When people purchase or rent an apartment, many may skip getting a building inspection done with the assumption that it’s only needed for houses. This can’t be farther from the truth. Although structural issues are often the responsibility of the Owners’ Corporation, if the damage is part of your unit, know that the entire cost may fall on your hands. Even if costs are shared between you and the organisation, you may still be up for a hefty special levy that you may not have the budget for.
With these scenarios, we can’t emphasise enough how vital it is to get a building & pest inspection done. Get this report to be sure that your investment will be properly protected even before you occupy the unit.
Getting Building Inspection Done
In the fast-moving real estate market, it pays to be savvy and well-acquainted with the properties you’re planning to buy. Sadly, a lot of people skip getting property inspections done for apartments. Some will even believe that the previous owner may have already taken care of any glaring issues.
The reason for this major oversight may be the fact that most apartment buyers are new to the whole thing and often have little idea of what they need to do before committing to buying a property. In reality, you have to do due diligence when inspecting an apartment in the same way you get various pest and pre handover inspections done while inspecting a house.
Get the relevant inspection reports and you can see how well the property has been maintained and if there are any concerns that might attract an extra or special levy. After all, you wouldn’t want to spend a fortune on repairs while you’re paying a hefty sum to live in the apartment. This could easily get you over your budget for monthly expenditures.
A common reason people forgo getting inspections done for prospect apartments and units is that they presume the board of managers take care of the maintenance. While there may be a grain of truth to this one, building managers only take care of general aspects of the building like the exterior upkeep and the overall plumbing and electrical systems.
For the most part, the interior of apartment units are deemed to be beyond their responsibility. Meaning, any maintenance and damage within the units will be your liability. If you’re renting the place and damage are found in the apartment, you may have to get them fixed before you move out or an amount will be deducted off your security deposit to shoulder the subsequent repairs that need to be done.
To be sure that you wouldn’t settle into an apartment with damage that may come to haunt you later on, the property management will have to be informed of structural concerns early. The only way this may be brought to their attention is by getting the help of building inspectors before you move into the place.
A typical and often costly maintenance issue most apartments deal with is water damage and leaks. These two are commonly caused by poor-quality materials, faulty workmanship, poor design, and natural wear and tear, often combining to cause serious problems to apartment owners later on. They eventually lead to repairs that cost thousands of dollars to fix. If the said problem occurs in your apartment, you’ll surely be obliged to shoulder the bill.
Besides water damage, another typical issue found in apartments are badly constructed balconies. All it takes is a poor sealing job, blocked drainage, and a broken tile for this problem to rear its ugly head in your own apartment. Leave it be and it can cause substantial damage to the adjoining property. For sure, you wouldn’t want to be on the hook for this particular expenditure.
Although some will dismiss water damage early on and save the repairs for later, it should be taken seriously from the get-go. It’s not only expensive to fix but it can also have dire health and safety consequences. For one, the presence of water raises the risk of it seeping through electrical fittings and the eventual rot and mould can adversely affect the air quality indoors.
Building Inspection for Apartments Are a No-Brainer
Whether you’re buying an apartment or renting, you’d be spending hard-earned money on a big investment that will have a huge impact on your life. Naturally, you want to get a property that has little to no problems as much as possible.
To make sure that your real estate endeavours wouldn’t go down the drain by way of complacency (on your part), call a building inspections Melbourne team before the actual purchase or move-in. Their report will reveal any existing damage and increase your chances of negotiating the unit price or getting back your security deposit as you move out in the future. It’ll serve as proof that damage occurred before you, the tenant, moved in so the responsible party can foot the repair bill.
Being an affordable living space, apartments have become popular across the country. As many of these structures get built, it can’t be helped that some scrupulous developers will cut corners in order to finish the job quicker and sell or rent out these spaces faster.
With that in mind, it’s important to be sure that the unit you’re getting hasn’t been built haphazardly. Although property owners often hire home inspectors to check the construction process and make sure the job was done correctly (and the resulting structure is safe to occupy), it’ll give you peace of mind if you have an independent inspection done. Doing so before you take ownership or sign a lease contract for your new apartment should give you just that. As the saying goes: “better safe than sorry”.
If you want one done for the apartment or unit you’re planning to rent or invest in, call us and we’ll make sure your new acquisition won’t be a headache down the line.