It’s always been a concern to us that Kiwis from all walks of life struggle to not only afford a home in the current New Zealand market, but to afford to follow the processes involved in ensuring this new investment doesn’t lead to significant loss. We encourage all home buyers to factor inspection costs into their house buying process because house inspections are a necessary insurance.
Over the past 6 years we’ve completed upwards of 5,000 inspection reports and by far, the norm is that we identify small to moderate issues in the majority of homes. There are of course the odd cases where we identify significant issues, and for our customers, this turns their purchase decision on its head. if the average house inspection report costs around $500, it may be the cheapest insurance you’ve ever had to pay for.
The Worst Case Scenario:
This year, one of our inspectors completed a report on a new townhouse block in a new subdivision in the Auckland region. He identified an elevated moisture reading and after further investigation we uncovered major lapses in buildings compliance with the building code. There were serious weather tightness issues likely to cost millions to remedy. In this case, council inspections did not pick up on the poor workmanship. The buyer walked away from a terrible investment and needless to say, provided us with some amazing feedback. This is one of many examples on why a house inspection is a necessary insurance.
Pre-Purchase inspections have become an absolute necessity over the past 10 years and possibly should have been a long time before that. After the issues we have had in regards to Design, and quality of workmanship due to a very un-regulated building industry, through to the ‘Leaky building Crises’ of the 1990’s- 2000’s, now more than ever do prospective purchasers need to protect themselves before committing to any purchase. When you’re investing upwards of $800k, $500 is a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Methamphetamine:
The more recent issues around Methamphetamine have added another risk factor to the house buying process. We encourage adding ‘Meth tests’ to your report, our costs are covered here: https://www.hppi.co.nz/building-reports
Indemnity Insurance:
Just like you’d do your research on an insurance provider, Hppi encourage you to do your research on your inspection provider. Make sure they have Indemnity Insurance and question them specifically on whether weather tightness is included in this cover. The inspections market is very competitive but again consumers are faced with an unregulated industry and no guarantee of their inspector’s experience or competence.
Here at Hppi our inspections are carried out following the New Zealand standards guidelines: https://www.standards.govt.nz/shop/nzs-43062005/ We have extensive experience in not only new housing but also renovations and repairs in the New Zealand insurance industry.
It is our aim to provide our customers with an accurate easy to understand report and to lower the cost of these inspections. Our proprietary app ensures that we can save time which will save you money.
Our number one sign of competency is our full ‘Indemnity Insurance’ (inclusive of weather tightness) which requires a rigorous process of providing a record of our experience and qualifications.
Happy house hunting.