Victoria

Do you think that property you are looking to buy has asbestos?

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? ...
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Depreciation - A Most Valuable Deduction

Looking to claim? For property owners, depreciation is the gift that keeps on giving and another reason to talk with the professionals at Jim’s Building Inspections. To wit, investors deduct the amount of income-producing assets in decline over the...
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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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The 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...
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Concrete stumps are not immune to decay under extreme conditions.

Many elevated properties sit on some type of stump support whether it be timber , steel , masonry or concrete . Whist most people would consider concrete stumps to be maintenance free , this is far from the truth . Recently one of our Building Inspe...
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Property Management and Smoke Alarms are Good Friends

Property management and smoke alarms are good friends. Or at least they should be. Worst possible scenario: Inaction can lead to deaths and a stint in prison. It’s a familiar story, even in developed countries, however. From one BBC report: “A...
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Buying Off-The-Plan Housing Needn't Be Scary

Buying an off-the-plan house needn’t be scary if you make smart choices. One important choice: Seeking out experts in New Construction – and Jim’s Building Inspections is a good place to start. Buying off-the-plan with professional guidan...
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Meth testing - the new norm for prudent home buyers

The New Norm? Including Meth checks in Pre-Purchase Building Inspections For home buyers there is nothing unusual about organising a Pre-Purchase Building Inspection on a potential property purchase. For smart buyers, a Pre-Purchase Building Inspe...
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The Politics Of Smoke Alarms

From 1993 to 2015, CSIRO conducted tests on smoke alarms but the public is yet to read the findings. This comes at a time when activists want ionised smoke alarms banned due to alleged issues with response times to common fires. In America, the alarm...
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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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