Making the most of a builders warranty
Once the walls and floors are in place, the doors are hanging in their frames and all the last finishing touches have been attended to, a brand-new property should be in perfect condition and ready for the residents to move in – right?
At first glance it may seem like a safety report on a new property is unnecessary. After all, it’s only just been completed; what can have gone wrong so early in the property’s lifetime? Unfortunately, taking the safety of a new build for granted can be a big mistake, and there are good reasons why a safety report on a new build is a sensible strategy to ensure everything is in order before someone finds out the hard way that something is amiss, as our case study shows.
In an ideal world, every building would be constructed with flawless precision and guaranteed to be perfectly sound. However, builders are only human, and something as complex as a residential property represents myriad opportunities for something to go wrong. As residences, this can have extremely unfortunate consequences. If a critical part of the building is incorrectly constructed, and that fault is unaddressed or even undiscovered, the property is not safe for habitation.
Due to the complexity of any such structure, determining a building’s safety is an intricate task that requires a professional assessment. While everything may appear to be fine to the casual observer, an experienced inspector is going to be able to spot any defects and make recommendations to prevent damage or injury occurring as a result.
New-build defects can be serious. One of our inspectors identified a serious hazard at a two-year-old property, where the first-floor patio deck had been incorrectly constructed. If this fault had not been discovered, it is possible that eventually the deck would collapse. In the best-case scenario this would cause major damage; the worst-case scenario would be severe injury to the residents of the property.
A major property issue like this example would be significant to rectify. In light of this, it makes perfect sense to check up on a property and discover any such defects while the builder’s warranty is still in effect. Just as you might have a third party inspect your car before the warranty expires, so any issues will be covered and you don’t end up footing the bill, a professional safety inspection of a new build is a logical protection for any property owner. This is even more crucial for property investors, who could be liable for any safety failures.
For peace of mind, and to make the most of builder’s warranties while they are in effect, PropertySafe recommends either:-
Make a booking enquiry now or find out more by calling PropertySafe on 1300 350 000.
