Inspections a pest issue for home buyers in a rush

EXPERTS are warning Gold Coast house hunters to have a building and pest inspection when buying a property.

They say buyers can sometimes skip important steps in their house hunting “to do’’ list, which could be a costly mistake once they have signed on the dotted line. Real Estate Institute of Queensland Gold Coast chairman Andrew Henderson said building and pest inspections were a must.

He said the decline in the number of buyers conducting inspections could be due to an increase in home renovations.

“We have been through a big phase of renovations being popular and buyers probably don’t feel it is as necessary,” Mr Henderson said.

“Building and pest reports can provide buyers with peace of mind when they make one of the largest financial commitments they ever make.

“A good building inspector will protect you from making an expensive mistake by uncovering hidden building faults and they let you know estimated costings for any repair works that need to be done.”

Mr Henderson said the cost of the service could range anywhere from $350 to $800.

A report conducted for ME Bank last year found buyers were spending less than 60 minutes inspecting a property.

The bank also recently found an estimated one-infour homes in Australia would be invaded by destructive pests, like termites, at some stage.

“Make no mistake people, the termites are here in plague proportions on the Gold Coast,” Mr Henderson said.