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The Importance of a Property Inspection

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The Importance of a Property Inspection

With so many costs surrounding the purchase of a new home, it’s understandably tempting to cut corners where possible. LIM reports, loan application fees, conveyancing fees, property rates, property insurance – the list goes on. And that’s on top of the more obvious things like deposits and moving costs.

But can you imagine anything worse than going through all of those steps, spending all that money… and then finding out the hard way that there’s something seriously wrong with the property? It’s better to add a little extra to your bills upfront than risk everything falling down around you – possibly in a very real sense. You can’t put a price on peace of mind.

Much of the same logic applies when you’re selling your house. To ensure that you and the buyer have a streamlined sale, it’s good to either fix up any problems before you put your property on the market, or to be upfront about any aspects of the home that need a little attention. Keeping yourself in the dark when you know that there may be problems just means that you’re likely to complicate things down the track when buyers back out because they’ve baulked at the report that’s come back.

Dealing with established professionals in any field is important. When it comes to housing, though, that importance is even greater. Whether it’s somewhere you and your family will be living or an investment property, you need that assurance that the home’s inhabitants are safe and secure.

At The Property Inspectors, our core value is to continuously improve our knowledge – and as such, we’re always up-to-date on new issues arising in the building industry and any changing legislation or guidelines established by regulatory bodies. Don’t forget, you can check out a sample building report on our website – so you can see just how thorough an inspection we perform.

Working with seasoned professionals also means tapping into networks that they create. An established property inspection company is going to have a whole lot of recommendations for who you can trust when it comes to repairs.

So whether you’re buying or selling, make sure you’ve got the peace of mind you need to take the next step – and get in touch for a property inspection from professionals that you can trust.

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Why you need to look – and inspect – before you take the plunge

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Why you need to look – and inspect – before you take the plunge

If you’ve been on The Property Inspectors mailing list for a while, you may remember that a couple of years ago I talked about the Auckland housing market. And while time has passed, properties are in just as hot demand as they have ever been (if not even more). It can be a bumpy road to home ownership, but here are a few things to remember when you’re on the hunt for a new house – whether it’s an investment property or somewhere you want to call home.

I stressed this last time, and I’ll stress it again – don’t buy sight unseen. While purchasing a house is seen a rite of passage of sorts, it’s important to remember that it’s a really big financial decision. Just because a home is within your budget and looks lovely in all the photos doesn’t mean that you should jump on it as soon as it pops up on your radar.

And when you’re looking, you need to really look. That means more than just a cursory tour – it means examining it thoroughly yourself, and enlisting the help of a property inspector to ensure that there aren’t any nasty surprises hidden in a home that looks just fine to the untrained eye.

So, since you’re making sure to have a proactive look at the property before making any decisions, there are some crucial things to keep in mind – things that are all about your needs and wants, rather than the attention to detail that an inspection will provide.

  1. Where it is. It may seem obvious, but there’s a lot more to a suburb than a good school or a nice set of shops. Be sure to consider your transportation options – just because it’s handy to your current job, is it going to be a nightmare of a commute if you get relocated to another area of the city? With lots of companies shifting some or all operations from the CBD to areas like Rosedale and East Tamaki, what may be a quick run into town can turn into something rather different if you’re going into a different flow of traffic.
  2. Natural light and airflow. Ventilation has come up as a talking point in previous months – so if you’re buying a home, it pays to make sure that the property in question has decent airflow and windows. And natural sunlight isn’t just a pleasant extra; it can go a long way to keeping rooms more inhabitable in colder months.
  3. Storage space. What’s the cupboard and cabinet situation like? While plenty of modern houses will have adequate built-in wardrobes and storage spaces, some older homes won’t be so well fitted out. Take into account how much stuff you have that will need stashing – because if it doesn’t fit into the existing facilities, you’re going to have some serious extra carpentry or furniture bills to take care of down the track.
  4. Layout. Make sure that the house’s layout suits your needs. Have you got a toddler that needs a room next door to the master bedroom? Or do you have wayward teens whose racket could do with a staircase between them and the rest of the house? Things can look great, but if they don’t function in harmony with your lifestyle, you’re not going last long there.
  5. Privacy. Does the master bedroom look right into the neighbours’ bathroom? Will your kids be able to run amok in the backyard without parenting evaluations from the woman from next-door’s deckchair? Some privacy issues can be rectified with fences and hedges – but as we’ll have all seen in the media, there are lots of neighbourly and council-related issues that can come up.

