Pre Purchase Pest Inspection

Buying a home in Albury Wodonga?

You need a pre-purchase pest inspection

What is a pre-purchase pest inspection?

A pre-purchase pest inspection on a property of interest for a homebuyer, is more than just a termite inspection. As the name of the inspection suggests, we are not only looking for termites but we are looking for other timber pests (such as borers and wood decay fungi).

These pre-purchase pest inspections are vital for home buyers (and should not be skipped). Not only do they pick up current activity but will flag potential issues that need to be fixed to prevent future problems, such as drainage, ventilation and construction issues, all of which could make the property susceptible to termite attack.

This is important information for homeowners to make sure they don’t make an expensive mistake and can use the information to negotiate on price if they decide to proceed.

Pre-purchase pest inspection agreement

As you can imagine, the information in a pre-purchase pest inspection can make or break a sale. As such before any pre-purchase inspection, a pre-inspection agreement is required. This is to make sure the homebuyer understands what will be carried out in the inspection and its limitations.

For example, it is important to realise that these inspections (like the standard termite inspection) are visual pest inspections – by law we are not allowed to damage any walls or skirting boards or even move any boxes or furniture. Sometimes the home seller will deliberately try and hide a problem. If we suspect such a problem, we will highlight the issue in the report and recommend a further “invasive” inspection (which the home seller may or may not allow).