Victoria

Go With Licensed Pre-Property Inspectors

What makes a good pre-property inspector? Sourceable’s Howard Ryan writes: ‘To do the job properly, a qualified building inspector will have extensive knowledge of the Building Code of Australia, the Building Act, the Building Regulations and var...
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What Does Jim Know About Building Inspections Anyway?

ACTUALLY, QUITE A BIT MORE THAN WE EVER REALISED! We recently discovered that Jim Penman’s dad was a forensic engineer. From an early age Jim’s father was investigating materials, structures and their components which failed o...
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Proposed New Tax To Help Home Owners Remove Asbestos

Did you know that 1 in 3 Australian homes contain asbestos? With home renovations on the rise, many Australian's are purchasing homes built before 1985 with the intention of doing small renos through to complete rebuilds. Unfortunately, many people a...
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Building Inspection Reports - the ultimate negotiation weapon

Rising damp and termite damage. Two issues that would normally send shivers down your spine and see potential buyers running for the hills. But what if you could you turn a negative building inspection report, into the ultimate negotiation weapon?...
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The 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...
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Do you think that property you are looking to buy has asbestos?

If the house you are looking to buy was built or renovated before 1990, it is likely that it will contain some form of asbestos-containing materials. Did you know that approximately one-third of homes built in Australia contain asbestos products? ...
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Property Management and Smoke Alarms are Good Friends

Property management and smoke alarms are good friends. Or at least they should be. Worst possible scenario: Inaction can lead to deaths and a stint in prison. It’s a familiar story, even in developed countries, however. From one BBC report: “A...
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The D-Word: Time To Talk Depreciation

Sad fact: Many Australian rental property owners are failing to correctly calculate depreciation. “I have often seen clients who have owned investment properties for five, six or seven years and have never claimed any form of depreciation becaus...
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EXPLAINED – Owner Builder Warranty Inspections & S137B of the Victoria Building Act 1993

You're an owner builder and it is time to sell your home. The last thing you want is for your hard work to be a hindrance to potential purchasers who have reservations about quality or compliance, just because the works weren't part of a major domest...
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Your Health Health Before Mould

Imagine if you were battling the following: Nose bleeds, chest infections, sinus troubles, asthma, hair loss, breathing issues, chronic fatigue, rashes and headaches. Sad to say, but these are just some of the potential consequences of living with...
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