Building reports and unconsented work
A building report tells you the condition of the house. The council file tells you whether the work on it was consented. The two together decide whether you negotiate, repair, insure or walk. Unconsented decks, tiled showers and conversions are the most common findings and each has its own fix.
What it is
A building inspection is a visual report by a qualified inspector, usually within a few days of ordering. It covers moisture, structure, roof, cladding and the obvious defects. Separately, the LIM and property file show whether building work received a consent and a Code Compliance Certificate. Work done without consent may need a Certificate of Acceptance, which is not the same thing.
Why it matters
A report that finds problems is not the end of the deal. It is the start of a negotiation. The building report condition lets you cancel if the report is unsatisfactory on an objective assessment, meaning a reasonable buyer would also be concerned, not just you. Most buyers either miss this leverage or use it badly, by asking for a discount on things that do not matter and ignoring the one that does.
How we handle it
Your inspector's written report sets out what they found and how serious it is, so ask them about anything you don't understand. Once you know what you want fixed, we handle the contract side: we go to the vendor's lawyer with a specific request, usually a repair before settlement with a holdback as backup, or a price reduction with a number attached. For unconsented work we use the flowcharts below to work out whether a Certificate of Acceptance, a Safe and Sanitary report, or nothing is the right ask.
Common traps
- Trusting a vendor-supplied building report.
- Asking for a price reduction equal to the full repair cost on a cosmetic item and losing credibility for the real one.
- Accepting a Certificate of Acceptance as if it were a CCC.
Not sure how this applies to you?
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