(07) 3219 2777
Environpest Preferred Building Inspectors
If you’re in the process of buying your dream home, it is time to consider who you should choose to inspect your home from a building inspection perspective. Our home is for most of us the single biggest investment we'll ever make, so we want to get it right.
We are not fans of the combined building and pest inspections. To us, they're two very different disciplines, and it's very difficult for the inspector to remain up to date in both disciplines. It's pretty difficult for a timber pest inspector to keep up to date with what the hand railing height requirements were of a home built 10 years ago, just as it's pretty difficult for a building inspector to keep up to date with the latest advances in termite detection and treatment techniques.
It is also extremely important that your inspectors be independent. The best advice we can possibly give is to engage your building and pest inspectors independently of anyone having an interest in the sale proceeding. Those inspectors who are reliant on referrals from agents for example, may be loath to write a critical report for fear they may not get referred next time. Engage consultants that have your interests as the purchaser at heart.
Independent building inspection costs on typical normal sized homes range from $340.00 to $600.00. This pricing is a guide only, and larger homes can be more expensive than this. Combined with an Environpest pre-purchase timber pest inspection for a normal domestic home at $264.00, you can look towards an inspection cost of $604.00 to $864.00. This is a true reasonable cost of truly independent reports that will provide you with credible information to assist you in the decision making process about your new home, and the maintenance issues you are likely to face in the future.
The alternative is combined building and pest inspections from just $300.00. Unfortunately, these inspectors make up a large percentage of the dispute reporting we do on behalf of our clients, where clients have been found to have bought a home on poor advice, and then have no option but to launch legal actions for recovery of their unexpected costs when their homes were found to not be what they'd been led to believe.
Following are some Building Inspectors we have found to be a cut above the rest that perform inspections very much with their clients' interests at heart.
Eric Pickering
Eric Pickering is from Pickering & Associates. Eric is a past Chairman and current committee member of the Queensland Master Builders Institute of Building Consultants, , and a past chairman of the Master Builders National Consultants Group. Eric is also a registered mediator in the Commercial & Consumer Tribunal (previously the Queensland Building Tribunal). Extremely thorough, and impeccably qualified, Eric can be contacted on (07) 3263 8658 or by e-mail at: pickasoc@bigpond.net.au
Roger Karrasch
Roger is an Archicentre architect, a registered builder and Queensland Master Builders Association member. Heavily involved in the termite issue too, Roger was also at the Government Termite Working Group that produced the Queensland Building Code amendments. Through the Archicentre, Roger does pre-purchase building inspections, and a substantial part of his business is giving evidence on behalf of his clients in the Commercial & Consumer Tribunal (previously the Queensland Building Tribunal) on building defects. Very thorough, and the absolute best of the Archicentre inspectors.
Roger can be contacted at (07) 3378 6785, or emailed at karrasch.r.h@bigpond.com
Rod Hall
Rod is a registered builder and Queensland Master Builders Association and Institute of Building Consultants member. He has Alert Home Inspections. Very thorough.
Rod can be contacted at 0414 617 967, or emailed at rod@altertinspections.com.au. He also has a web site at www.alertinspections.com.au.
Queensland Master Builders Institute of Building Consultants
The Queensland Master Builders Institute of Building Consultants have a range of members eminently qualified in their respective disciplines. They have on on-line presence at http://www.masterbuilders.asn.au/find_a_member.cfm and have a searchable database of members in their Find a Member section.
Mark has been an active member of the Queensland Master Builders Association's Institute of Building Consultants for some time now. He has been a committee member since 2005, and was chairman from 2007 to 2009.
The QMBA Institute of Building Consultants can be contacted on (07) 3225 6444
Rob McEachran
Rob McEachran was one of the best building inspectors I had the good fortune to meet and work with. Whilst completing more than just a competent building inspection, he also had a vision for what could be done with a property to improve it's liveability and/or resale value, that few inspectors have. Rob had Upfront Building Inspections, and was a lecturer at the Yeronga TAFE Building courses, and as a consequence was well qualified to provide Building Inspections. Rob was also a member of the Queensland Master Builders Institute of Building Consultants. Rob was plucked from being a carpentry lecturer, to assist in the development of the TAFE as it transitioned to the 23 acre site at Acacia Ridge (the old BHP steel rolling mill).
Sadly, Rob passed away unexpectedly whilst on holidays at Cabarita, NSW with his wife and two young sons (10 & 12) over the Christmas 2008 break. Rob had a brain aneurism whilst surfing with his boys, and was in a coma for 10 days before passing. Rob is sadly missed by all who knew him. Rest in peace, mate!
© Mark Porter 2009
Get it right the first time!
