Read Time: 3-4 minutes
It sounds like goodwill.
It feels like a shortcut.
But relying on a seller-supplied building report is one of the quietest traps in the entire purchase process.
A first-home buyer was shown a building report, already completed and handed over by the seller.
“The agent said it would save us time and money.”
No one wants to second-guess that. The report looked professional. It was formatted nicely. It ticked the disclosure box.
But here’s the catch: the report wasn’t addressed to the buyer.
And the buyer didn’t realise this matters. A lot.
If something in that home turns out to be wrong — a leaking bathroom, hidden rot, or structural movement — the buyer has no comeback.
Why?
Because the building report wasn’t prepared for them, the inspector owes them no duty of care.
Even if it’s wildly negligent, they can’t sue.
Now layer on the fact that building inspectors aren’t actually regulated.
There’s no legal requirement around qualifications. No standard format. No compulsory checklist.
So even if the report looks thorough, there’s no guarantee it was done to any baseline.
That’s a recipe for:
Let’s take a step back: Why are these reports popping up so often?
That building inspector knows the unspoken deal.
If your reports keep the sale clean, you’ll keep getting referred.
But if your reports start tanking deals, the referrals dry up.
It’s not a conspiracy. It’s just incentives.
And it means these reports often lean more toward sales tools than independent investigations.
Here’s the advice I give every client and every broker:
Don’t rely on something arranged by the seller or agent.
This gives your client the legal protection they need if something is missed.
Anyone can offer one, and the quality varies wildly.
Even if it’s not intentional, the process encourages a lighter touch.
Peace of mind. Legal protection. And better decision-making, even if it costs a few hundred dollars upfront.
Want to check your own inspector out to see if they are legit? Use our checklist here:
