What Pests are Covered by a Pre-Purchase Building and Pest Inspection?
The term “Building and Pest Report” is a shorter form of “Pre-Purchase Building and Timber Pest Report”. The Timber Pests covered are Termites, Borers, Fungal Decay and something called Chemical Delignification.
You can learn more about these pests by following the links. Your building inspector looks and reports on any evidence of timber pests but also, and very importantly, identifies any Conditions Conducive to Timber Pests.
In an ABIS Pre-Purchase Building and Pest Report you will also get an assessment of the susceptibility of the home to termite attack and Information regarding any evidence of existing termite management systems that may have been installed.
The Australian Standard covering Pre-Purchase Timber Pest Inspections AS4349.3, which an ABIS inspection encompasses, recognises that parts of a building are not readily accessible. As in a pre-purchase situation it is usually neither practical nor economic to gain access to all areas of a building (inside walls, under house slabs, behind stored goods etc), the standard requires the inspector to asses the risk of there being timber pests present in these or obstructed or hidden areas.
So what does this all mean when you are buying a home? It’s not the fun stuff thats for sure, but it is important. No home purchase is free from risk. Being well informed of the risks however, will assist you in making a sound purchasing decision.