Victoria

To Buy Or Not To Buy (Off The Plan)

To buy or not to buy (off the plan) is an important issue for an increasing number of new homebuyers and property investors. When done responsibly with professional guidance (offered by Jim’s Building Inspections, for example) it can be a positi...
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Inadequate Site and subfloor drainage

A sub-floor is the structure and crawl space between the lowest floor and the ground. High moisture levels in these areas promote fungal decay and other timber pests such as termites. All sub-floors and crawl spaces should be considered as having ...
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Mouldy Issues For Landlords

A growing number of tenants are trying to educate landlords about the many ways in which mould can make us sick. So the ABC’s AM political reporter, Alexandra Beech, took the time to speak to one such person, Caleb Rudd. Mr Rudd is behind a Face...
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Meth testing - the new norm for prudent home buyers

The New Norm? Including Meth checks in Pre-Purchase Building Inspections For home buyers there is nothing unusual about organising a Pre-Purchase Building Inspection on a potential property purchase. For smart buyers, a Pre-Purchase Building Inspe...
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Is your house cracking up?

Is your house cracking up? A long, spidery vein is inching its way across the dining room wall. It seems to be spreading even as you stare at it! You’re sure it wasn’t there yesterday! So what does this mean and how can it be fixed? Don’t...
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Rental Reforms To Hit Queensland

Queensland’s 40-year-old rental laws are under scrutiny. One big potential change: making it easier for tenants to own pets and more pressure to address repairs in a timely manner. Property owners, however, may have more powers in their hands to ch...
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New homes & Termite zones

An increasing number of councils across Australia are seeing the value in designating residential zones as termite prone areas in an effort to help local communities avoid costly repairs and horror surprises in the future. Victoria is the only Aus...
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Timing of a building inspection

THE TIMING OF A BUILDING INSPECTION MOSTLY DEPENDS ON THE METHOD OF SALE. As the findings of a building inspection report may prompt you to withdraw an offer, you should always ensure that you are correctly informed of your rights and options. This ...
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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...
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Blacklists For Potential Tenants? You Betcha!

Yes. Blacklisting tenants is a thing and may not be talked about because of shame-related issues. According to the ABC, a person can be blacklisted without even being aware. His or her name in such a case will pop up on tenancy databases meanin...
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