What a Geelong buyer inherits
Pests on the property become yours
The City of Greater Geelong says owners and occupiers must remove pests from their own property, and it doesn't do that on private land. Termites already in the house move in with you on settlement day.
Read the meter box
If the house was built with a termite management system, the National Construction Code calls for a durable notice in a prominent place such as the meter box, naming the system, its installation date and the recommended inspection schedule. No notice doesn't prove there's no system; ask the inspector.
Your report, not the seller's
Consumer Affairs Victoria warns buyers to be wary of reports offered by the agent or seller: commissioning your own is the only way to be sure it's independent.
Two reports from two trades
A building and pest inspection is usually two separate jobs. The building inspection is done by a qualified building inspector, surveyor or architect, Consumer Affairs Victoria says, ideally one with full professional indemnity insurance. The timber pest inspection is the half that looks for termites and the damage they leave, and it's the half we help with.
Some firms offer both in one visit, which is fine as long as you know who inspected what, and each part is written up properly.
Things to notice at the open
- Paintwork that's bubbled or blistered, which Consumer Affairs Victoria says can mean termites.
- Thin mud tunnels up a stump, pier or the edge of the slab.
- Garden beds or mulch piled against the walls, covering the edge of the slab.
- Leaking taps, downpipes or a hot water overflow dripping beside the house.
- Firewood or old timber stacked against a wall or under the deck.
Fitting it into a Geelong purchase
Book before you sign
Consumer Affairs Victoria suggests inspections before signing a contract, so allow time between the open and the auction or offer.
Ask about access
The inspector needs the roof space, the subfloor (the space under a raised floor), the garage and outbuildings. Ask the agent to have them open.
Read the whole report
Look past the summary for areas the inspector couldn't reach; those are the gaps in what you know.
Talk through anything serious
Active termites or major damage is worth a conversation with your conveyancer before you commit.
If we were buying in Geelong
We'd commission our own timber pest inspection for any house we were serious about, read the meter box ourselves, and only then make the offer. Tap Buying a home with the postcode of the place you're looking at.
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.
