Corporation you are buying in to.

More information on Building & Pest Inspections can be found here.

More information on Strata Reports can be found here.

To read about what BYB does click here.