It may seem like a wild housing market world out there, but there are plenty of opportunities for the dedicated house-hunter. And once you’ve found one that seems to tick all of the boxes, give me a call – I’ll make sure that it ticks all of the official ones too.

Needing a Property Inspection?

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Getting good guttering

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Getting good guttering

It’s been a little barmy just how balmy this autumn has been – but while the temperatures have been staying summery, rain has still been on the rise. So, with rain in mind, May’s focus is on guttering. It’s been quite a while since I last talked about the importance of quality gutter construction, so it seemed high time to revisit things and remind you of some of the ins and outs of taking care of your pipes.

Maintenance

Household maintenance is important in a lot of areas of your home – and gutter maintenance is right up there. If you don’t have gutter protectors installed – and especially if you have tall trees anywhere near your house – then you need to be extra vigilant about debris clogging things up. Be sure to clean things out at least twice year – ideally once in spring, and once in autumn.

Scrubbing up nicely

In terms of what you need to do to get things cleared out, it’s fairly straightforward. Clean out the debris and muck into a bucket – and empty it regularly as you move around the house, so as not to overbalance yourself on the ladder.

Once that’s done, be sure to flush the gutter with a hose – this will not only make sure that things are thoroughly washed away, but will also allow you to check whether the downpipe is blocked at all. If that’s the case, you may need to call in the professionals.

If you encounter any leaks in the pipes when you’re getting things cleaned, you can seal them up by caulking the inside of the problem area with a dedicated gutter sealant.

Taking care

Make sure to take care when you’re doing this, though – ladders need to be in good working order and placed on stable ground. If you’re not confident in your balance and strength when above the ground, it may be best to hire a contractor.

A clean gutter means that water won’t get backed up, and debris won’t wear away at your roof and guttering system. So take the time to keep things tidy, and you’ll thank yourself down the track when you have a functional, trouble-free gutter for a long time!

And as ever, if you need a professional opinion on the gutters or any other part of your home or a house you are potentially buying, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. I’m always happy to investigate and let you know what’s looking good and what may need a little bit of work. We all want to have homes that are safe and healthy for us and our families, after all.

Needing a Property Inspection?

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Breathe easy with proper ventilation

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Breathe easy with proper ventilation

This month, with temperatures finally starting to cool down, I thought it was a good time to examine the importance of proper ventilation. We’ve touched on it in passing in previous newsletters, but this time, it’s the focus – hopefully you’ll learn something new to help make your home a healthier place for you and your family.

Let’s get down to basics. When people talk about ventilation, what exactly are they talking about? On the most straightforward level, ventilation is the intentional flow of air from outdoors to indoors (and back out). This can be as simple as air coming through a window, or as complex as a gadget-packed whole-house system.

So why is ventilation important? There’s air inside, there’s air outside… what difference does it make? In fact, there’s a whole host of reasons, including:

  • Reduced condensation. Ventilation is a key way to control moisture in the home. And moisture migration can lead to all kinds of nasty things – from aesthetic concerns like peeling wallpaper to more pressing issues like mould and mildew development (which we’ll go into in more detail further down).
  • Getting rid of allergens. If there’s insufficient airflow in your home, things like dust and pollen can get trapped indoors, leading to nasty allergic reactions if anyone in the family has sensitivities. Making sure that living spaces are well-ventilated means the whole family can breathe more easily!
  • Protecting everyone! You don’t have to have allergies to have your health affected by poor ventilation. Everything from smoke to bacteria to carbon dioxide and other gases can build up when they don’t have an easy way to escape, meaning that anyone can be at risk of complications from just breathing the air at home.

