Doric Property Inspections Pty Ltd is a locally owned and operated business, independent of any real estate agents or similar bodies. We provide building and pest reports Sydney.
Doric Property Inspections has been operating since 1997 and is fully insured with professional Indemnity insurance cover for $500,000 and Public Liability Cover of $5,000,000. Sean (John) O’Connell is also a member of the Master Builders Association (accredited building consultant by the Master Builders) and holder of a current unrestricted builders licence since 1992.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. Typically all buildings should have a pest inspection at a minimum of every 12 months; structures which are a high risk may require inspections to be carried out several times a year (unless wholly built of concrete and brick or block work).
Pest Inspections of Units
Units constructed with timber flooring, door/window frames, walls and ceilings (i.e. joists, studs and rafters) should have regular pest inspections, however it is advisable to research the building history regarding these inspections which are often carried out on instruction of the body corporate along with regular maintenance (this can be assessed once on site and carried out at the same time as the building report if required).
After conducting thousands of inspections over the past 20 odd years: I often get calls from new and old clients, requesting pre-purchase inspections, even though they have access to a vendors or agents report. Generally; the client’s main concern, is the quality and accuracy of the reports provided and potential omissions in the reports of significant defects, and extreme costs should they surface after the new paint and filler begin to crack becoming evident after a couple of wet and dry seasons.
I have personally carried out numerous pre-purchase inspections, and in comparison, to the vendor’s inspections, could have possibly been a pre-purchase report of a completely different house! With items such as rising damp, severe timber pest damage, unsafe and illegal wiring and structural repairs required, such as underpinning, severely corroded lintels and RSJs (rolled steel joists) and split and unsafe roof framework. Which could possibly result in serious injury or death and most certainly expensive to have rectified (possibly in excess of 100k). This could have been avoided for around $500.00
In 2009 the NSW government stopped licencing for building inspectors, which allowed a flood of newcomers to the industry, resulting in inferior reports, and uninsured inspectors and more than likely an increase in complaints to the department of fair trading. When searching for accredited inspectors, it would be advisable to consult such bodies as the Master Builders Association, who carry out out annual checks on all registered consultants, requesting current insurance and licences (professional indemnity and public liability insurance and current building licences).
There is an interesting link to the Sydney Morning Herald on the testimonial page of this site regarding unqualified building inspectors, which is worth a read.
