The Second Inspection
Few of us have the experience to assess a house fully; you can leave that to the professionals. And let's face it most of us aren't that keen on climbing onto roofs, clambering in ceilings or poking under houses. Taking this into account, we have put together a guide of observations that you can quickly make that can indicate if there is a problem before you commit any money:
| Look at | Signs there is potentially a problem | Cost to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Piles / Foundations | Sensation of walking uphill and downhill around the house or a general unevenness to the floor. | Re-piling costs start at $12,000 |
| The Wiring | Look at the switchboard/fuse board - is it an old switchboard with black wiring and chunky white porcelain fuses?Is the electricity meter still a part of the switchboard panel? | Re-wire $4,000 - $20,000Depending on the age and style of the house |
| The Interior Wall Linings | Can you tell what is lining the walls?Worst case scenario it is Scrim (sacking or jute laid over rough sawn wooden boards (sarking)). Best case - plasterboard (Gib board) | Re-Line Approx $400 - $1000 per room dependant on wall area. |
| The Exterior | Look for flaking and peeling paint and rotten weatherboards.Cracks in the cladding.Also check if there is ground/soil up against or close to the cladding of the house. | Re paint from $10,000 - $30,000Repairing weatherboard - from $300Leaky building issues - many thousands< |
| The Roof | Look for flaking and peeling paint and rotten weatherboards.Does it look dirty, patchy, faded, rusty, or is lichen, moss or plants growing on it? Can you see loose tiles?Internally, are there any stains on ceilings or walls. Is their lifting wallpaper or bubbling paint? | Re-roof from $10,000Repaint from $4,000Resurface from $4,000Re-tiling from $13,000 |
| Guttering | Are there holes or signs of rust, does it look blocked, are their plants growing out of it, do the downpipes go anywhere?The ground will be indented and damp to muddy in areas under leaking guttering. | Replace $1,000 to $4000Repair From $200 |
| The Plumbing | Flush the toilet, turn on a couple of taps and the shower. Any noises? What's the pressure like?Are outside drains overflowing? Walk around the house and look for water after you have flushed the toilet. | Plumbing work from $150Re-Plumbing from $5,000 |
| Heating | How is the house heated?Is the heating electricity or gas? | Heat Pump from $3,500Wood burner from $4,000 |
| Windows | Are there cracks in the window glass or sills?Or sunken or soft areas in wooden windows? Do aluminium windows look in good condition?Do the windows open easily? | Window replacement $600 - $1500 each |
| Interior Decorations | Try to visualise the house without any furnishings.What condition and colours are the walls and wallpaper?Look under rugs for stains, wear and fading of carpet or discrepancies with wooden floors. | Professionals to Repaint/Paper a house - from $8,000.Re-carpet - From $4,000Re-finish floors - From $1,000 depending on area etc |
| Damp | Can you smell damp?Is there condensation on the windows? Do the walls feel cold/damp? | Depends on the source of the problem - could be a small problem that is inexpensive to fix or could be many thousands (leaky building!) |
| The Driveway and Paving | Are there cracks? Puddles? Weeds growing through? | New driveway from $10,000 |
| Drainage | Is there evidence of water collection or run-off around the house and section?What direction is water likely to go when it rains?Will there be run-off from adjacent property's/land/roads?Are there any drains around the property? | Installing drainage systemsBasic up to $1000Comprehensive upwards of $5000 |
| Sun Aspect | How is the house orientated for sun?Are there surrounding trees, hills or buildings that will cause shade? Do the walls feel cold/damp? | Depends of the source of the shade. Could be impossible to fix! |
For a pdf version of the Propertytoolbox second inspection checklist follow us.
If you are really keen and want to see it all and get dirty, Consumer have a comprehensive checklist that you can use to do your second inspection.
While this second inspection is no substitute for a Building Inspection done by a professional, having a good look around with these things in mind will give you a good understanding of the house and what it is worth to you.
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