When purchasing a home in Melbourne, one of the most important reasons for obtaining a professional pre-purchase building inspection is to understand the type and significance of defects present in the property.

Almost every established home will have some defects. A 30, 40 or 60-year-old house should not be expected to present in the same condition as a recently constructed property.

The important question is not simply:

“Does the house have defects?”

The more important questions are:

Are the defects minor maintenance issues, or could they indicate a more significant problem?

Could the defect affect the structural integrity, safety or serviceability of the building?

Is there evidence of ongoing movement, moisture entry or deterioration?

Could apparently minor symptoms be evidence of a larger concealed problem?

Understanding the difference between major and minor defects can help Melbourne home buyers make a much better-informed decision before purchasing a property.

What Is a Major Building Defect?

A major defect should not simply be interpreted as a defect that is expensive to repair.

The significance of a defect needs to be considered in relation to the building element affected, the extent of the problem, its consequences and whether it affects the intended function or use of the building.

Major defects can potentially involve structural components or other important building elements where deterioration, movement, failure or defective construction is significant enough to warrant further investigation or substantial rectification.

Examples may include:

• Significant foundation or footing movement
• Seriously deteriorated or failed stumps
• Significant structural cracking
• Failed or substantially deteriorated bearers and floor joists
• Significant termite or timber pest damage
• Major roof framing defects
• Serious water penetration
• Significant deterioration caused by prolonged dampness
• Substantial roof deterioration
• Significant drainage problems contributing to building movement or moisture problems
• Structural deterioration of balconies, decks, verandahs or other external structures

However, every property needs to be assessed individually.

A defect that is minor in one situation could be considerably more important in another depending upon its location, extent, cause and the surrounding conditions.

What Is a Minor Defect?

Minor defects are generally defects that do not have the same level of significance as a major defect and are commonly associated with normal deterioration, ageing, workmanship issues or maintenance requirements.

Examples can include:

• Minor plaster cracking
• Localised deteriorated sealant
• Minor grout deterioration
• Isolated cracked or damaged tiles
• Doors requiring adjustment
• Defective door stops
• Minor corrosion
• Localised deteriorated paintwork
• Minor timber deterioration
• Loose fittings
• Minor roof pointing deterioration
• Isolated damaged roof tiles
• Minor cracking to external paving
• Minor defects to gutters or downpipes

Minor does not mean that the defect should be ignored.

Many minor defects require maintenance or repair to prevent them developing into more significant problems.

This is particularly important where water is involved.

A relatively inexpensive maintenance item such as deteriorated sealant, defective roof flashing or a leaking gutter may eventually contribute to substantial timber decay, mould or other deterioration if it is left unattended.

Roof Defects

The roof is one of the most important areas inspected during a pre-purchase building inspection.

Melbourne properties can have tiled, metal or a combination of roofing systems, and the age and condition of the roof can vary considerably.

Examples of roof defects we may identify include:

• Cracked or broken roof tiles
• Deteriorated ridge and hip pointing
• Defective flashings
• Rusting metal roofing
• Corroded roofing screws and fixings
• Deteriorated valleys
• Blocked gutters
• Deteriorated fascia boards
• Defective box gutters
• Inadequate roof drainage
• Evidence of previous leakage
• Poorly completed roof repairs
• Roof sheets that have been incorrectly installed or overlapped
• Significant deterioration requiring substantial repair or replacement

An isolated cracked tile may be relatively straightforward to rectify.

However, widespread deterioration, substantial corrosion, defective flashing systems or evidence of continuing water penetration can represent a considerably more serious issue.

The inspector therefore needs to consider the roof system as a whole, rather than simply listing individual defects.

Roof Space Defects

Where safe and reasonable access is available, inspection of the roof space can provide important information that cannot necessarily be identified from inside the rooms below.

