When you’re searching the market for a new home, and you’re worried about the bones of the property you’re looking to buy, the first thing you need to do is to hunt around for a reputable building inspector. A pre-purchase pest inspection might just save you time and money down the track. Enabling you to bargain with the seller, following a pest inspection, if you find the property is riddled with termites, you may decide to forfeit the sale altogether. The only way to find out if you’re making a good purchase or not is to book a pre-purchase pest inspection.
But what does a pre-purchase pest inspection include? Read on to find out:
Pest inspection requirements
An important consideration when buying any property, a pre-purchase pest inspection helps determine existing and potential problems and gives you an expert opinion and advice on the building’s overall condition.
A standard building inspection includes the detection of minor to significant structural damage to the property’s readily accessible areas such as:
- Interior and exterior walls
- Roof space
- Roof exterior
- Floor and sub-floor space
- Toilet
- Laundry
- Garage, carport and shed
- Driveways
- Stairs/steps, fencing and paths
- Non-structural retaining walls
Pest detecting tools used during a pre-purchase pest inspection
Your pre-purchase pest inspection will probably include the use of some pretty high-tech equipment to assess whether there are any active pests within the deeper structures of your home. Some equipment they may use include:
- Thermal imaging cameras: When used during a pest inspection, they help locate termite nests and activity
- Moisture meters to assess the moisture within your walls: During your pre-purchase pest inspection, moisture meters help find pests that love moisture and humidity
- Termatrac microwave radar detection units: Tracking live termites within your walls, when used during your pest inspection, they help to find the main nest
- Heinemann boroscopes: Useful in assessing live ants and any damage that they have caused, these instruments may also be helpful during a pest inspection
While modern pest detecting tools are a big help during a pest inspection, nothing beats a set of experienced and well-trained eyes. Knowing where to look for the most minute signs of pest activity only comes with years of successful detection. Some of the tell-tale signs your pest inspector will look for during your pest inspection include:
- the appearance of dirt or mud in the corners of rooms or around skirting boards
- electrical issues and faulty plugs caused by pests such as termites nesting within your walls
- visible damage to timber or plaster
Who pays for a pest inspection?
In most cases, the seller will cover the cost of a pest inspection. Covering this cost can help both the buyer and seller identify any present issues, lowering stress in the long run.
A pest inspection will help ensure that no undesirable creepy crawly has made your home their own. This relatively cheap inspection can be necessary to get a mortgage in some cases and it’s also there to reassure you that the home you’re living in is safe and sanitary.
We hope you learned a little bit more about pest inspections. A pest inspection and a general home inspection are always important, but they can be particularly necessary when you’re buying a house that’s sold as-is.
Are you ready to book a pest inspection in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast?
Give Auspect Building and Pest Consultants a call at (07) 56 68 2279. As qualified licensed building and pest inspectors, their team works to a standard, not a clock. With a wealth of experience, expertise and resources, they can handle any request. See what else they can do for you online.