The health benefits are reason alone, but even the plain unpleasant effects of poor ventilation can be a real pain. Whether it’s the mirror fogging up after every shower, smoke lingering in the kitchen after a cooking experiment gone awry, or a damp corner of the house starting to take a turn for the worse, you don’t have to put up with it.

There’s one very simple way to make some headway towards better ventilation in your home, and it doesn’t require any fancy gadgets or installations.

Just open your doors and windows! It’s not always possible, of course, when it’s raining or especially windy, but allowing as much natural airflow in from the garden as possible is a great way to encourage air circulation.

Keeping interior doors open also helps – so if your moody teen keeps shutting themselves away in their room, you can use the ‘for the good of your health’ argument to get that door open!

If the weather’s too cold to leave windows open for a long period of time, it’s still worth airing things out for a few minutes at a time.

Keeping windows and doors open isn’t the be all and end all. Make sure that you’ve got extractor fans in your bathroom, laundry and kitchen, even if you’ve got an external window. You don’t want to have to keep the window wide open during your bath through all the winter months…

If you find that your situation still needs some help, it could be worth looking at a home ventilation system – the two main types are positive pressure heat transfer systems and balanced pressure heat recovery systems. Keep in mind that while you might see a small temperature increase, ventilation alone isn’t enough to keep your house warm in winter, and you’ll need to make sure you’ve got a heating solution in place too.

For people on the verge of selling their home, a property inspection report will indicate whether or not your ventilation is up to scratch – and you can sort out whether anything needs sorting out before going to market.

Remember: a ventilated home is a happy, healthy home. So protect your family’s wellbeing this winter and get serious about that airflow.

Needing a Property Inspection?

We offer detailed and thorough property inspections with a same-day turnaround!

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Eyes out for a hitch in the kitchen

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Eyes out for a hitch in the kitchen

Hi there,

Autumn already! How did that happen? It’s still feeling fairly summery at the moment, but as the temperature starts to drop a little it can be the perfect time to do some home checks and maintenance without dropping from the heat. This month, kitchens are the hot topic.

Your kitchen is one of the areas of your house that sees the most use – but it’s also the most expensive room to replace and update. Even a house with a 1960s kitchen can be extremely expensive to bring up to 21st century expectations – so we’ve listed a few things to really look out for.

Appliances

When you’re looking at a property, investigate the appliances. Are they coming with the house, or are you going to need to provide your own? And if they are coming with the house, you’ll need to check them out to make sure that you aren’t getting saddled with shoddy whiteware and gadgets.

  • Is the dishwasher working (does it actually wash the dishes?) and is it hooked up to water supply as it should be?
  • Do the igniters work if there’s a gas hob?
  • Does the range hood vent to the exterior of the building?
  • If there’s a waste disposal, is it all bark and no bite? Make sure that it does actually dispose of waste, rather than just make a lot of noise.

Don’t presume anything based on how new or tidy appliances look – be sure to put them through their paces. While many items may be listed as chattels, inspections can’t always tell you how well any individual appliance works. Things can turn on and appear to be doing the trick, but there’s ‘turning on’ and then there’s ‘actually working’. You don’t want an oven that can’t gauge temperature properly and always burns the pavlova!

When you’re budgeting for your move, it’s always important to have some wriggle room – you might suddenly find yourself forking out for things you didn’t expect. And no one wants to buy a property and then spend more money on replacing appliances that you thought were working when you put the money down!

