What 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 moreInadequate 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 ...
Read moreAsbestos Concerns? Call The Experts
Here’s an all too familiar story from the Newcastle Herald: A Glendale property is demolished after its owners found deadly loose-fill asbestos insulation.
This type of asbestos was relatively popular in the1960s and 1970s.
Science now tells ...
Read moreRental 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...
Read moreHouse Inspections Take Time
Okay, random question: How long would you spend inspecting a house before buying it?
In Australia, more than half of homeowners (58%) spend less than an hour inspecting before the big buy, according to research put out by ME bank. Thus, it’s not...
Read morePassing Your Next Rental Inspection With Mould-Busting Professionals
What’s one thing landlords despise? If you guessed mould, you’re right.
“The obvious things we look for are mould in the bathrooms/cupboards/bedrooms,” says one expert in the field. “This is usually an indication that the tenant isn’t ...
Read moreThe Block's Depreciation Schedules And You
So, “investors could claim an average of over $2.2 million in depreciation deductions for each apartment on Channel 9’s 2016 season of The Block,” according to new analysis reported by The Urban Developer.
By far the biggest potential deprec...
Read moreSmoke Alarms - America's Move May Trigger Australian Action
It’s an important topic. Will moves in the United States regarding smoke alarms trigger a debate here?
The dirt: As the ABC reported, new US smoke alarm laws look likely to drive ionisation alarms out of business – and an American expert has b...
Read moreWhat does Domestic Building Insurance means to Builder or an Owner Builder in Victoria.
Whether you are a homeowner who is using a Builder or an Owner Builder, it is mandatory to get a domestic building insurance.
If you undertake domestic building work worth more than $16,000, then you need domestic building insurance.
Furthermore,...
Read moreIs Your Smoke Alarm Up To Scratch
Fires can spread rapidly (in less than five minutes) through your house, according to findings from a Fire & Rescue NSW report. Interesting also is that homeowners are encouraged to look at how many fire alarms in their house to cover all potenti...
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