Save money by using a building inspector prior to renovating

Many people like to begin remodelling their home as soon as they can afford to – without necessarily making the necessary checks before spending their hard earned cash. This can lead to significant issues, where they have to redo their work, or completely change their renovation plans. With a building inspection completed prior to organising any works, as a home owner you can save significant money and ensure your most valued asset (your home) will stand the test of time.

What is a building inspection?

A building inspection is a relatively simple but powerful report. A building inspection is provided by a professional who physically inspects your property, checking for key structural issues which may impact your property. These important checks can include checking for hidden termite issues, structural integrity of current wall and roof beams, leaking pipes within walls, cracking, failing electrical points, sinking foundations etc.

How does a building inspection save me money?

When you’re renovating or remodelling your home, a significant component of any costs is the fixed installation cost of goods. What this means is if you do install any updates to your property (such as a Kitchen), and then find out after that point that there is a problem which was not known at the time (say termites in the frame within the wall of the kitchen), you could potentially have to remove the new kitchen in the treatment or replacement of the frame – leaving you significantly out of pocket and potentially needing to purchase another kitchen or at the very least a new installation of the kitchen along with repairing any wear from removing and re-installing the cabinetry. Whereas with a building inspection completed, these issues can be identified before the new installation is completed – giving the termite treatment professionals the best access to reduce their treatment costs, and avoid causing any unnecessary damage to the kitchen. This is just one example – other common issues can be leaking pipes being left untreated in bathroom updates, repainting in houses which take on significant cracking from sinking foundations and updating light fittings throughout, only to have them blow from damaged wiring or surge protectors.

How much do building inspections cost?

Costs do vary somewhat, but in general they can be affordable compared to having to fix any mistakes you make when spending potentially 10’s of thousands of dollars on improving your home. Building inspections operator Keegan Wallace notes that in general a report in general can make up as little as 5% of an overall house remodel budget, but any mistake could increase your costs by 20% or higher. Consider any cost of a report to be insurance in protecting your overall renovation budget.

Who can provide build inspections for someone updating their home?

Building inspector requirements do change depending on the State and country in which you reside. In general inspectors will need to either be licensed or retain some formal level of qualification or experience to provide inspection services. Some may be employees working for a larger licensed company, while others can be single owner operators who have all of the licensing required in their personal names. Always check with your local government on the requirements and whether they are up to date before engaging a building inspector, to ensure you’re receiving a compliant report from a professional who can find any issues which may be visible.

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