Building? Here Are Mark Campbell's Lessons Learned
“My rationale for building new was threefold,” writes Mark Campbell, a working-class Aussie. “Firstly, it enabled me to have control over the end product and it made sense from an investment perspective because I could maximise depreciation and...
Read moreWHAT’S THE MOST COMMON BUILDING INSPECTIONS SIGNIFICANT DEFECT?
Over the past two years, the most common Significant defect found, is the damp shower. Modern showers are aesthetically pleasing and appear to be installed to the highest standard. However, countless showers have been found this year to have damp cor...
Read moreWhat is Caveat Emptor?
Increasingly property buyers are aware of their responsibility to discover building defects before sale – this is known as the Latin principle Caveat Emptor or ‘buyer beware’.
The full quotation is ‘caveat emptor, qui ignorare no...
Read moreThe Dirt On Property Depreciation
What’s depreciation? In a nutshell, it’s an allowance under tax laws in Australia for investors. It means they can claim deductions for expenditures in their property investments.
Why depreciation? Even extremely well-built houses aren’t imm...
Read moreSafety Reversal Check For Automatic Garage Door
In most houses, the largest moving object is a garage door. Newer garage doors are often operated remotely through radio controls, electrical systems, pulleys and motors.
Serious injury or death from being hit by a closing garage door or from bein...
Read moreAsbestos-Caused Cancer Trends Up
Asbestos-caused cancers are trending up, according to recent data from 2017.
The grim facts from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare:
710 Australians were diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2016 – a cancer caused by exposure to asbesto...
Read moreThe Politics Of Smoke Alarms
From 1993 to 2015, CSIRO conducted tests on smoke alarms but the public is yet to read the findings. This comes at a time when activists want ionised smoke alarms banned due to alleged issues with response times to common fires. In America, the alarm...
Read moreThe Science Of Inspections
There’s a science to property inspections. Seriously. Because while your average inspector can and does spot problems, a trained inspector can find problems behind problems and other easy-to-miss issues.
What’s more, he or she is less likely t...
Read moreWhat's involved in a home inspection?
Most of the time we never get to meet our clients face to face and only a small handful are ever able to come along to the home inspections we organise.
So there is often a bit of mystery around what exactly we do during a home inspection.
...
Read moreHow To Avoid Renovation Traps
Renovations done right can pay off. Literally. That said there are some serious traps to avoid.
Potential problems from wiring to asbestos issues often come up especially in older houses, so it’s important to seek professional help. Jim’s Buil...
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