Step 4 of 6
What to look for when you inspect a property
A room-by-room checklist, the questions agents do not expect, and the defects that cost real money after settlement.
10 min read · Written for Australian first home buyers
An open home is a sales event. The lights are on, the blinds are set, something is baking, and you have about twelve minutes. Your job is to spend those minutes on the things that cost money rather than the things that were staged.
Start outside
- Roof and gutters. Sagging lines, rust, patched tiles, moss. Replacement is a five-figure job.
- Walls and foundations. Stair-step cracks in brick, doors that will not close square, floors that slope. Movement is the most expensive category there is.
- Drainage. Where does water go in heavy rain? Look for erosion channels, stained brickwork and downpipes that end at nothing.
- Boundaries and trees. Fences that do not follow the title line, and large trees close to the slab or the sewer.
- The street. Parking pressure, noise, and what the neighbours are doing with their own properties.
Then inside, room by room
| Room | What to check |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | Water pressure, under-sink staining, benchtop edges, whether the appliances are actually included |
| Bathrooms | Grout and silicone condition, floor falls toward the drain, soft spots, fresh paint hiding damp |
| Bedrooms | Window seals, condensation marks, mould on the coldest wall, cupboard smell |
| Living areas | Floor level, cracks above door frames, aspect and natural light at the time you will actually be home |
| Laundry and garage | Slab cracks, evidence of past flooding, where the water heater is and how old it looks |
| Meter box and switchboard | Ceramic fuses and no safety switch means rewiring is on the horizon |
Apartments need a different eye
In a strata property the expensive problems are usually not in the apartment. They are in the building, and they arrive as a special levy split between owners.
- Walk the common property: car park, roof, lift lobby, fire stairs, external walls
- Look for scaffolding, propping, temporary membranes or fresh render on one facade only
- Read the capital works fund balance against the building's age and size
- Read the last three years of minutes for the words defect, remediation, engineer and levy
- Check whether the owners corporation is in litigation with anybody
- Ask what the strata levies are, and when they were last increased
The 2025 Building Commission NSW survey of recently registered strata buildings found 53% reported at least one serious defect in common property, with waterproofing and fire safety the most common categories. Newer buildings surveyed showed lower rates than earlier ones, but the number is high enough that a strata report is not optional.
Questions worth asking the agent
Ask these in a level tone and listen for the shape of the answer as much as the content.
- How long has it been on the market, and has it been listed before?
- Why is the vendor selling, and when do they want to settle?
- Has the property been passed in at auction previously?
- Are there any special conditions in the contract I should know about?
- Has any offer been made and rejected?
- For strata: are there any special levies raised or foreshadowed?
An agent must not knowingly mislead you, but they are not obliged to volunteer everything. The question you do not ask is the one you find out about after settlement.
Which reports to actually pay for
| Report | Typical cost | When it is worth it |
|---|---|---|
| Building and pest | $400 - $900 | Every house, before you are committed |
| Strata report | $200 - $400 | Every apartment and townhouse, without exception |
| Independent valuation | $400 - $800 | When the guide and your comparables disagree sharply |
| Specialist engineer | $800+ | When the building report flags structural movement |
Costs are indicative and vary by state and property. Expect to pay for reports on properties you do not end up buying. That is the cost of not buying the wrong one.
Common questions
Do I need a building and pest inspection?
For a house, yes, before you are contractually committed. It typically costs $400 to $900 and regularly finds items worth many times that. For an apartment, the strata report matters more than the building report, because most expensive defects are in common property.
How many times should I inspect before offering?
At least twice, at different times of day. Once with the crowd to see the property, once quietly to check the things nobody photographs: water pressure, phone reception, street noise, which way the sun hits.
What are the most expensive defects to find after settlement?
Structural movement, waterproofing failure, rising damp, roof and gutter replacement, rewiring, restumping and, in apartments, facade or fire safety remediation charged back to owners as a special levy. Waterproofing and fire safety were the two most common serious defects in the NSW strata research.
Can I bring a builder to an open home?
Usually yes, and agents rarely object. It costs less than a formal report and can tell you quickly whether a formal report is worth commissioning.
Where these figures come from
- Building Commission NSW - 2025 strata defects survey and earlier research
- Building Commission NSW - survey shows serious defects down in newer apartment buildings
Grants, thresholds and duty rates change. Always check the current rules with the relevant state revenue office or Housing Australia before you rely on a number here.
Start with the free price check
Paste a listing and see the likely range against the guide. No account needed, no card.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with your conveyancer before acting.