House defects – what do you look for before you buy a house?

Read our FREE eBook and get the most out of buying with our 4 steps to success CLAIM YOUR FREE EBOOK

House Defects & What To Look For | Buyer Marketing Melbourne

When you are considering buying a property and assessing it for any house defects the first thing you should do is stand out in the front, or on the road, and have a good look at it. This sounds simple, but it’s the best place to start!

In the enthusiasm of buying, house defects can be missed. They may not be obvious so look carefully. You could be about to buy that home, but you don’t want to find an obvious fault or drawback was missed, after the deal is done.

If you have people with you, wife, parents, family, or a friend – ask them to scan the house too. Ask them what they see. They may spot a house defect you’ve missed.

House defects, even if they appear minor, can add up to significant expense when all tallied together. You don’t need all this extra expense straight after a purchase. Are you regularly maintaining a home already? Or understand what that involves? If you are already doing this, you’ll be better at spotting those house defects. Or, things that will need fixing very soon.

If you don’t have experience as a home maintainer, it’s more difficult to see faults.

For example is the paint job on its last legs? Or has the smarten-up paint job (for the sale) been done too cheaply, and will have to redone immediately to waterproof surfaces perfectly to protect the structure.

What shape is the roof in? Are tiles loose or shifting? Are valleys or gutters actually rusted out, but hidden under a cosmetic coating? Or are downpipes rusted? Are the pickets in the fence sound, or are they deteriorating down at dirt level where the watering constantly dampens them? Outside on the footpath, are any big trees roots headed towards the home underneath the path, coming from the nature strip? Big trees can send big roots towards your front garden looking for water. These can be a major headache, buckling fences, paving and even walls.

Any house defects you spot should go on a ‘Fix it’ list, and then added up to estimate extra costs you will have to deal with after purchase.

Spotting interior house defects

You need to do the same scrutiny inside as well. Every room and section can be checked and assessed. The backyard also.

Don’t talk yourself into believing minor house defects are insignificant. If you see hairline cracks in paintwork, render or plaster it could mean there are bigger structural problems lurking. Movement in the floorboards could be a hint of a bigger house defect underneath there, out of sight.

If the property is strata title or subject to a body corporate, getting issues fixed can sometimes be difficult. It’s more complex to make significant changes to the property.

We ultimately recommend you consider a professional building and pest inspection to help assess house defects, but it is far simpler to scan the home first yourself, even on your first visit, to give you a list of extra costs. The process will make you more informed and help you make a better buying decision.

Buyer Marketing – Melbourne’s most experienced buyer advocates are your winning edge in property buying. We specialise in securing property for home buyers in Melbourne. We assist you in screening for house defects when it comes to purchasing a property.