Defects may include:

• Damaged rafters
• Defective roof framing
• Inadequately supported framing members
• Altered or removed structural members
• Deteriorated timber
• Evidence of roof leakage
• Moisture staining
• Termite or timber pest damage
• Defective connections
• Sagging or movement
• Poorly executed alterations
• Excessive loads placed upon ceiling framing

Water staining within a roof space is particularly important to investigate.

The inspector needs to consider whether staining appears old or whether there is evidence suggesting continuing moisture entry.

Moisture meters and other inspection equipment may assist the inspector, but these instruments complement rather than replace an experienced visual inspection.

Subfloor Defects

For homes constructed on stumps or other suspended floor systems, the subfloor can be one of the most important parts of the inspection.

Many significant problems affecting older Melbourne homes originate below floor level.

Common defects and conditions can include:

• Deteriorated timber stumps
• Deteriorated or defective concrete stumps
• Inadequate stump support
• Bearers inadequately supported
• Bearer joints positioned away from appropriate supports
• Deteriorated floor joists
• Borer damage
• Termite damage
• Timber decay
• Excessive moisture
• Damp soil
• Inadequate subfloor ventilation
• Water entering beneath the building
• Plumbing leakage
• Poor surface drainage
• Ground levels contributing to damp conditions
• Excessive floor movement
• Bouncy or spongy flooring
• Floors significantly out of level

A house with deteriorated stumps may exhibit symptoms elsewhere in the building.

These can include:

• Sloping floors
• Cracking to walls
• Doors binding or failing to close correctly
• Gaps around architraves and skirting boards
• Movement around windows
• Cracking to tiled areas

This is why an experienced inspector should not assess individual defects completely in isolation.

The condition of the subfloor may help explain defects observed internally.

Dampness and Moisture

Moisture is responsible for many building problems.

During a pre-purchase inspection, evidence of dampness may be identified internally, externally, within the roof space or beneath the building.

Possible indicators include:

• Elevated moisture readings
• Mould
• Damp or deteriorated skirting boards
• Paint bubbling or peeling
• Water staining
• Efflorescence
• Damp masonry
• Timber decay
• Musty odours
• Wet subfloor soil
• Moisture around showers and bathrooms
• Staining beneath balconies
• Ceiling staining associated with roof leakage

The source of moisture is not always immediately obvious.

It may originate from a leaking shower, roof defect, plumbing leak, inadequate drainage, surface water, defective flashing, condensation or another source.

This is why moisture readings should be considered together with visual evidence and the construction of the building.

Drainage Defects

Drainage around a house is extremely important.

Water should not continually pond against the building or be directed towards the foundations.

During an inspection we may observe:

• Ponding adjacent to external walls
• Paving falling towards the building
• Inadequate surface drainage
• Blocked gutters
• Blocked or defective downpipes
• Missing downpipes
• Disconnected stormwater pipes
• Garden beds constructed against external walls
• Excessive soil levels
• Water entering the subfloor
• Poor drainage around retaining walls
• Evidence of prolonged dampness around foundations

Drainage defects should not automatically be dismissed as minor landscaping problems.

Long-term changes in moisture conditions around foundations can contribute to building movement, particularly where reactive soils are present.

Poor drainage can also create conditions favourable to timber deterioration and termite activity.

Internal Cracking

Cracking is one of the most common concerns raised by Melbourne home buyers.

Not every crack represents a structural problem.

Minor cracking to plasterboard joints, cornices or around door and window openings can occur through normal building movement, shrinkage, ageing and seasonal changes.

However, cracking becomes more concerning when accompanied by other indicators such as:

• Significant floor movement
• Doors binding
• Windows becoming difficult to operate
• Noticeably sloping floors
• Separation between building elements
• Corresponding external cracking
• Significant displacement across the crack
• Progressive movement

The inspector should therefore consider the pattern, width, location and surrounding evidence, rather than assessing a crack purely on its appearance.

External Cracking

Cracking to brickwork, rendered walls and other external building elements also needs to be assessed carefully.

