The free building report is not for you
Reports attached to listings are prepared for the client who paid, and they are visual and limited.
A report attached to a listing was written for whoever commissioned it. It describes what could be seen, not everything that is there.
Building reports attached to a listing were prepared for the client who paid for them, which is often not you. They are visual inspections and limited in scope.
Relying on someone else's report means relying on work done for their purposes. Ask who commissioned it, when, and what it left out.
A sample inspection report that follows the Australian standard AS 4349.1 shows how much is typically stated as outside its scope.
Questions to ask
- Who commissioned this report, and when was it done?
- What areas did the inspector say they could not access?
Check it yourself
- Read the scope and limitations section first, before the findings.
- Compare the report date with the date you are buying.
Source: Sample AS 4349.1 report
General education. Not legal, financial or engineering advice, and it says nothing about any specific property.
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