The most common issues in a home

Promoted by Before You Bid.

When selling a property, it’s important to make the sales process as seamless as possible for potential buyers, and providing the building and pest reports up front is one way to do this. Not only will this extra customer service have you stand out, it will also allow interested parties to make offers immediately as well as reduce the risk of an issue coming up towards the end of the campaign.

Before You Bid delivers independent reports from trusted inspectors, so buyers and sellers can share the information and cost of the one report. When commissioning an inspection of your property, here are the common issues that an inspector will assess:

Water damage

Water damage is one of the most common defects when owning and maintaining a home. These problems largely develop through improper maintenance and tend to show up as water staining, standing water or fungal decay. This often leads to a domino effect, as excessive moisture creates prime conditions for pest activity to develop.

Play close attention to:

Outdated, deteriorating or incompatible piping (i.e. old/insufficient gutter pipes or draining in the kitchen/bathroom)
Shower and roof leaks
Mould growth and structural cracking (both key signs of an internal leak)

Roof damage

It is critical to assess the roof of a property due to its direct exposure to mother nature. Although they do last a long time, roofs will all begin to degrade eventually, especially in the harsh Australian climate. The most common issue is cracked or slipped tiles, which left untreated can let in moisture and pests.

Your inspector will also need to assess the accumulation of buildup in gutter pipes, damaged roofline, and decay, including both the inside and outside of the roof.

Pest infestation

Termites are small, destructive insects that thrive in warm, damp and dark conditions – meaning most homes in Australia are susceptible to the little critters due to our warm and damp climate.

These pests aren’t always easy to spot but a few signs that termites might be in a home include mud shelter tubes, hollow sounding timber, sagging floors, cracked paint or plaster and power failures.

Structural defects

Unless you know what you’re looking for, structural defects can easily be missed by the untrained eye. The most common reasons for structural defects can be from general wear and tear, pests, leaks and lack of maintenance. These defects can include fractured foundation walls, damaged rafters in the roof and subsiding stumps and concrete slabs, which can all be a costly exercise to repair.

What next?

When selling a home, there is a lot to think about. An inspection report is an essential step in the home buying process, and you should be on the front foot by having a report upfront. This process will safeguard and arm you with all the information to better control your campaign. If you would like to know more about Before You Bid, visit beforeyoubid.com.au