Frequently Asked Questions

No. Jeffrey Hills & Associates are an independent company who work for you as the client only.

We have no obligations to any other company.

No. Our inspectors' aim is to report on the condition of the property as viewed.

The final decision, whether you purchase the property or not, is up to you.

No. This is not noted in the report. However; as our inspectors have numerous years in the building industry, they will be able to verbally provide you with a rough estimate of the cost for such works.

One of the many benefits of attending your inspection is the advice you can gain from our knowledgeable inspectors.

Yes. Our company is fully insured with QBE Insurance. Policy numbers can be obtained upon request.

Yes. We encourage our clients to attend the inspection, as we believe they can benefit from our inspectors' years of experience. We also encourage you to ask any questions you may have regarding the property.

Yes. However work place health and safety guidelines determine height restrictions for our investigation of roofs.

Unless access is restricted, our inspectors will inspect the roof and roof cavity for problems such as broken or cracked tiles and termite activity.

A copy of our inspection agreement is contained on our enquiry/booking pages. This agreement details the inclusions and exclusions of our building inspection.

Besides looking for visible evidence of termite infestation, our inspectors use an approved Tramex moisture meter on the internal walls of the dwelling. If a high moisture reading is detected, this could mean there are active termites or possibly water penetration problems within the wall cavity.

If a further investigation is recommended by the inspector, an invasive inspection is available. An invasive inspection entails a small hole, about the size of the end of a pencil, being drilled into the wall where the high moisture reading was obtained. An instrument called a borescope is then inserted into the wall cavity; a borescope contains a powerful light source which allows us to determine what may be causing the readings.

No. Our inspectors are fully trained and qualified building and pest inspectors. To be a good timber pest inspector your inspector must not only have full qualifications as a pest controller, including specific qualifications in termite management and control, but also have an extensive knowledge of how dwellings are constructed. 

Of course. Now you have the peace of mind and confidence to make a decision regarding the property and you have a building report as evidence. 

It is extremely rare that any property is free of defects. If your inspector identifies building defects, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy the property, it just means that you will know the condition of the dwelling and what to expect should you go ahead with the purchase of the property.

If you are the home owner and you are having your own home inspected, you will be wanting to present your home in the best possible light so that it will sell for the best price. Bear in mind that most serious buyers will commission a pre-purchase building inspection of their own and nothing scares off buyers more than nasty surprises.

Therefore, it is always going to better if you are transparent and use your inspector to gain a thorough understanding of your property’s defects and then decide if you are going to repair the defects or let potential buyers know about the defects upfront.

On the other hand, if you are a potential buyer commissioning a building inspector to look over a property on your behalf, you want to get the most out of the inspection.

A thorough inspection requires that there are no distractions, obstacles or accessibility issues for the inspector. For home owners, you should take the following steps or for home buyers, you should politely request that the home owner take the following steps:

• Clearing the house interior and exterior grounds of clutter or stored items.
• Securing pets.
• Ensuring that all rooms are easily accessible.
• Opening remote controlled garage doors so that the garage is accessible.
• Removing vehicles from beneath manholes to enable access to the roof cavity.
• Moving furniture from underneath internal manholes to enable access to the roof cavity.
• Moving furniture from against internal walls.
• Removing wall hangings and pictures (where possible).

A thorough building inspection requires concentration and attention to detail, it is in everyones best interest if you allow the inspector to work without distraction - this means not constantly asking questions during the inspection, shadowing the inspector or chatting relentlessly.

Rest assured, your friendly inspector will be more than happy to address your questions and concerns at the conclusion of the inspection.

After your inspection, it is essential that you read the inspection report in full. Your inspector can answer all of your queries regarding the report and you will be better able to understand each item in context. 

When buying off the plan it is wise to make your contract conditional upon a building and pest inspection. For a newly constructed property, we would conduct a handover inspection to ensure that the builder has completed all work to a recognised and satisfactory Australian standard.

We would then create an itemised handover report including any unsatisfactory work, inappropriate materials, omissions, incomplete work, as well as any non-structural defects and structural issues.

Conducting a quality building inspection requires qualifications, knowledge and experience. We would not recommend that you try and conduct your own inspection.

Whether you are a potential buyer or a home owner, it will be difficult for you to remain fully objective in your assessment which can lead to poor or impaired judgement.

It is always advisable to use the services of a qualified, experienced & independent building & pest inspection company.

You can book an inspection by calling us on 1800 35 15 35 or by booking an inspection online.