8 DIY Structural Building Inspection Checklist
With a new year rapidly approaching it might be a good chance to start preparing to look for a new house to buy for future investment in Australia. One of the most essential steps in buying a new house is a building inspection.
For some, this might be quite a difficult task, therefore, there’s always a professional in structural building inspection service to call and do the thorough inspection for you but there are certain portions in the building inspection task that you can DIY. Here are some of the DIY structural building inspection checklists.
Building Inspection: Check the Water System and Plumbing
Water is one of the essential parts of the house that you need to take extra attention to because it will affect your daily activities in the future. Therefore, when you stepped inside the potential house to buy, the first thing you should do is turn on all of the faucets/taps in each room such as the kitchen and bathrooms, and see if the water condition is normal/clean, colour/muddy. Next, start to check the drainage system because the water should exit continuously without problems.
Some houses are equipped with a hot-water system which rarely gets maintained well, so put that on your checklist and you could also clarify with the seller about the age and recent maintenance. Additionally, check the outside water system and plumbing as well because they should be connecting, inside and outside.
Check the Ceiling for Moulds and Mildew
With the four seasons that circulate in a year, Moulds and Mildew are bound to appear in the Winter due to the damp condition of the ceilings. In some cases, if the house has been vacant for a long time the accumulated moulds could create a severe problem for the ceilings such as broken ceilings. While doing the moulds checking, you can inspect the ventilation system as well because damp spaces with poor ventilation will produce even more Moulds and Mildew.
Check for Cracks in the Ceilings, Walls and Floors
Probably one of the easiest things to notice about a house’s condition is the cracks. Even for a brand-new house, there always be cracks in some places which are usually hidden under the new paint, therefore, you need to take extra attention while checking it by running your hands over the walls to feel the cracks.
While it might be a bit hard to check the cracks on the ceilings, you could do a visual check and take note of the crack spots for crack repair later. While on the floors, for a second-hand house, normally people have installed carpet or rugs to cover it so why not inspect them as well if the condition is still acceptable or needs a replacement?
Check for the Electrical System Condition
A house without a good electrical system will cause major problems which are sometimes major ones. Therefore, simply by checking the condition of the wiring, switches and sockets, you can prevent any issues that could happen in the future.
Additionally, turn on all of the lights inside and outside the house to check the condition of the light bulbs. Some of the houses are also equipped with heating and cooling systems, therefore, you need to inspect the condition as well, is it properly working and enquire with the seller about the age and recent maintenance.
Check for Any Signs of Pest Problems
This might not be a problem in a newly built house but for a second-hand house, a pest infestation check is a-must because you don’t want to stay in a house that has a high population of Rats or another pest. Therefore, you can start by checking for any holes in the corners of the walls.
While doing it, you can check on the Termite damage as well because it could cause a serious problem in the future. Try knocking on the walls or floors and you can easily notice the sound of hollow floors or walls is quite different.
Check the Roofing Condition
Probably the first thing you will notice when you arrived at a house that has the potential to buy is the roofing condition but due to its location that high above it’s hard to reach. What you can do is make a note of every noticeable roofing issue like cracking or missing part which later you can mention to the professional in roofing repairment.
Check the Surrounding Trees and Grasses
Overgrown and old trees could cause major problems to the house such as the branches could fall off and hitting the house roofing, therefore, enquiring this to the seller will be a great idea. Additionally, if you notice tall grasses surrounding the house that means the exterior is not well-maintained which can be home to pests like snakes and insects, therefore, you should note this as well.
Check Other External Features
The garage, garden shed, pool and other external features of the house should be on your checking list because eventually at some point you will be using them, especially the garage. In most houses in Australia, the garage is not only used as the place to store a car but also other unused things, therefore, the chances that the garage condition is in messy condition quite high.
Conclusion
By following the above DIY tips, you will have a better insight into which parts of the house that need checking. However, after you have done your DIY checking, it would be best to ask for a professional in a structural building inspection to do a recheck thoroughly. Thank you for reading and feel free to share the article.