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Building inspections-what can you do on your own?

One very important thing to do before agreeing to purchase a house and effecting the transfer of the same to you is conducting a building inspection. Here are some tips from a Brisbane building inspection company


Building inspection entails a physical examination of the house in order to ensure that the building conform to the building codes of foundation, electrical wiring, health and safety standards, among other considerations. It is incumbent upon an intending purchaser to effect a building inspection before possession in order to ensure a safe and comfortable stay in the house. This process is an attempt at ensuring the property conveyed to the purchaser is in a habitable state, thereby meeting the objectives of purchasing the property in the first place. Furthermore, a building inspection is necessary if one is acquiring property with an objective of later conveying it to another person.

Building inspections can be done professionally or on a non-professional basis. Professional building inspections are conducted by professionals while non-professional ones are conducted by lay persons. It is highly recommended to contract the services of a professional building inspector, owing to the risks involved in the purchase of houses.

In conducting the building inspection, a professional building inspector will keenly analyze the potential problems that could crop and later pose a liability to the owner of the house in the future.

The areas analyze by a building inspector include the electrical condition of the building. Building inspection digs deep into the wiring process of the house ensuring that fire hazard are identified before they eventually lead to harm. Furthermore, building inspection covers the plumbing of the house: identifying leaks and assessing the drainage systems. This is a very important exercise as a poor drainage system is hazardous, especially where children are involved.
The structure of the house also needs the assessment by a professional in conducting a building inspection. This procedure is aimed at analyzing whether the house was properly built, and if it can withstand tensions such as tremors. Most buildings collapse due to poor workmanship.

Other areas to be looked into include damage to girders, walls and the columns.

Having recommended the hiring of a professional building inspector, I am not completely ruling out the option of conducting a simple and non-professional building inspection by a layperson. A commonsense approach should be taken, and simple defects pointed out upon their identification.

A layperson could analyze places such as the doors, thus ensuring that they function normally, and that they are professionally structured. You do not need an expert to do that for you.

Secondly, a lay person can conduct a building inspection by checking out the function of the windows and ensuring they are properly framed. The walls and ceiling should also be analyzed by looking out for cracks and damp stains on the ceilings. This process needs a keen eye.

Important rooms such as the kitchens, bathrooms and toilets should be thoroughly inspected to make sure that all the fittings are of good quality. Check for leaks during the building inspection in these areas.

The plumbing and electrical appliances can also be analyzed by a lay person while exercising abundant caution.

Mia

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