Frequently Asked Questions

Your house and property are your biggest investment – don’t risk it, let us do your homework for you. You are provided with a quality service by a professional specialist building and land inspection company.

This new Inspection Report is completed when preparing the property to proceed to sale:-

• Provides a convenient and single point of contact for all service providers and certifications.
• Provides opportunity to rectify potential issues and points of concern prior to listing.
• Maximises the return on their investment through property presentation and simple repairs and maintenance.
• Ensures all checks have been carried out and validated with Local Government.

For the seller, the Building Inspection Certificate provides a hassle free service, including:-

• Reducing processing time and holdups in getting the contract to settlement.
• Eliminating the need for separate reports from various service providers.

Prior to the sale of any property, prospective buyers must ascertain the following:

• All building and plumbing approvals and permits have been issued.
• All structures pertaining to the property comply with relevant standards and regulations.
• All building inspections have been carried out prior to the property being put on the market.

The Building Inspection Certificate can be voluntarily given by the seller as an assurance that all standards and regulations have been met regarding the property.

The buyer will also view the Building Inspection Certificate as a time and cost saving process that they would normally have to take responsibility for when purchasing a property.

When selling a property it is now mandatory to be Building compliant. As more property owners are undertaking Do-It-Yourself (D.I.Y.) projects, B.I.C. has recognised the growing likelihood of property non-compliance. Building compliance requires existing Council documents and plans to be checked and validated against what is currently on site.

The following are requirements which B.I.C. can assist with, in conjunction with Council:-

• Building approvals and permits
• Extensions, alterations and additions
• Building Compliance
• Local Government Approvals
• Copyright Act 1968 Compliance
• Identification Survey (boundaries and buildings).

Yes. The Building Inspection Certificate and Inspection Report can form part of the Contract of Sale.

Some benefits include:-

• fees are payable at the time of settlement *, with no upfront costs.
• Processing and document preparation time can be reduced for conveyancers, financial institutions, valuers and real estate agents, so contracts can be exchanged earlier.

* Subject to terms & conditions

Yes. A Building Inspection Certificate and Inspection Report can be obtained at any time, although we recommend they be undertaken as part of the preparation process prior to listing.

Undertaking a Building Inspection Certificate and Inspection Report after listing could generate renewed interest in the property by instilling more confidence in the prospective buyer and removing uncertainty for the seller.

Yes. In the same way you get a roadworthy for your car, you can sell your own home privately with a certified Building Inspection Certificate.

Who has better knowledge of their own property? This is an ideal opportunity for the property owner to sell their home privately. You can be confident when you “home-worthy your house”.

At B.I.C. we can assist:-

• The property owner with presentation, styling, decluttering, and general maintenance, all of which can add value to the overall sale price.
• Co-ordinating service providers to carry out improvements, repairs and maintenance, as requested by the owner.

As the potential purchaser of a property, pre-purchase inspections from B.I.C. will provide you with reassurance in the condition of the property.

A pre-purchase building inspection will also check for structural issues …you can be assured the property is “home-worthy”.

Even if the current owner decides NOT to rectify some issues which have been revealed in a pre-purchase inspection, you will be aware of these issues and an approximate cost to remedy them before committing to the purchase.

B.I.C. offer the following pre-purchase inspections:-

• Standard visual building and pest inspections. This is a general overview of the structural condition of the property and recommended only for properties built after 2000. All accessible internal and external areas will be visually inspected for timber pests.
• Comprehensive building and pest inspections. A more thorough inspection of the condition and structure of the property, recommended for properties built before 2000. All accessible internal and external areas will be thoroughly inspected for timber pests.

When selling a property it is now mandatory to be Building compliant. As more property owners are undertaking Do-It-Yourself (D.I.Y.) projects, B.I.C. has recognised the growing likelihood of property non-compliance. Building compliance requires existing Council documents and plans to be checked and validated against what is currently on site.

The following are requirements which B.I.C. can assist with, in conjunction with Council:-

• Building approvals and permits
• Extensions, alterations and additions
• Building Compliance
• Local Government Approvals
• Copyright Act 1968 Compliance
• Identification Survey (boundaries and buildings).

Due Diligence is making an informed decision by finding out as much as possible about the property.

It is up to the potential buyer to undertake their own Due Diligence, and in Victoria a new Due Diligence checklist has recently been introduced.

B.I.C. can assist you with all you Due Diligence requirements.