If the house you are looking to buy was built or renovated before 1990, it is likely that it will contain some form of asbestos-containing materials.
Did you know that approximately one-third of homes built in Australia contain asbestos products?
Asbestos is becoming an increasing concern for those in the housing market looking to buy. Buyers are not wanting to purchase a house filled with asbestos.
How to find out if a property has asbestos?
It’s not possible to know if a house or a building has got asbestos by just looking at it.
You need to do your due diligence and get an expert asbestos inspection report done.
If you are unsure whether asbestos is present in the property you are looking to buy, an asbestos inspection is recommended to help you identify the following:
- if asbestos is present,
- the condition the asbestos is in, and
- how to manage the risk of the asbestos
What to do if a property has asbestos?
However, how you deal with asbestos is important. So if you’ve found the house of your dreams, asbestos doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. Just make sure you:
- if asbestos is present,
- the condition the asbestos is in, and
- how to manage the risk of the asbestos
- The cost that will be to remove or repair it, and factor that into any offer you make to buy the property.
- If you also plan to renovate, you’ll need to find out if your renovations will disturb the asbestos as this could add greater cost and time to your remodeling.
It’s recommended that you don’t try DIY to remove the asbestos from the property.
If gone wrong, it can cause serious health problems to only you but also to your family and your neighbours.
So if you do your due diligence and get a building inspection report done on a property you want to buy, it should discover any asbestos. It’s worth checking with the building inspector you use to make sure they can specifically test for asbestos.
For peace of mind make sure you get an expert from Jims Building Inspections to do a complete pre-purchase inspection & Asbestos Inspection.
Jim’s Asbestos Removal and Jim’s Hazardous Materials Removal Division can help you with the safe & expert Asbestos Removal.
