Pre-purchase Building Inspections
Who needs a Pre-purchase Building Inspection?
Whether it’s your first home, dream home, beach house, or commercial building, a property purchase is a significant investment. Once the decision is made, it needs to be taken very seriously—you don’t want to end up purchasing a problem. Jim’s Building Inspectors will work with you to ensure peace of mind with a thorough inspection.
These reports will also verify whether the property is worth the asking price, potentially becoming a powerful negotiating tool for new homeowners.
Why these reports are so important
It is very important for a homeowner to not inadvertently purchase a sub-standard property, an investment that could cost many thousands of dollars to put right, but more importantly, you need to keep everyone and everything safe.
The money is a pittance in comparison to the purchase price and the health and welfare of you and your family which is priceless.
This report can be used to survey maintenance requirements of homes and to determine if more thorough, invasive investigations are required, before going ahead with confidence in the purchase.
The last thing you want to do after purchasing is to worry about builders fees.
Download a Sample Report
See a sample pre-purchase building inspection report to understand the depth and clarity of our assessments. This sample provides insight into the detailed information we offer, helping you make informed decisions about your property purchase.
What does a Pre-purchase Building Inspection cover?
Pre-Purchase house inspections are non-destructive, visual inspections of the property, specifically targeting these five areas:
- Exterior and interior roof space areas and materials
- Evaluation of under the floor area including the foundation, framing, insulation, leaks and ground moisture
- Interior/exterior of the property including windows, floors, ceilings and any specific services systems
- Other structures on the site such as sheds and garages
- The site location itself, including factors like drainage, retaining walls, driveways and fencing.
Jim’s Building Inspectors also use instruments such as moisture meters, thermal imaging cameras, scopes and sounding devices, to ensure the most accurate information is described.
Why these reports are so important
Understanding the full condition of a property is crucial before buying or selling. Here’s why detailed inspection reports are essential:
Defect Identification
Identify major, minor and common defects or potential safety hazards (including whether existing building works comply with the New Zealand Building Codes and Standards).
Maintenance Planning
Allow the prospective purchaser to plan and budget for future maintenance and repairs.
Problem Preventions
Identify existing problems before they worsen the condition of the home or property ie attention to weather tightness and moisture checks.
Renovation Planning
Give you the information required to plan future renovation.
Asbestos & Safety Issues
Identify potential asbestos issues and reporting other safety issues.
Price Validation
Allow the prospective purchaser to plan and budget for future maintenance and repairs.
Peace of Mind
Give the buyer peace of mind and confidence to be able to make the buying or selling decisions required.
Negotiation Leverage
Assess compliance with local building codes and regulations: Ensure that the property adheres to all relevant building codes and regulations, helping to avoid costly legal and compliance issues in the future.
We use a range of equipment to help us provide high quality reports
Our inspectors begin with a visual examination to identify visible signs of wear, damage, or non-compliance with building codes. To enhance the accuracy of our inspections, we use a range of specialised tools and instruments, including:
- Moisture meters
- Thermal imaging cameras
- Scopes and sounding devices
These are used to ensure the most accurate information is described in our pre purchase building inspections.
Pre-purchase Inspection Report Packages
Circumstances vary when purchasing a property and in order to cater to your specific needs we have these Pre Purchase property Inspection Packages available.
Need advice choosing a package?
- Standard is our most popular inspection and covers the majority of inspection requirements.
- Premium is usually selected for buildings over 40 years old that may require upgrades to electrical, plumbing & gas. A licensed plumber and electrician will have to be appointed to conduct the plumbing and electrical component of the inspection.
Standard Inspection
This essential check ensures you have a clear understanding of your property’s condition.
Premium Inspection
Detailed analysis of safety hazards, significant defects, minor issues, and additional insights.
Frequently asked questions
What areas do we service?
Jim’s Building Inspections New Zealand have inspectors throughout the region including Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Horowhenua, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Wellington, Kapiti Coast, Otaki, Upper Hutt, Porirua and Lower Hutt valley and look forward to assisting you with your property needs.
Which specific areas do we inspect?
- Exterior roof
- Interior roof
- Under the floor (if applicable),
- Interior/exterior of the property
- Other structures on the site (garages, car ports, sheds),
- The site itself including factors like drainage, retaining walls and fencing
How long does it take?
Through experience, a typical Jim’s Pre-Purchase Inspection for an NZ house takes an hour to complete but can vary depending on factors like accessibility and the number of defects found. Should you wish to be present during the home inspection you are most welcome.
Within 24 hours, your Building Inspector will provide you with an easy to understand, well written pre-purchase builders inspection report, and the opportunity to discuss the findings and ask any questions with the inspector in person or over the phone.
We can also help you understand the risks, if any, of undetected defects. You will also know what factors may have limited the report so you can make an upfront, informed decision.
Whether you are a vendor, home-owner looking after the investment, a builder or agent looking for value investments for clients, remember Jim’s Building Inspections.
What is excluded?
- Second story roofs, these can be inspected by arrangement
- Anything below ground (footage, draining, soil conditions)
- Anything concealed within the walls such as insulation, plumbing and electric wiring
- Anything below ground ie footage, drainage, soil conditions
- Explanation of title or ownership details, planning regulations or advice on specific zoning matters
What do we provide?
Your inspector will provide your finished building report within 24 hours.
The report will include:
- Identification of safety hazards such as Asbestos.
- Identification of any termite damage and what this means.
- Identification of major defects such as anything of a structural nature or anything that requires repair or replacement to stop further damage or prevent emergency works in the immediate future
- Identification of minor defects such as foreseeable property upkeep
- Detailed photos describing the issues
- There are some exclusions in the reports, however, these can be handled separately and specifically if required. Building reports can be customised to your specifications.
Examples of exclusions include:
- Second story roofs – can be inspected by arrangement
- Explanation of title or ownership matters, planning regulations or specific zoning matters
- Issues surrounding compliance with the New Zealand Building Codes and Standards
- Anything below ground (footage, draining’s, soil conditions)
- Anything concealed within the walls like insulation, plumbing and electric wiring
- Jim’s Building Inspections services areas throughout New Zealand. Whether you live in Palmerston North, Wellington, Auckland or Christchurch, we are your local inspector and look forward to assisting you with your home inspections and surveys. Have a look at our testimonials and independent customer reviews. Our house inspectors have the knowledge and job experience in the industry to help for peace of mind.
Get in contact with our team, all it takes is a phone call or email for a no-obligation quote and booking for your quality home or house inspection.