One would assume that by engaging a Brisbane building and pest inspection company to undertake a comprehensive report on a property, that the building and pest inspection report would be unbiased, accurate and that the building and pest inspector would be working in the best interest of the client. 

Unfortunately, it is a sad indictment of the industry that some inspection companies are trying to walk a tightrope between keeping the real estate agent happy whilst undertaking a building inspection report for their client. 

What should a good building inspector be doing? 

A good building inspector should always be working solely for their client. The dodgy building inspectors are more concerned that if they accurately comment on issues, they may force renegotiations or cancellation of a contract. 

A building and pest report should be accurate and not compromised by a vendor or an agent hoping to secure a sale. It is now common practice for some building and pest inspection companies to work indirectly with agents with some inspection companies paying commissions for every inspection an agent or conveyancer recommends. Building and pest inspection companies must remain completely independent from agents and conveyancers if the reports are to remain unbiased and a true reflection of the condition of the property inspected. 

Some agents go as far to utilise the services of ‘in-pocket’ building and pest inspectors to re-inspect a property to contradict inspector reports.  

Consumers maintain the right to engage a building and pest inspector of their own choosing 

Another common practice property buyers encounter on a regular basis is for an agent to try and prevent the client from using the building inspector of their choice and to try and convince them to use one of their recommended home inspectors. The excuse they usually use is that the building inspector the client has chosen is too picky and that they will never buy a house if they use them. The truth is they dislike that inspector because they are accurate and designed to inform and empower clients, not to help the vendor or agent flog a decrepit house. 

Clients have the right to be able to choose the building and pest inspection company of their choice – a company independent of the agent and working solely for them. Never use an inspection company recommended by an agent and never ever rely on a building or pest report supplied by an agent or vendor. Most pre-sale reports are not worth the paper they are written on. 

What to look for when choosing A Building and Pest Inspection Company 

When searching for a Brisbane building inspection company check the following key points. 

1. The actual building inspector on site must be able to produce their insurance and a license establishing that they are qualified to undertake the inspection. 
2. Beware of companies that use sub-contractors to undertake building and pest inspections. 
3. One inspector trying to undertake both the building and pest inspection. It is not possible for one person to undertake an accurate inspection covering both building and pest in the one time slot. This jack of all trades approach is fraught with disaster and forms the basis of litigation cases. Two inspectors are required, one focused on the building inspection and the other on the pest inspection. 
4. Excuses not to inspect. There are some obvious restrictions that may prevent a building inspector accessing a certain area e.g. potential hazard or vast storage etc. Some companies however use any excuse to claim access was not possible. For example, there are virtually no building inspection companies that will access a two-storey roof even when access is very easy and safe to do so. Some building inspection companies will no longer enter a roof space if they see insulation. The list of excuses is exhaustive. 
5. Prior to booking a building and pest inspection the client must be able to view the inspection report. Any company that does not provide a sample report does so for a reason. Some reports are very vague and do not accurately reflect the condition of the house inspected. 
6. The building and pest inspection company should be happy for the buyer to attend the entire inspection. It gives them another chance to look around and re-evaluate the property. 
7. Once the inspection has been completed the building inspector must provide the client with a detailed verbal run through in conjunction with the building report. It is imperative that an after-inspection service is also available for any questions the buyer may have down the track. 

Buying a house or building in Brisbane is a huge investment. Get it wrong and it could prove to be very costly. Don’t be intimidated by the vendor or agent.  Buying in Brisbane? Contact a professional team today to arrange a pre-purchase building and pest inspection.