Handover Inspections in Brisbane: Why Homeowners Swear By Them

Handover inspections on Brisbane properties are an essential part of that final step between building a home and moving in.  It’s easy to assume that you’ll be getting a high-quality home because it’s brand new, but with housing prices in Brisbane predicted to surge over the next few years, it’s wise to make sure you’re getting what you pay for.

Practical completion inspection Brisbane: Why do I need one?

Towards the practical completion of the construction of your new home, you’ll be required to check the property over for defects with a handover inspection, otherwise known as a practical completion inspection.  It’s quite common for people to note openly visible issues, however, there can be hidden problems that are far worse than what you see on the surface, problems obvious only to specialists in residential building handover inspections Brisbane.

An independent building inspector who specialises in pre-handover inspection in Brisbane, can find those defects for you and help you understand the severity of what they find.  Additionally, handover inspectors can identify what might have caused the visible defects, such as inadequate footings creating a small crack in a wall. These findings can then be used to negotiate with your builder and provided to the QBCC if required.

man doing a handover inspection

The unfortunate truth

The unfortunate truth is, if you inspect by yourself, without any construction knowledge, you will miss critical defects, and you risk being persuaded or even coerced to avoid repairs. By no means are we saying this is the case for all builders, but it does happen when there’s no expert backing.

Independent handover inspection Brisbane – Why it’s essential!

Here is an example of where an independent handover inspection is vital.

A Brisbane resident on the Homeone Forum said they found several issues that the builder avoided. The builder shifted a wall that made the ensuite smaller all because they wanted to hide the incorrect placement of pipes during the slab stage. The vanity had also been installed 100mm shorter than the plan and installed a shower screen 100mm shorter than the plan. Their builder, thinking he had a reasonable excuse for these changes, didn’t believe he had to fix them. This is the perfect example of when you need a building handover inspector to bat for you with a handover inspection

Getting read for a handover inspection in Brisbane

It certainly pays to get a second expert opinion because recent news has shown an alarming and rising trend in shoddy building practices.  Take for instance the crumbling Sydney Opal Tower and the blaze in Melbourne’s Docklands development caused by non-compliant cladding.  Builders shouldn’t be assumed to be of high quality – independent building inspectors are here to keep them honest!

It’s so easy to overcome by the excitement of a brand new house and starting a new life, but don’t let that cloud your judgement and miss out on things that you paid for; the stress isn’t worth it. For apartment and house handover inspections in Brisbane, give Ben a call on  0410 534 472 or contact us. We also have information on Our Services – Building Inspector Brisbane, page.

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