Property Inspection Question

RustyPrincess

RustyPrincess

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If you want to have a property inspected before you buy it, can you have the inspector come before you sign an OTP, or is it only possible afterwards? If both, which is better?

Also what clauses should be included in the OTP regarding a property inspection?

Any advice is welcome :)
 
So from my own experience, in the area I live, the demand is so high that if you include n inspection in the OTP, there is a 90% chance that your offer will not be accepted, thats how picky the sellers have become, and keen the buyers are to purchase.

So to be honest with you, I'm not sure, but would say you should include it as a condition in the OTP before you present it to the seller, something like "subject to satisfactory inspection by independent party.."

We unfortunately had to strike while the iron was hot, we put in a offer and only inspected after it was accepted, I could be wrong, but there is a cooling-off period of 7 days in the CPA. Its either that or we took a major risk, regardless, it all worked out fine.
 
The_MAC said:
So to be honest with you, I'm not sure, but would say you should include it as a condition in the OTP before you present it to the seller, something like "subject to satisfactory inspection by independent party.."
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This. We did this in our OTP ... no issues. House inspection by inspecta-home found some issues with sellers rectified. Don't forget to include approved plans by the city / council as a condition in the OTP too.
 
InternetLuddite said:
Don't forget to include approved plans by the city / council as a condition in the OTP too.
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Absolutely.

We unfortunately did not, for the reasons mentioned above.

But luckily the seller was willing to sign a letter after accepting the OTP that she would provide us with updated plans. Lucky, because the plans she gave me were before the alterations, and building on the boundary line...

Took her a month to get updated plans, had to get an architect etc.
 
Thanks for the advice, esp regarding the plans. The one property we like, the owner lives overseas and it's currently occupied by tenants, so its unlikely that he would fix any of the issues that we bring up.
Also the tenants are a bit of a deterrent. I'm scared they would refuse to leave.
 
I'd put in the inspection and reserve the right to revise my offer depending on the outcome of an inspection if they aren't willing to sort out the issues discovered. Providing of course, that the issues aren't showstoppers.
 
RustyPrincess said:
Thanks for the advice, esp regarding the plans. The one property we like, the owner lives overseas and it's currently occupied by tenants, so its unlikely that he would fix any of the issues that we bring up.
Also the tenants are a bit of a deterrent. I'm scared they would refuse to leave.
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If the tenants don't leave after property is registered in your name, the seller needs to pay occupational rent. Make sure about that in your OTP
 
OP I would put anything that puts your mind at ease in the OTP - this can include inspections, plans, heck you can even ask if there any damp issues if you want.
Its one of the biggest financial decisions you will make in your life so don't be afraid that you'll upset the current owner or anything like that.
 
To be honest, if you do an inspection and dont see certain things, you buy it voetstoots.

And another thing, how do you want to make an OTP without seeing it first

:confused:
 
InternetLuddite said:
This. We did this in our OTP ... no issues. House inspection by inspecta-home found some issues with sellers rectified. Don't forget to include approved plans by the city / council as a condition in the OTP too.
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+1

I bought a house without plans (they got destroyed along with the rest of the towns house plans) and it had some illegal extensions on it. Took me a year to get this sorted out so that I can submitted plans for minor building work (a dozen bricks and 2 sheets of corrugated sheeting).

At the time of buying I thought it would never be an issue. The seller admitted he did not know if the extension was on plans as his late father in law did it a decade earlier.
 
zerocool2009 said:
To be honest, if you do an inspection and dont see certain things, you buy it voetstoots.

And another thing, how do you want to make an OTP without seeing it first

:confused:
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I never said anything about buying a property without viewing it first, I just wanted to know if I was interested in purchasing the property, how to go about the building inspection. Like if the foundation is colapsing or the roof is filled with termites, I don't exactly want to buy it.
 
RustyPrincess said:
I never said anything about buying a property without viewing it first, I just wanted to know if I was interested in purchasing the property, how to go about the building inspection. Like if the foundation is colapsing or the roof is filled with termites, I don't exactly want to buy it.
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Well, go have a look, if you like the place and see issues, record it all in the OTP (and make sure the owner will fix that), as easy as that.

Well, if you want to crawl into a roof to make sure (go by all means). Like I said, if you miss something it is your issue to fix when you are the new owner. And trust me, you wont see ALL DEFECTS !
 
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