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, ...
Read moreWHAT’S THE MOST COMMON BUILDING INSPECTIONS SIGNIFICANT DEFECT?
Over the past two years, the most common Significant defect found, is the damp shower. Modern showers are aesthetically pleasing and appear to be installed to the highest standard. However, countless showers have been found this year to have damp cor...
Read moreInadequate Site and subfloor drainage
A sub-floor is the structure and crawl space between the lowest floor and the ground. High moisture levels in these areas promote fungal decay and other timber pests such as termites.
All sub-floors and crawl spaces should be considered as having ...
Read moreThe 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...
Read moreWhat is Caveat Emptor?
Increasingly property buyers are aware of their responsibility to discover building defects before sale – this is known as the Latin principle Caveat Emptor or ‘buyer beware’.
The full quotation is ‘caveat emptor, qui ignorare no...
Read moreAsbestos Dumpers Beware
There’s a right way and a wrong way to do a job and this is especially true for asbestos. As the APP reports:
People and businesses that illegally transport or dump asbestos in NSW will face on-the-spot fines of up to $15,000 under tough new pen...
Read moreThe D-Word: Time To Talk Depreciation
Sad fact: Many Australian rental property owners are failing to correctly calculate depreciation.
“I have often seen clients who have owned investment properties for five, six or seven years and have never claimed any form of depreciation becaus...
Read moreMouldy Issues For Landlords
A growing number of tenants are trying to educate landlords about the many ways in which mould can make us sick. So the ABC’s AM political reporter, Alexandra Beech, took the time to speak to one such person, Caleb Rudd.
Mr Rudd is behind a Face...
Read moreHouse Inspections Take Time
Okay, random question: How long would you spend inspecting a house before buying it?
In Australia, more than half of homeowners (58%) spend less than an hour inspecting before the big buy, according to research put out by ME bank. Thus, it’s not...
Read moreThe Science Of Inspections
There’s a science to property inspections. Seriously. Because while your average inspector can and does spot problems, a trained inspector can find problems behind problems and other easy-to-miss issues.
What’s more, he or she is less likely t...
Read more