What a buyer should know about Loganholme
A river town from the start
Loganholme takes its name from the ferryman Holmes, who ran the Logan River ferry here in 1867 to 1868. The council says the ferry and the ferryman's house suffered from regular river flooding.
Ask about high water
If flooding has surrounded or covered internal floors, the QBCC says to check for damage to the termite management system. Ask the seller, and put the question to the inspector too.
Damp under the house
Logan City Council says leaking pipes and poor subfloor ventilation create ideal conditions for termites. Termites also forage up to 80 metres from the nest, so the inspector should look at the yard as well as the house.
Which inspection does what?
| Termite inspection | Building inspection | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does it | Someone with a pest licence | A residential building inspector |
| What they look for | Termites, termite damage and any existing termite system | Obvious defects such as a faulty roof, cracked walls and drainage issues |
| What else you should hear | How to maintain the system, and the risk of attack | What was and wasn't inspected |
Make it a condition of the contract
The QBCC says to make it a contract condition that you must be happy with the inspection results. Queensland Government advice is to check any conditions are in the contract when you sign, otherwise they won't be legally binding.
Be there on the day if you can, and ask anything you want to know. A building inspection isn't a warranty against future defects either, the QBCC points out. We cover the timber pest half; a building inspection is a different profession.
Ask before you book
- Which licence do you hold, and for which inspection?
- Will you look at the subfloor, the roof space and the yard?
- Is there anything on this block you won't be able to see?
- How soon after the visit do I get the written report?
Once you've moved in
The river stays part of life here. Logan City Council lists tide-affected land along the Logan River among mosquito breeding sources, and Alexander Clark Park is one of its riverside parks. Keep your own yard dry of standing water, because that's a Queensland rule as well as good sense.
If you ever suspect fire ants, report them to Biosecurity Queensland within 24 hours. That's the law, and no inspection or pest job comes before it.
Before you go unconditional
Get both reports in your hands before your conditions run out, and read them, not just the summary. If the termite report raises anything, ask what it would take to fix before you commit.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