Plumbing

If plumbing is a problem, you aren’t going to be having a good time in your kitchen. Just because there are no obvious leaks doesn’t mean it isn’t worth having the pipes thoroughly checked out – if you know what sort of state they are in, you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into. It could be that a pricey style of piping has been used, leaving you with a large bill should the worst happen. Or if something cheap and less reliable has been used, knowing that your long-term household budget may need to include major plumbing repairs is equally important.

On the plumbing front, it’s also important to check the bits that aren’t hidden away. Check on the taps in the kitchen to see that everything is flowing properly and hot and cold water is coming out of the appropriate taps. Give the tap a wiggle, and make sure that there’s no leakage through the body of the tap – if there is, it’s often cheaper to replace than repair. Since the kitchen taps are generally where you’ll be getting your drinking water from (more so than bathroom or laundry taps), you want to be sure that there’s no unpleasant taste.

Ventilation

When you cook, the air can get full of steam, smoke, moisture and all sorts of things that can make the air stuffy. Ventilation is really important – you need to know that there are windows that can open or an extractor fan if it’s in an enclosed area.

Your needs

As well as all the practicals that are applicable to everyone, it’s worth thinking hard about exactly what your own needs in a kitchen are. Electric or gas? Amount of counter space? Pantry size? For any element that isn’t quite to your liking, you need to consider just how much it will bother you as time goes by. If it’s going to be a deal breaker, either start looking elsewhere, or work out how you can factor the needed changes into your budget.

Unfortunately, most of us are buying second-hand houses, and nothing lasts forever – no matter how well maintained it is. But if you take that thought – and these tips – into consideration, you’ll have a much happier house-hunting time. And of course, get in touch to book an inspection if you need a professional perspective.

Needing a Property Inspection?

We offer detailed and thorough property inspections with a same-day turnaround!

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Care for your water systems

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Care for your water systems

I hope you’ve had an excellent start to 2016 – and a summer with as few household hiccups as possible. There are always new things to learn about your home – and since I have made a relatively recent shift from the suburbs to a rural property, I’ve found myself finding a few things out the hard way too.

Care for your water systems

Just before going away at the beginning of January, our rainhead was blocked. I thought it was probably just leaves, and figured I’d sort it out when I got back.

When I came back home, everything was unblocked again, which was what I had been hoping for. Until I went to check on the tank itself, and saw – here’s a warning for the squeamish to look away – a dead, rotting possum. It had been raining while we were away, which must have gradually softened things up so it wasn’t stuck where it had been before.

Thankfully, we have filters and purifiers, so nobody got sick as a consequence – but the tanks needed to be cleaned (running up a $600 bill) and we’ve had all the inlets vermin proofed. Not a nice surprise to have to deal with straight after a holiday.

So for those of you on tank water – whether it’s your main home or at a bach – be sure to keep on top of things:

  • Get your tanks checked periodically by by a professional.
  • Protect your inlets from vermin and debris with properly fitted screens and gutter coverings.
  • If things get blocked up, investigate straight away – you could save yourself a large cleaning bill.
  • Seal the tank itself to prevent insects, small animals, birds and sunlight from getting in – it’ll also keep it safer for any children playing nearby.
  • Clear your gutters and roof regularly – especially if there are trees overhanging the area.

And if you don’t have to worry about tank water, thank your lucky stars for the mains keeping your tap water possum-free!

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Looking after your home while on holiday

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Looking after your home while on holiday

If you are going on holiday and leaving your home unattended, you might have some concerns. As a former police officer and crime scene investigator (and of course someone who is around houses all the time), I’d like to help you keep your home safe these holidays.

Don’t advertise your absence

Think about how your home looks as someone is driving past:

  • Leaving your curtains pulled and lawn unmowed are clear signs to burglars that your home is vacant.
  • Clear debris from gutters, trim your lawn and hedges.
  • Leave curtains the way you would if you were home.

