Broken mortar on roof ridge tiles can allow water and dust to enter the roof cavity
When we say we inspect every aspect of a property so you have the most thorough building and pest inspection available here is some proof.
Our client requested a building and pest inspection for a property at Acacia Ridge they wished to buy.
Whilst our pest inspector was checking the grounds and home for pests such as termites, our building inspector was navigating the roof and roof cavity. With the stinking hot weather and high humidity, it was not one of the coolest places to be. But he had a client who needed a quality inspection and he was determined to deliver on that.
ROOF MAINTENANCE ISSUE
Here’s what he discovered. The roof had evidence of a lack of maintenance. The mortar between the roof ridge tiles was loose, broken, or missing. Roof ridge tiles help to secure the roof tiles and when sealed with mortar protect against water and dust. With so much mortar in a depleted state, it was ripe for water and dust to penetrate the roof cavity.
Broken or missing mortar on many of the roof ridge tiles
What did our building inspector find in the roof cavity? Water leaks and dust. Water leaking onto dust can become a petrie dish to develop mould. Any time there’s a constant dripping of water on timber this can lead to it losing its structural integrity. After all, the timber supports are carrying a huge weight load.
Water leaks inside the roof cavity
Dusty roof cavity
According to professional roofing contractors, they recommend that a roof have new pointing applied every 10 – 15 years. Of course, if there’s evidence of a roof leak earlier than that time frame, definitely have the pointing done. For best results, the existing mortar needs to be removed and completely replaced.
You can’t presume that your insurance company will come to the party if they are informed of damage from a storm and the insurance assessor notes that poor maintenance was a contributing factor. Home maintenance falls into the responsibility of the property owners. Roof materials or gutters in a deteriorated state that leaked during a storm may not be covered for roof or gutter repairs. Ouch!
Maintenance is always cheaper than full-blown repairs. If you can’t remember the last time you had your roof checked that could be an indicator you may need to Google: ‘Roofing Contractors’.
BUILDING AND PEST INSPECTION REPORT
Our building and pest report for this property at Acacia Ridge included these photos and explanations of what the building inspector had found. This detailed report gave our client several options to consider.
- Terminate the contract due to findings in the Building and Pest Inspection Report.
- Ask the vendor to remediate the issues at their expense and request another inspection to ensure the work has been completed. This can blow out the settlement date.
- Renegotiate the selling price to reflect the value of repair costs and then complete the repairs as soon as possible upon occupancy. Sometimes tradies are booked way in advance and if they are booked during the settlement period, they could be on-site while you are still unpacking all your boxes!
A building and pest inspection is not just about finding any issues. A thorough report and discussion with the inspectors can guide you to make informed decisions when issues are uncovered. Having issues reported to you may seem like a scary thing. We are all too aware of how much real estate costs these days and that’s scary enough. We all want confidence we’re making the right decisions.
Our inspectors much prefer for you to be onsite when they’re conducting inspections. They can go through things with you and be there to answer any questions and address concerns you may have.
Even after the report has been emailed, the phone numbers for the inspectors are on every report and you are most welcome to call them.
Our inspectors welcome buyers being on site to discuss any issues they may have discovered.
WHAT’S THE TAKE-OUT FROM THIS BUILDING INSPECTION?
When it comes to selling your property, the last thing you want a buyer to experience is doubt. Many people experience nerves about committing to buying a particular property. Real estate is such a big financial commitment so it comes with the territory that people can be anxious or concerned about making the right decision.
When a buyer sees a building inspection report about roof issues, that can cast doubt on their decision to buy that property. Doubt can be the driver to a buyer walking away from a contract.
Alternatively, they can go hard on negotiating the selling price down. It’s not uncommon for people to overestimate the cost of repairs as in their mind these issues are major.
If you’re not willing to sell your property at the reduced offer price and hope for a better result with another buyer, there’s something you need to consider. Once a real estate agent is notified of issues with a property he/she is under obligation to disclose those issues to prospective buyers.
This scenario could have been avoided by the owner paying for their own building and inspection BEFORE listing the property on the market.
PRE-SALE BUILDING AND PEST INSPECTION
Having a thorough building and pest inspection before listing provides the opportunity to discover and remediate any issues before going to market. In this case at Acacia Ridge, had we been asked to conduct a pre-sale building and pest inspection and made the seller aware of the issues, they could have made the repairs before going to market.
We could have returned to conduct a follow-up inspection to ensure the work was completed to a satisfactory standard and signed off on an updated report the roof was in good nick. Of course, there is an extra cost for this.
When going to market, this report can be shown to potential buyers. Buyers can relax that the roof is good for an other ten years. Yay! A confidence builder!
In this instance, a current inspection report can remove the doubt factor in a buyer’s mind and help to make the sale of the property a smooth transaction.
Also, buyers are free to gain an inspection report from another service provider. The seller will be at ease that their property will pass inspection.
ONLINE BUILDING AND PEST INSPECTION QUOTE (H3)
Whether you are looking to buy or list a property, and you would like a thorough building and pest inspection we can provide an online price for you in a minute. Once you have accepted the price, you can easily proceed to make a booking. Of course, you’re welcome to call on 1300 304 145.
Our service areas include Brisbane, Logan City, Gold Coast North, Redlands, Ipswich, and Moreton Bay Region.