Smart ways to approach property inspections in Malanda

What you need to look for during a property inspection

You need to check the structure, the plumbing, the roof, and anything that costs serious money to repair. Most first home buyers walk through a property once, notice the paint colour and the kitchen layout, and miss the things that matter. A cracked slab, a rusted roof valley, or a room addition without council approval can each cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix. You want to spot those problems before you sign a contract, not after settlement when your deposit is gone and your loan is locked in.

Malanda sits at altitude on the Atherton Tablelands, and the climate here does particular things to houses. Termites are active year-round. Timber structures need maintenance. Older homes often have stumps that have shifted or rotted. If you are buying an older Queenslander or a lowset timber home, you need to get under the house with a torch and look at the subfloor. If you are not comfortable doing that yourself, pay someone who is.

Consider a buyer who found a timber cottage near the town centre, built in the 1970s. The agent said it had been well maintained. During the inspection, the buyer noticed soft spots on the back verandah and a slight lean in one corner of the house. A building inspector confirmed two rotted stumps and active termites in the bearer nearest the bathroom. The repair quote came back at $22,000. The buyer used that report to renegotiate the price by $18,000, and the seller agreed. Without that inspection, the buyer would have paid full price and discovered the damage after settlement.

When to book your building and pest inspection

You book your building and pest inspection after your offer is accepted and before the due diligence period ends. In Queensland, most contracts include a 14-day building and pest inspection clause. That clause lets you order reports and pull out of the contract without penalty if the reports show something you cannot live with. You need to book the inspection within the first few days of that period, because the inspector needs time to visit the property, write the report, and get it back to you before the deadline.

If you wait until day 10 to book the inspection, you might not get the report in time. If the report comes back on day 15 and the property has major structural problems, your due diligence period has already passed. You are either stuck with the contract or you are walking away and losing your deposit. Book the inspection on day one or day two.

Some buyers ask whether they need both a building inspection and a pest inspection. In this part of Queensland, you need both. Timber pests are not a minor risk here. They are a certainty over the life of a house. A building inspection covers structure, drainage, roofing, and general condition. A pest inspection covers termites, borers, and fungal decay. You can often book them as a combined service from the same inspector for around $600 to $800 depending on the size and age of the property.

What a building report actually tells you

A building report tells you what is broken, what is wearing out, and what does not meet current building standards. The report separates issues into categories: major defects, minor defects, and safety hazards. A major defect is something that makes the property unsafe or uninhabitable, such as a cracked foundation, a failing roof structure, or a serious drainage problem. A minor defect is something that needs attention but does not threaten the building, such as a cracked tile, a loose gutter bracket, or a door that does not close properly.

You care most about the major defects. If the report lists active termite damage, structural movement, or a roof that is leaking into the ceiling cavity, you have three options. You can ask the seller to fix the problem before settlement. You can ask the seller to reduce the price by the cost of the repair. Or you can walk away from the contract using your due diligence clause.

In another scenario, a buyer inspecting a lowset brick home near the hospital received a report noting cracks in the external brickwork and a downpipe discharging next to the foundation. The inspector flagged both as major defects. The buyer obtained a quote from a structural engineer and a plumber, totalling $14,500. The seller agreed to credit that amount at settlement rather than complete the repairs. The buyer used that credit to arrange the repairs after moving in, and the work was completed within a month. The building report gave the buyer the information needed to make an informed decision and protect the purchase price.

How to inspect a property yourself before paying for a report

You inspect the property yourself first to decide whether it is worth ordering a formal report. You are not trying to replace a licensed inspector. You are trying to spot obvious problems that should stop you from making an offer or that should lower the price you are willing to pay. Walk around the outside of the house and look at the roof, the gutters, the stumps if they are visible, and the ground around the foundation. Look for cracks, rust, sagging rooflines, and anywhere water is pooling.

Go inside and check the walls, ceilings, and floors. Look for cracks in the plasterboard, water stains on the ceiling, soft spots in the floor, and doors or windows that do not sit square in the frame. Open every tap and flush every toilet. Check under the kitchen and bathroom sinks for leaks or water damage. Turn on the stove and the hot water system if the seller allows it. Go into the roof space if there is access. Look for signs of leaks, pests, or electrical work that looks makeshift.

If you are buying in an area prone to flooding or drainage issues, check the yard after heavy rain. Malanda gets reliable rainfall, and some older blocks do not drain well. If water is sitting on the lawn or pooling near the house a day after rain, that block has a drainage problem. Fixing that problem might mean regrading the yard, installing drainage pits, or redirecting stormwater. Get a quote before you commit to the property.

Clauses to include in your contract for due diligence

You include a building and pest inspection clause, and you include a finance clause. The building and pest clause gives you the right to order inspections and terminate the contract if the reports are unsatisfactory. The clause should state the length of the due diligence period, typically 14 days, and specify that you can end the contract by giving written notice to the seller or the agent before the deadline.

The finance clause protects you if your home loan application is not approved. Even if you have pre-approval, the lender will still need to value the property and review the final contract. If the valuation comes in below the purchase price, or if the lender decides the property is not acceptable security, your finance approval can fall through. The finance clause lets you walk away without losing your deposit if that happens. The clause should give you at least 14 days, and ideally 21 days, to obtain unconditional finance approval.

Some contracts also include a clause for council and title searches. That clause gives you time to review the property's zoning, any encumbrances on the title, and whether all structures on the land have council approval. If the seller has added a deck, a carport, or a sleepout without approval, you could be liable for the cost of obtaining that approval or removing the structure after you own the property. Your solicitor or conveyancer will usually arrange these searches, but the clause needs to be in the contract to give you the option to terminate if something comes up.

What to do if the inspection report shows problems

You read the report carefully, get quotes for any repairs, and decide whether the property is still worth buying. If the report shows minor cosmetic issues, you probably proceed without any changes to the contract. If the report shows major structural issues, you have a decision to make.

You can ask the seller to fix the issues before settlement. That option works if the repairs are straightforward and the seller is willing to organise the work. You can ask the seller to reduce the price by the cost of the repair. That option works if you are confident you can arrange the repairs yourself after settlement and you have enough left in your budget to pay for them. Or you can use your due diligence clause to terminate the contract and walk away.

If you are a first home buyer using a low deposit option such as the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, keep in mind that the lender will also review the building report. If the report shows structural problems or pest damage, the lender may refuse to settle the loan until the issues are repaired. That can create a timing problem if the seller will not fix the issues before settlement. Talk to your mortgage broker in Malanda before you make a decision, because the lender's position will affect what options you actually have.

Why you should attend the inspection in person

You should attend the inspection because the written report will not tell you everything. The inspector will talk through the property as they work, and they will explain what they are seeing and why it matters. You can ask questions. You can get a sense of how serious a problem is and whether it is something you can manage or something that should stop you from buying.

Inspectors will often point out maintenance tasks that are not serious enough to list as defects in the report but that you should know about as a new owner. They will show you where the stormwater drains, how to access the roof space, where the electrical switchboard is, and whether the hot water system is near the end of its life. That information helps you plan your budget for the first year of ownership.

If you cannot attend the inspection yourself, ask a family member or a friend who knows buildings to attend on your behalf. Do not rely on the written report alone.

Call one of our team or book an appointment at a time that works for you. We will help you line up pre-approval, confirm what first home buyer schemes and stamp duty concessions apply in Queensland, and make sure your finance is ready before you start inspecting properties in Malanda.

Frequently Asked Questions