Minor hairline cracking may simply require monitoring or maintenance.

More significant cracking can potentially indicate building movement.

Warning signs may include:

• Stepped cracking through brickwork
• Significant cracking around windows and doors
• Separation between walls and adjoining structures
• Displacement across cracks
• Rotation of masonry
• Cracking extending through multiple building elements
• Corresponding internal cracking
• Noticeable changes in floor level

Where significant movement is suspected, further investigation may be required to establish the underlying cause.

When Several Minor Defects Tell a Bigger Story

One of the most important skills in building inspection is recognising relationships between defects.

Consider a house where the inspector observes:

Minor internal cracking + several binding doors + noticeably sloping floors + deteriorated stumps beneath the building.

Each observation viewed individually might appear relatively unremarkable.

Viewed together, however, they may indicate a much more significant problem.

Another example could be:

Blocked gutters + deteriorated fascia + ceiling staining + moisture staining within the roof space.

Again, these observations should not necessarily be treated as four unrelated maintenance items.

They may all relate to the same underlying water-management problem.

Professional inspection therefore involves more than simply preparing a checklist of visible defects.

The inspector needs to understand how buildings are constructed, how they deteriorate and how one defect may contribute to another.

Timber Pest Damage and Subfloor Conditions

Subfloors deserve particular attention because conditions beneath a building may be conducive to termite activity, timber decay and borer attack.

Potential warning signs include:

• Damp soil
• Poor ventilation
• Plumbing leaks
• Timber debris beneath the building
• Tree stumps
• Timber contacting soil
• Deteriorated floor framing
• Restricted ventilation openings
• Garden beds against the building
• Persistently wet areas

A building may also contain concealed timber that simply cannot be visually inspected without invasive investigation.

For this reason, a building and timber pest inspection should never be interpreted as a guarantee that concealed termite activity or damage does not exist.

The Age of the Property Matters

The condition expected of a recently constructed house is different from that expected of a home built many decades ago.

Older Melbourne homes may have:

• Original timber stumps
• Older drainage systems
• Ageing roof coverings
• Original windows
• Older plumbing
• Previous extensions
• Renovations completed at different times
• Historic movement
• Previous repairs
• Deterioration consistent with their age

This does not mean defects should be ignored.

It means they need to be assessed within the context of the building’s age, construction method and overall condition.

A knowledgeable inspector should be able to distinguish between reasonable ageing and conditions that warrant closer investigation.

Why a Pre-Purchase Building Inspection Is Important

Consumer Affairs Victoria specifically recommends considering a professional building inspection before purchasing a property and identifies warning signs such as sloping or bouncy floors, damp brick walls, cracking, excessive moisture and sagging or damaged roofs.

These are exactly the types of conditions that can be overlooked during a normal property viewing.

A freshly painted house can still have problems beneath the floor, inside the roof space or behind apparently cosmetic defects.

A professional inspection gives the purchaser a much clearer understanding of the condition of the property before making one of the largest financial commitments of their life.

Major or Minor? Experience Matters

Building inspection is not simply about finding as many defects as possible.

It is about determining which observations are important.

A long list of minor maintenance items may have relatively little influence on a purchasing decision.

One significant defect involving the foundations, subfloor, roof structure, drainage or moisture entry may be considerably more important.

The inspector therefore needs to understand construction, recognise deterioration and movement, identify relationships between defects and clearly explain their significance to the purchaser.

But What Happens When an Area Cannot Be Inspected?

This is an extremely important question.

What happens when heating ducts prevent access beneath part of the house?

What happens when the subfloor clearance becomes too low to safely enter?

What if insulation conceals structural timbers in the roof space?

What if stored belongings prevent access?

What happens when the roof is wet, slippery, excessively high or unsafe to access?

And what happens if a defect exists behind a wall, beneath flooring or within another concealed area that cannot be visually inspected?

These issues are just as important as understanding major and minor defects.