A friend or trusted neighbour may be invaluable. They can imitate all the things that normally change when you are at home by:

  • Checking on your property.
  • Taking letters away.
  • Opening and closing your curtains.
  • Turning your lights on and off and switching around which rooms are lit each night.
  • Don’t leave notes and signs on your door for the mailman. Have the post office hold your packages, and cancel your newspaper deliveries – or better yet, have the person you trust clear them away for you. Having packages delivered can help make it seem like you’re home.
  • When not on holiday, leave your garage door closed so you establish a pattern that won’t change once you’re away and your garage door is closed all the time.
  • Turn the ringer down on your phone so that it can’t be heard from outside the house.
  • Buy timers for your lights to turn them on at night and off during the day.
  • Cue sounds to play to create the impression that people are home.

Most importantly, tell as few people as possible that you will be away from home. Even if it’s just a social media post, break-ins usually happen when the culprit knows the house, what’s in it, and that nobody’s home.

Make it hard for the burglar

Burglars move on to another house if it’s hard to break into or avoid a house altogether if it looks like it will be difficult. Don’t make your house an obvious target and signal that you are a cautious home owner and that yours is a secure house.

  • Make sure you lock doors and windows securely.
  • Remove spare keys.
  • Leave entryways and windows clear of branches and shrubs.
  • Use lights activated by motion sensor so that attention is called to anyone moving around your house when you are not there.
  • Don’t leave ladders, tools and other things that might help someone break in lying around.
  • A thick, imposing door and strong locks make it seem like it’d be harder to break in.

Plan for the worst. Here are our hints for what to do just in case someone does try to break in or succeeds:

  • Check the batteries of your alarm system if you have one. Burglars flick off power at the mains so you need your batteries to work.
  • Make sure valuables are hidden or out of the house.
  • Clean surfaces to make it easier for fingerprints to be left.
  • Check with your insurance company – how long can you be absent before they stop covering you in case of burglary? Especially with houses you have for sale, does it have to look lived-in in order to be covered? You can use these same tips to imitate an occupied house in order to discourage burglars from a staged home.

Don’t forget!

  • Turn your water off to protect your house from potential water damage.
  • Turn down your water heater to save on bills.
  • Unplug your electronics and they’ll be safe from power surges.

You can hire a house-sitter if you want, especially if you have pets or a garden you want taken care of, but it can be hard to find someone you trust and who in turn has the time and inclination to look after your house. Instead, if you play it safe and prepare a little, you can go on your travels with peace of mind and have a great time enjoying yourself.

Needing a Property Inspection?

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What to look for in an investment property

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What to look for in an investment property

I’ve had a lot of rentals in my time, and one thing I’ve learnt is that the best tenant is the one that never calls you. Get the best kind of tenants with a little foresight and ongoing maintenance.

Things to look for in the property.

In general, think about the common things that you might get called out to fix.

  • Check the water pressure in the shower. Would it be acceptable to you if you had to shower there every day?
  • How does the paint look? Is it neat and presentable?
  • Is there mould? Is it warm? This comes down to insulation, both top and at the bottom.
  • Taps and fixtures. Water damage can have a huge effect and be very expensive to repair. I’ve had a whole house flood due to a cheap tap bursting, causing $120,000 worth of damage. This was a huge stress – thank goodness for insurance
  • Look for low-maintenance materials. You’ll thank yourself in the long run.

Pay attention to and be wary of the normal, routine things that you would notice if you lived there every day. These are the things that will cause you stress with a rental property that could otherwise be a low maintenance source of income. Ask yourself, would you live here? Could you rent it in its current state?

Be practical about it.

After buying your investment property, make sure you get good tenants, and that you or your property managers are doing regular checks, and most importantly, don’t leave things to get worse. Avoid having to repair things; instead. you want to be spending time and money on maintenance and prevention. Maintenance costs can be claimed back, while “improvement” right before you sell can’t.

The most important thing to remember is that maintenance keeps up the value of your investment property. While repairing is you spending money to try to get it back to where it was. Make sure you keep on top of it.

