Buying a Property? Check what approvals are on record before you sign

Written on 03/03/2020. Posted in General Advice.

When buying a property most people sign a contract with a Building and Pest clause to protect them from the risk of repairing shoddy building work.

Did you know that in most cases, the Building and Pest Inspector does not check whether the building work is approved?

Particularly if the building work is recent, check that a Form 21 is recorded with the approval.

In many cases, the council has record of a lapsed approval because the builder did not contact the certifier for a final inspection. A lapsed approval is as good as no approval.

If you are investing good money into property, make sure what is built is approved. This will prevent any nasty surprises when make any future claims on your insurance. Contact the building department at your local council to obtain a copy of the approved plans they have on record.