Google Reviews

Posted on Google Google
Gail Lobo profile picture
Gail Lobo
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Peter's knowledge and expertise were invaluable when purchasing my first home. He guided me through every step and kept me informed regularly, which made the process easier and less stressful. I felt supported and in good hands throughout. Everything fell into place within a few weeks, quicker than expected! I would highly recommend Peter and his services.
Posted on Google Google
Charlotte St John profile picture
Charlotte St John
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Peter Fox is an outstanding buyer’s advocate. I am so glad that I hired him. It was incredibly helpful to have someone so experienced in real estate navigate the ins and outs of buying a home on my behalf. He achieved the result I was looking for in record speed, and took the stress out of everything. Thank you Peter.
Posted on Google Google
Colby Hart profile picture
Colby Hart
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Peter was a fantastic buyers advocate - identified and negotiated our dream home for us extremely quickly. Couldn't recommend higher.
Posted on Google Google
Beatrix Neville profile picture
Beatrix Neville
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
I had an excellent experience working with Peter in purchasing my first home. Peter has a calm demeanour and is a clear communicator - never once did I feel stressed, pressured or uncertain of where I was in the journey or what the next steps would be. Peter understood me and my brief, selected quality properties to inspect and took me through off-market properties to compare. Within 3 weeks of contracting Peter we secured the perfect place. I am absolutely thrilled with my purchase, and believe I would have missed out on the property without Peter's rapport and expertise in communicating with Real Estate, and then guidance once the negotiation process started. Peter made the process of finding a property so fun and exciting that I was almost sad when it was over! Thanks Peter!
Posted on Google Google
Jean-Pierre Eid profile picture
Jean-Pierre Eid
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
We engaged Peter Fox for bidding and negotiating, hands down one of the best decisions we ever made. He was clear and comforting ahead of auction and on the day witnessing Peter go to work was awe inspiring. Having done his due diligence beforehand, he was quick to assess a sizable field of interested parties and surgically execute a winning strategy securing for us our dream home. All that aside Peter was empathetic and understood our worries and motivations while also demonstrating strong discipline and an ethical approach throughout. Thank you Peter Fox
Posted on Google Google
Jessica Fagioli profile picture
Jessica Fagioli
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Peter is nothing short of a real estate king. I engaged Peter because I was looking at buying a specific house in a very competitive area, and which was being sold under a complex set of circumstances. Before even formally engaging him, Peter had gone to see the house in question, had spoken to the real estate agent, and had a good idea of what we were working with. From that moment on, I knew I was in safe hands. Peter was always available to alleviate any concerns and answer any questions, and when he wasn’t in a position to know the answers, he knew exactly how to get them in a prompt manner. Peter established a strong rapport with both the vendor’s solicitor (which ensured my lawyers and I were comfortable with the state of affairs before auction day) and the selling agent (which was critical to my ultimate success at auction). I cannot even begin to describe Peter’s mastery on auction day: there is no way I would’ve succeeded had he not been there. I cannot recommend Peter highly enough. Infinite thanks to you, Peter!
Posted on Google Google
patty goodman profile picture
patty goodman
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
I purchased an investment property through Peter and he made the process so easy and stress free. I saved so much time being able to work while he inspected multiple property’s and negotiated a good deal for the right one. Highly recommend this bloke!
Posted on Google Google
Peter Mallen profile picture
Peter Mallen
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Peter Fox from Buyer Marketing helped us buy a property in Vermont South recently. We have been looking to downsize for some time and, honestly, are fairly fussy with our criteria. So when a house came along which ticked many of the boxes for us, we enlisted Peter's help to negotiate with the agent and to get the deal across the line. Peter was friendly, approachable and professional throughout. His knowledge and experience of the real estate market and the buying side in particular meant that we could leave the conversations and timing of offers to Peter. We were able to secure the property we wanted at a price that met our budget and met our criteria. So we are very grateful for Peter's advice, assistance and good communication throughout the process.
Posted on Google Google
Peter Villinger profile picture
Peter Villinger
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
With Buyer Marketing’s Peter Fox I was in good hands from the beginning. An initial meeting with Peter set me on the path to a successful purchase of a property. This was an informal chat whereby he was able to understand precisely what my requirements were.From there the process was clear and efficient, Peter explaining not only what he would do but also how and why those were his strategies.Regular updates and the knowledge that he was up for a chat anytime was most reassuring. Peter V
Posted on Google Google
James Ireland profile picture
James Ireland
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Peter provided us with deep knowledge of the local areas, the real estate market and contacts within the industry that allowed us to quickly purchase a property that suited us perfectly. He gave us calm and thoughtful recommendations and was there for us at every step. He gave us insights we would not have otherwise known, and made the whole process simple. He conducted all the negotiations on our behalf and we came away with the perfect property at the right price. Could not recommend his services higher.

Buyers Agent Melbourne

FREE eBOOK

Want to get the best outcome with your property purchase?

Enter your details below to download our Essential FREE Property Buyers Guide and learn our 4 steps to success!

1. Search – how to find the ideal property to match your needs
2. Evaluation – what you need to evaluate with your potential purchase
3. Acquisition – secure your property with minimum fuss and for the best price
4. Legal & financial requirements – how to ensure all is in order with the property and sale documentation

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Buyer Marketing – Melbourne’s most experienced buyer advocates will not disclose any of your personal information.