A report is most useful when you understand both its findings and its limits. This guide gives NSW buyers questions for booking an inspection and discussing the result. It does not diagnose a defect, price repairs or interpret your contract.
Does the booking cover both building and timber pests?
Start with the agreed scope, even when the service is advertised as “building and pest”. NSW Government’s buyer guidance says a standard building report generally identifies major visible problems and excludes termite detection. Its pest-report section distinguishes visible termite damage from checking whether termites or other timber-destroying pests are still present. Confirm which inspections and written reports you will receive, and who performs each one.
| Question | What to clarify |
|---|---|
| Building condition | Which accessible areas will be inspected, which types of defects will be reported and what is excluded? |
| Timber pests | Is a pest inspection included? What evidence, limitations and recommended further investigations will the pest report address? |
| Additional checks | Do your concerns require a separate specialist or special-purpose report? Ask about the actual scope before assuming they are covered. |
Describe particular concerns when booking, such as a visible damp patch or an area you could not see at the open home. Give the inspector the observation and location without treating your own explanation as a diagnosis.
Who will inspect, and what qualifications and insurance do they have?
NSW Government recommends a suitably qualified person, such as a licensed builder, surveyor or architect, and adequate insurance, particularly professional indemnity. Ask who will actually attend, what qualifications are relevant to the work, and whether the business can explain its insurance cover. A short marketing label does not answer those questions.
Ask whether you can discuss the findings with the inspector after reading the report. Clarify the expected delivery time and how you will obtain an explanation or a corrected report if something is unclear. Agree this before you book, especially when your purchase decision has a deadline.
Which areas were not inspected, and why?
The official report checklist includes the inspection date, scope, areas or items not inspected, reasons for those omissions and any recommendation for further investigation. Read those limitations alongside the findings. An area that could not be accessed remains an unanswered question; it has not been confirmed defect-free.
- Ask which roof, under-floor, exterior and other areas were actually accessible during this inspection.
- Ask what prevented access and whether further access or a specialist assessment is recommended.
- Check whether weather or other conditions limited what could be observed.
- Record who will arrange any further inspection, what permission or access is needed, and when the answer is required.
Ask the inspector to explain what an exclusion means for the particular concern you raised. Avoid converting a report’s summary into a whole-property pass/fail score while an important area remains unchecked.
Who ordered the report, and can I rely on this copy?
Record the property address, inspection date, report author and commissioning client. If someone forwards a report, ask the author about its scope, whether it is available for purchase by you and the terms on which you may use it. Ask whether a fresh inspection is needed given its date or any relevant changes since the visit. This guide does not assign every report a fixed expiry period.
NSW Government’s guidance for selling agents explains that, when a prospective buyer requests the sale contract, the agent must disclose recorded details of pre-purchase reports they are aware of or can reasonably obtain. Those details include the inspection date, who requested and prepared the report, insurance information and whether it is available for repurchase. The agent is not required to hold copies of the reports or make exhaustive enquiries. A disclosure record is therefore a starting point for contacting the author, not the report itself.
The buyer guidance also says a vendor’s building report does not replace your own independent report. Discuss any report supplied by the seller with your chosen inspector and legal representative rather than assuming a forwarded PDF gives you the same position as commissioning your own inspection.
What needs a specialist explanation or a separate cost estimate?
NSW Government explains that a standard building report generally excludes repair-cost estimates and matters outside the inspector’s expertise. It also says the report is not a compliance certificate, warranty or insurance against future problems. Ask the author to distinguish an observation from a suspected cause and a recommendation for further assessment.
- Which finding needs further investigation, and by what type of specialist?
- Does the report identify a significant problem, or describe a limitation that prevents a conclusion?
- What information is needed to understand the extent of the problem?
- Would a separate special-purpose report or itemised repair quote answer the cost question?
- Is there a safety concern requiring prompt professional attention? Ask the inspector what action they recommend.
Keep a preliminary comment about possible repairs separate from an actual scope and quote. Use confirmed inspection and specialist costs in your buying budget; the cash-needed guide explains how to organise those costs. An online calculator cannot price a building defect from a brief description.
For an apartment, what common property is covered?
NSW Government notes that a building inspection for a strata or company-title property normally covers the unit’s interior and immediate exterior. Inspecting other common property requires a specifically requested report. Ask which shared areas were included and whether another inspection is needed for the concern you have identified.
Keep the physical inspection and review of strata records as separate tasks. Ask your conveyancer what records and professional input are needed for the scheme. A reassuring unit inspection does not, by itself, answer questions about the whole building or its finances.
A worksheet for the inspector follow-up call
This original worksheet helps you turn a report into specific enquiries. Copy one set of fields for each unresolved issue. It is not a reproduced inspection report, a defect diagnosis or an official checklist.
| Record | Question or next action |
|---|---|
| Report identity | Address, author, inspection date, commissioning client and version received. |
| Finding and page | What exactly does the report say, and where? Keep the wording separate from your interpretation. |
| Scope or access limit | Was the relevant area inspected? What prevented a conclusion? |
| Explanation requested | What do you need the inspector to explain about significance, cause or extent? |
| Further assessment | Which professional or additional report is recommended, and for what question? |
| Cost evidence | Is there a written scope or quote, or is the cost still unknown? |
| Owner and timing | Who will arrange the next step, and what deadline has your legal representative confirmed? |
| Response received | Record the dated reply, supporting document and any question that remains unresolved. |
Example: an inaccessible roof space
Illustration only: a buyer receives a report stating that the roof space was not accessed because the access point was obstructed. The buyer’s worksheet records the page reference and asks the inspector what remains unassessed, whether a return visit is recommended and what access is needed. They ask the agent to coordinate the access request and their conveyancer to explain the purchase timing while that question is open.
Nothing in this example establishes that the roof is defective or sound. It shows how to keep a limitation visible until the appropriate person can investigate it. No real property, report wording, repair price or inspection outcome is used.
Leave time to understand the findings before committing
The NSW buyer guidance describes building inspections as usually occurring before exchange. Plan for access, the written report, your questions and any recommended further assessment. A booking confirmation alone is not enough evidence for a purchase decision. Ask your solicitor or conveyancer how the transaction’s dates and rights affect your options; see the separate cooling-off guide for general context.
Your own visit is useful too: NSW Government’s personal-inspection guide suggests recording the condition and features you observe. Use those observations to brief the professionals. Keep this pre-purchase work separate from the later final inspection in the exchange-to-settlement timeline.
Use the property-checks collection and Baxau property research guide for the broader evidence around a purchase. The research tool does not inspect the building or certify a report. Keep the inspection findings and professional explanations in your own records alongside that research.
Agree who will coordinate the inspection questions
If you engage a buyers agent, ask whether booking access and following up inspection questions are included in their service. The report author should explain technical findings, and your legal representative should explain contractual options. Agree who will own each follow-up instead of assuming it is covered.
You can request a Sydney buyers-agent introduction with no charge to enquire and no obligation to engage. Baxau may receive a referral fee negotiated case by case; read how matching works.