Newcastle · Lake Macquarie · the Hunter
Independent editorial, not a booking desk
A journal of houses, pests and purchase
Building Inspector NewcastleA journal of houses, pests and purchase in Newcastle and the Hunter
Before you sign
How a building inspection works in New South Wales, what AS 4349.1 actually covers, and how to time the report around exchange, auction and cooling-off in Newcastle.
Photo: Hugh Llewelyn. Victorian terraces, Civic. CC BY-SA 2.0. Source on Wikimedia Commons. Licence. Full credits on the image credits page.
Lot versus common property, the access you will not get, and why a harbour apartment and a Merewether townhouse need the same walk-through and a different set of records.
Priya Nair · 14 August 2024 · 11 min read · Photo: Sardaka, CC BY-SA 4.0
Why a finished-looking new house still needs a walk-through, how warranties are not reports, and what old paint and new paint each hide in the Hunter.
Helen Cartwright · 9 July 2024 · 10 min read · Photo: Orderinchaos, CC BY-SA 3.0
Inspect before you bid, set a walk-away price, and treat a vendor report as someone else’s document — with the different tactics that work in Hamilton, Cooks Hill and Charlestown.
Sophie Brennan · 18 June 2024 · 11 min read · Photo: Mark McIntosh, CC BY-SA 4.0
How to use the NSW cooling-off, and why auction buyers have none — access, tenants, wet weather, and the pace of the Hunter market between open home and exchange.
Sophie Brennan · 21 May 2024 · 10 min read · Photo: Mark McIntosh, CC BY-SA 3.0
A method for reading the PDF before you ring anyone — limitations first, then majors and safety, then the language of defects, photographs and further investigation.
Mark Ellison · 3 April 2024 · 11 min read · Photo: Mark McIntosh, CC BY-SA 3.0
A clear account of AS 4349.1 in Newcastle and the Hunter — what the inspector is paid to see, what they will not open, and how to read the report before exchange.
Helen Cartwright · 12 March 2024 · 12 min read · Photo: Hugh Llewelyn, CC BY-SA 2.0
