Mr Inspector, a qualified Building Inspector in Melbourne took this photograph taken during a building  inspection in Cheltenham which shows a significantly poor deck footings construction that  is a safety hazard due to possible collapse as the footings were inadequate and non-compliant with Building Code of Australia.

A carpenter had to be engaged and all stump footings removed and adequately replaced.  Mr Inspector inspects all raised areas during the building inspection process including inspecting verandas, pergolas, balustrade safety requirements, decking frames and fencing.

These types of defects are commonly picked up during Mr Inspectors House Inspections and are structural defects which are quite costly to rectify.  It is important to have any home inspected by a qualified building inspector before your purchase.

Mr Inspector has been around since 2004 and carries out pre-purchase building and pest inspections around Melbourne for home buyers and home owners.

A recent building inspection in Cheltenham was thoroughly carried out this week and a number of defects were located.  The detailed inspection report is designed to give home buyers a thorough list of items needing rectification. This included major defects, minor defects, maintenance issues and safety hazards.

Its extremely important for customers to understand the building inspection reports and often our clients read the report and become extremely concerned and decide not to purchase.

Mr Inspector says its very important that home buyers understand that most homes will have issues and it’s the expensive ones that matter. If a home is not maintained it will have maintenance issues that can lead to more concerning problems like footings settlement and cracking.  A good example is a downpipe not connected to storm water which means rain water can flow under the home and into the footings. This can cause mould, stumps to drop or rot and also damp attracts termites.

It’s a simple fix that can prevent issues developing.

It’s very important that once you get your report that you call the inspector to go over the report and potential costs rather than just decide not t proceed.  Some issues are easily rectified and you could be abandoning one property to find worse issues at the nest.

a tile that has been pushed back potentially allowing water ingress

Roof tile detached

Mr Inspectors qualified building inspectors carry out pre-purchase inspections in Melbourne and the bayside area providing comprehensive inspection reports to assist home buyers ascertain potential costs associated with defects.

The purpose of a building inspection is to report on major defects, safety hazards and form an overall opinion on minor defects.

We describe the above defects – what they are, where they are and what needs to be done to rectify or have further assessed and provide photos.

The photograph above depicts a tile that has been pushed back potentially allowing water ingress.  Technically this could be processed as a major defect as it may allow water ingress and further damage.  However, I believe this to be a minor defect as it takes 2 seconds to pull the tile back into place.

If you have any questions at all Mr Inspectors qualified inspectors are on the phone until 10.30 p.m.

Mr Inspector took the above photograph during a building inspection in Cheltenham and shows, not only termites, but  the importance of having a qualified house inspector in Melbourne to carry out your building and pest inspections to locate defects and termite infestation that normally would not be picked up.

During a Building and Pest Inspection, Mr Inspector thoroughly inspects all external garden areas for defects and termites including timber sleepers, fences, sheds, garages, pergolas, carports, verandas, decks and balconies.

Inspecting these areas forms  part of the pest inspection process and is essential as termites could be attacking other structures close to the home and may eventually head towards your house.

The photograph above depicts termites that were located in a timber sleeper in the rear garden during a building inspection. It is important to check all timber located around the house including fences, old tree stumps that have been cut and firewood in contact with the ground.

If termites are located in the yard areas, this increases the chance that they can enter the house.  If you have any queries or questions relating to building and pest inspections, please contact Mr Inspector who can assist.