Effective Building & Consultancy offers comprehensive pre-purchase building inspections in Sydney for apartments. Whether you’re looking into occupying newly built or existing residential apartments, our building inspectors offer unbiased advice and detailed building and pest inspection reports. This way, you will always have peace of mind and security when it comes to your investment.
Building Inspection for Apartments vs Houses
Buying an apartment is quite different compared to buying a house. As the owner of a house, you will be solely responsible for the repairs on your property from leaky pipes to ground maintenance. If you own an apartment, you may rely on the owners corporation when you need the broken elevator fixed or the dirty windows cleaned.
As such, when people purchase or rent an apartment, they often assume an inspection report is only necessary for houses. However, this doesn’t mean you should skip getting a pest and building inspection report done.
Although structural issues are often the responsibility of the owners corporation, if the damage is part of your particular unit, you may be liable for its entire cost. And if it happens to be shared between you and the corporation, you’ll still be charged a high special levy you may not have the budget for.
Why you need a Building Inspection Report for your Apartment
Building managers only oversee a part of the care and maintenance of your apartment building. This only extends to general aspects such as exterior upkeep, overall plumbing and some electrical systems. For the most part, the interior of apartment units is your responsibility as a tenant/owner. This means any such damage or maintenance inside the units will be your liability. Or else, you will have to bear significant deductions off your security deposit to shoulder any necessary subsequent repairs as a tenant. On the other side of the spectrum, tenants could also organise an Owner building defects report if any negligence has been observed from the landlord to maintain acceptable living conditions.
To be certain you won’t be settling in an apartment with damage that will haunt you later, you need to inform property managers of structural concerns early before you sign your contract. The only way to viably bring such issues to their attention is getting building inspectors on the scene to provide a comprehensive inspection report.
What our Pre-purchase Apartment Inspection covers
We can’t emphasise how important it is to get a building and pest inspection done for your apartment. Building inspections for apartments are a no-brainer. Getting this report will help you make sure your investment is properly protected before you occupy the unit.
Our inspection reports cover every last detail of your apartment. This includes all visible areas to sub-floor and roof spaces within reasonable access. All of this information is presented to you in an easy-to-use report you’ll receive within 48 hours of your initial call. This way, you can have full confidence as you sign on the dotted line.
Your report will include:
- Images of defects needing attention
- Description of the defects and their probable impact
- Summary to emphasise the most important issues.
- An HTML and/or PDF version
Building and Pest Inspections for Existing vs New Apartments
Whether you’re moving into existing or new apartments, it’s important to identify defects before your settlement. On new apartment buildings, however, we recommend the buyer to wait a while. The reasoning behind this is new buildings have a defined defects period that usually lasts 13 weeks.
Usually, throughout this period, the more obvious defects will be noticed through day-to-day use of the property. Towards its end, a building and pest inspection will be helpful in identifying defects that may not be visible to the untrained eye.
You’ll be able to point out any major problems you’ve noticed and allow inspectors to look for deeper structural issues that are the likely cause of all the defects identified.
The most common defects new apartments face relate to water penetration from the outside, adjacent or overhead units. These are often caused by substandard sealing of joints and surfaces. They require major rectification works and result in long periods of disruption and water ingress issues.
Common Property Issues on Apartment Inspections
Water damage and leaks
These are typically caused by poor-quality materials, faulty workmanship, poor design, or natural wear and tear. They eventually lead to thousands of dollars in repair bills you'll be obliged to shoulder.
Badly constructed balconies
Bad construction on balconies is another typical issue found in apartments. Poor sealing jobs, blocked drainage, broken tiles—these are all common areas of concerns that can escalate into substantial financial damages.
Electrical defects and rot from water damage
People often dismiss water damage early on, assuming they can save the repairs for later. In reality, water staining and ingress create dire health and safety hazards from the get-go. Water can seep through electrical fittings and cause rot and mould which adversely affect air quality.
Other factors why a building and pest inspection might be a good idea for your apartment unit include:
- Top floor apartments where roof leaks directly affect your unit
- Ground floor apartments in smaller, older blocks with wooden flooring — this is a high termite risk
Strata Inspection Reports for Residential Apartments
Don’t settle on limited knowledge of your apartment condition when you need to sign off on your settlement. You should be fully aware of any potential costs you’ll be liable to before you subject yourself to tens of thousands in damages. Effective Building & Consultancy offers preliminary strata inspection reports as well as building and pest inspection services to help you avoid this issue.
We’ll help you get a good feel of any current or recent problems affecting the whole building, identify its structural impact on your apartment and provide a detailed building inspection to assess their underlying risks. For a better understanding of your apartment condition, we offer comprehensive pre-handover inspections for residential apartments.
Get A Complete Building and Pest Inspection Report
You can miss out on various hidden defects to the untrained eye without the help of qualified building inspectors. Our building pest inspection report is a thorough pre-purchase inspection that covers the following common areas of the building subject to reasonable access:
- Walls
- Ceilings
- Flooring
- Doors and frames, internal (external where possible)
- Windows and frames, internal (external where possible)
- Balconies and stairs
- Cabinets and wardrobes
- Roof cover — may be limited if a multi-level apartment complex
- Unit car spot and driveway
- Plumbing/electrical overview
- Repairs and maintenance issues
Protect your investment with Effective Building & Consultancy
Whether you’re buying a new apartment or renting, you’re spending hard-earned money on a once-in-a-lifetime investment. It goes without saying you want a property with little to no problems. Get independent advice from Effective Building & Consultancy services to complete your due diligence when purchasing. This way, you can avoid potential damages from water staining, termite damage and major structural defects.
Our qualified building inspectors provide detailed inspections for prospective buyers of residential apartments. Whether you’re a first time home buyer or a seasoned veteran, our pre-purchase building inspection allows you to gain a thorough conditions report. We can help you make the most informed decision on your settlement. Book online or contact us today to get a complete report within 48 hours.
Have any Questions? Call us Today!
(02) 9613 3353
Vision
To become property owners first choice for all matters relating to the purchase, maintenance/repair, building, redevelopment and sale of their asset. A seamless end to end delivery of services through our group of companies.