New South Wales

Am I An Owner Builder?

Whether you are or aren’t an owner builder can sometimes be a tricky concept to get your head around. Even if you didn’t personally lift a hammer, but rather project managed different trades to do the work, – you are still, legally, the owne...
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How Jim's Building Inspections Became Australia's Number One Choice

Jim’s Building Inspections has grown to become Australia’s largest building inspection business in just three years. How did we do that? It was actually pretty easy, which is probably a damning commentary on the state of the industry! The ...
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The first signs that a home could have rotten or sinking stumps

If you are buying your dream home or investment property, it should be remembered that if the property is showing signs of stump damage, it is important to get a professional building consultant to have a look at your property.  A house may appear q...
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To Buy Or Not To Buy (Off The Plan)

To buy or not to buy (off the plan) is an important issue for an increasing number of new homebuyers and property investors. When done responsibly with professional guidance (offered by Jim’s Building Inspections, for example) it can be a positi...
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What Does Jim Know About Building Inspections Anyway?

ACTUALLY, QUITE A BIT MORE THAN WE EVER REALISED! We recently discovered that Jim Penman’s dad was a forensic engineer. From an early age Jim’s father was investigating materials, structures and their components which failed o...
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Asbestos-Caused Cancer Trends Up

Asbestos-caused cancers are trending up, according to recent data from 2017. The grim facts from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: 710 Australians were diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2016 – a cancer caused by exposure to asbesto...
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EXPLAINED – Owner Builder Warranty Inspections & S137B of the Victoria Building Act 1993

You're an owner builder and it is time to sell your home. The last thing you want is for your hard work to be a hindrance to potential purchasers who have reservations about quality or compliance, just because the works weren't part of a major domest...
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What Victoria’s New Tenancy Laws Mean For Landlords

Victoria’s new tenancy laws mean that landlords need to pay extra attention to basic standards, especially relating to health and safety. These include (but are not limited to) providing functioning heaters, stoves and even deadlocks. Furthermore, ...
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Things to consider when building your first home

You might decide that rather than buying an established property as your first home, it would better suit you to build. Building your first home can be both an exciting and overwhelming experience. Building allows you to customise your home from t...
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Smoke Alarms - America's Move May Trigger Australian Action

It’s an important topic. Will moves in the United States regarding smoke alarms trigger a debate here? The dirt: As the ABC reported, new US smoke alarm laws look likely to drive ionisation alarms out of business – and an American expert has b...
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