I encourage buyers to check council building and plumbing records to ensure that the building has been constructed in accordance with the plans and specifications, as this is usually not included in the scope of our inspections.
It is not uncommon for council-approved buildings, or subsequent additions, to not have building and/or plumbing finals completed. Sometimes disputes between the builder and client have resulted in incomplete building and plumbing final inspections.
This can be very costly to the purchaser as council will require all certificates to be in place prior to issuing a building final. Of particular concern is bathroom (wet area) waterproofing. If a waterproofing certificate is not available the only course of action would be to demolish the bathroom and re-install a waterproofing membrane at significant cost.
Things to check might include:
- If the building has adequate bracing and tie-down
- If the building has the correct timber or steel member sizes
- If the building has adequate footings
- If the wet areas have been waterproofed
- If the building has been approved and had building & plumbing final inspections
- If any additions or alterations have been approved and had final inspection
