Pre-Purchase Building Inspections Sydney

An independent check of the house or apartment before you exchange or bid, with a plain-English photo report within 24 hours.

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Reviewed by Maison Azdari, Co-Founder, Senior Building Consultant & Expert Witness

When should you get a pre-purchase inspection in Sydney?

Get a pre-purchase building inspection in Sydney before you exchange contracts or bid at auction. The NSW cooling-off period is only 5 business days on a private sale, it costs 0.25% of the price to use, and there is none at auction, so the report needs to be in your hands before you commit.

Fully Licensed & Accredited

Independently verified with every regulator and industry body we work under

Building & Plumbing Commission

Registration CDB-U 53425

NSW Fair Trading

Licence 366177C

Queensland Building & Construction Commission

Licence 15249792

Australian Society of Building Consultants

SIP Member #141

Strata Community Association

Member #41288

Building Dispute Practitioners Society

Member #01560

Know What You Are Buying Before You Exchange

In Sydney the inspection usually has to fit between the open home and the exchange or auction, often within a few days. Tell us your deadline when you ask for a quote and we plan around it. Your inspector checks the property for structural defects, cracking, damp, roof problems and safety hazards, and the report shows a photo of every finding so you can decide whether to go ahead, renegotiate or walk away.

Building Only, or Building and Pest?

For a house, townhouse or ground-floor unit, add the pest inspection: termites are active across Sydney and the damage is rarely visible at an open home. For an apartment above ground level, a building inspection of the unit is often enough, and a strata report on the owners corporation records tells you about the rest of the building.

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What Sydney Buyers Should Look Out For

NSW Contractor Licence 366177C (Builder)

Renovations without approval

Older Sydney houses have often been extended or altered. We note work that looks recent or non-standard, such as enclosed verandahs, converted garages and new bathrooms, so your conveyancer can check the council approvals.

Strata apartments

Balcony leaks, failed shower waterproofing and cracking in shared walls are common. Inside the unit we check what you can see and test; for the building itself, read the strata records for defect claims and special levies.

Damp below sandstone and on slopes

Homes cut into sandstone slopes on the North Shore, the Northern Beaches and the Shire can have water seeping through retaining walls and subfloors. We test for moisture and trace where it is coming from.

Recently built homes

A home finished in the last six years may still be covered by the NSW statutory warranty: six years for major defects and two years for other defects. The report gives you a dated record if you need to make a claim against the builder.

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What Is in Your Sydney Report

Your Sydney pre-purchase report opens with a summary of major defects, minor defects and safety hazards, so you can see in a minute what matters, then works through the property area by area with photos.

Structure: footings, walls, floors and roof framing
Cracking and movement, and whether it needs an engineer
Roof covering, flashings, gutters and roof space
Subfloor framing, ventilation and moisture
Bathrooms, laundry and kitchen, with moisture readings
Balconies, decks, retaining walls and drainage
Safety hazards, such as loose balustrades
A summary page you can hand to your conveyancer

Tell us about the property and your deadline, and see your quote for a Sydney pre-purchase inspection online.

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Pre-Purchase Building Inspections Sydney: inspector checking a home

Pre-Purchase Inspections Across Greater Sydney

Owner Inspections also services nearby areas including:

Bondi Randwick Chatswood North Sydney Mosman Manly Parramatta Ryde Castle Hill Kellyville Blacktown Penrith Liverpool Bankstown Sutherland Cronulla

Get Your Free Expert Quote Today

Need a Sydney pre-purchase inspection? Our qualified inspectors are ready to assess your property and provide a comprehensive, professional report.

Get Your Quote 1300 471 805

Latest Tools and Technology

We use state-of-the-art equipment to deliver accurate and comprehensive inspections

Cloud-Based Reports

Thermal Imaging Camera

Moisture Hygrometer

Termatrac T3i Radar

Digital Inclinometer

DJI Mavic 3 Drone

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Pre-Purchase Building Inspections Sydney: FAQs

Answers to common questions from Sydney buyers

Yes, and you should. There is no cooling-off at a NSW auction, so once the hammer falls you are bound. Tell us the auction date when you ask for a quote and we will book around it.

On a private residential sale you have 5 business days after exchange to cool off. If you pull out, you forfeit 0.25% of the price. The vendor can ask you to waive cooling-off with a section 66W certificate from your solicitor, which is another reason to inspect before you exchange.

Yes. Apartments have their own defects: balcony and shower leaks, cracking and damage from water coming down from above. The inspection covers the unit and what can be seen of the common areas. Pair it with a strata report to check the building records for defect claims and levies.

A building inspection (AS 4349.1) checks the structure and condition of the property. A pest inspection (AS 4349.3) checks for termites, borers and wood rot. They are separate reports. For most Sydney houses we recommend both, booked together as a building and pest inspection.

Within 24 hours of the inspection, by email and text message link. Your inspector will also talk you through the findings by phone.

It depends on the property type, its size and where it is. You get a fixed quote online before you book, with no travel charges anywhere in Greater Sydney.