Needing a Property Inspection?

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Taking care of the roof over your head

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Taking care of the roof over your head

No matter the material of your roof, be it concrete tile, clay tile, decramastic tile or iron, the protective coating will eventually need to be redone.

The good news is that paint and protective coatings for roofs have dramatically improved over time, which has resulted in longer periods between them having to be redone, and also increased the periods of weather protection they offer.

Unfortunately, most of us do not budget for keeping our roofs in tip top shape, nor do we want to keep paying to keep them in such a condition, so the old saying “out of sight out of mind” can come into play quite often. But it is important if you want your roof to last, as maintenance is a key part of ensuring longevity and weather tightness.

The battle of the budget

Money spent today may save you money in the future. After all, when roofs get to the end of their lifespan, they may have to be replaced, which can be an expensive exercise.

Knowing budgets are a concern could explain why I’ve been coming across so many roofs that have been poorly recoated – perhaps they got a good price for the recoat? These people often find the coating peels off soon after being done. This brings to mind another old saying: “You get what you pay for.” This is why getting a reputable company to carry out any maintenance, or to recoat your roof, makes sound economic sense.

Sort it during summer

As the fine weather approaches, it also makes sense to carry out the required maintenance of your roof over these drier periods. If you wait until a leak occurs when the weather is wetter, it can make carrying out the work required more difficult.

I used Transformation Property Maintenance Ltd to recoat my roof, and was very happy with their workmanship, and how my roof looked after being recoated. If you need to maintain, repair, recoat your roof, consider calling Laine Dunn for a no obligation quote on 027 279 4444 or laine@rooftransformation.co.nz.

Make sure to take care if you intend to inspect your own roof, and if you have any doubts about safety, get someone else to carry out the inspection.

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Home Inspection – House Piles – What’s underneath your house?

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What’s underneath your house?

Buying a house is probably the single most expensive purchase you’ll ever make.

If you’re mortgaged up to the hilt when you move in – as many people are when they buy a home or invest property – then finances can be strained if there are any immediate repair bills needed. One of the biggest things that you’ll want your building inspector to check for are the piles under your house.

What are piles?
If you look under pretty much any house built in this country, you’ll see that the foundations are generally formed by wooden poles or posts, or concrete piles with wooden jack studs. Their purpose is to evenly distribute the house’s weight across the soil. The house, in turn, should be built to distribute its weight evenly over the piles so that the house stands straight (and not on a slope).

Some older houses are built on tree stump piles. Nothing lasts forever, and over time you can find that the piles have rotted away and the house’s weight has become unevenly distributed. Sometimes you’ll find that a house has been re-piled. A couple of signs that this has happened are that the piles have been made from tanalised (H5) pine. It’s also fairly common to spot a few new piles in with old wooden ones. Today’s Building Standard requires foundations to have seismic connectors to give the foundation strength in an earthquake.

Does my house need re-piling?
Your house may need re-piling if some or all of the piles are moving. Moving causes the house to twist, and crack, causing damage. To stop the damage getting any worse, it will be necessary to re-pile your house. Sometimes it’s really obvious that your house will need re-piling, such as when it’s sloping – although usually the signs are more subtle.

What does re-piling involve?
Essentially you’ll have to dig new piles into the ground and realign the house to its new foundation. It’s also important to understand what caused the piles to move in the first place. Was it poor soil, rotting wood, or water damage? Some of these issues may need to be fixed before you can even think about re-piling.

If re-piling sounds like a hard process…that’s because it is. Re-piling is a major job, and isn’t for the typical DIYer! This is Restricted Building Work and is required to be carried out by a Licenced Building Practitioner, and may need a Building Consent. That’s why it’s so important to find out these things before you sign a contract. By negotiating for something to be fixed, or re-negotiating prices based on a problem that you’ve found, a building inspection report can more than pay for itself.

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