What You Get with a Pre-Purchase Building Inspection

Buying a house is a big decision. If you’ve found a home you love in Tauranga, do your due diligence and get a property inspection from a qualified building inspector to carry out a pre-purchase builders report before signing off on the sale.

Unfortunately, in NZ the house inspection services industry is unregulated, which means you have to be your own advocate, choosing a reputable Tauranga builder to carry out your building inspection.

Here’s what should be included in a building report:

Site Inspection

Before even looking at the house, most building inspectors carry out a site inspection. We recommend you do this when shopping for a house in Tauranga as well – before you get a chance to fall in love with a home’s interior, make like an inspector and take a look at retaining walls and fences, driveways, garages and gates.

By assessing the site, builders will notice red flags, assess sloping or terraced sections, and even note things that aren’t deal-breakers but should be considered like pool fences and clotheslines.

The House’s Exterior

Our Tauranga property inspectors examine the whole exterior of your building, including external moisture readings which have implications for weather-tightness as well as the condition of the property’s cladding and fascia, doors, external windows and soffits.

Interior House Inspection

Once we head indoors, every room from lounge to ensuite is assessed. Wet or at-risk rooms have extra moisture tests; the condition of windows, walls and doors is noted; lights and power points, fixtures and sometimes even appliances will be examined as part of the builders report.

Roof

You want a thorough examination of both the external roof and the internal roof space, our inspectors do this where possible.  Outside, the property inspection specialist should safely climb up onto the roof to take a look at materials used, condition, repairs and leaks as well as noting the state of any chimney, flues and spouting.

Inside, our house inspectors check the roof frame condition with an eye for rotting or sagging wood, evidence of pests, and presence and quality of ceiling insulation.

Services: your house inspection will include plumbing, drainage and electrical services.

Subfloor: your inspector will crawl under the house to assess foundations and piles, framing, insulation, ground condition and ventilation.

Other Risks: inspectors are looking out for any other potential problem or hazard like lead paint, faulty materials and asbestos.

Want a qualified and unbiased building inspection company inspecting your future home in Tauranga, Rotorua or the wider Bay of Plenty? The team at Straight Up Inspections can provide you with the building report that you require on-time and at a fair price.

‍