Apartment and Strata Inspections in Schofields

In the lot itself we go through the linings, floors, bathrooms and laundry, kitchen, windows and doors, and any balcony, courtyard or garage that comes with it. Outside it, we look at the common property safely visible from the lot and the shared areas, such as gutters, external walls, the common driveway, fences and drainage. Which parts count as common property changes between schemes, and the strata plan is what confirms it.

Not if it is a townhouse or low rise scheme of three storeys or fewer where home building compensation cover was required, because that sits outside the scheme. The strata building bond and inspections scheme is for residential or mixed use strata buildings of four or more storeys, where the building contracts were entered into from 1 January 2018. If you are unsure, the strata manager can tell you whether a bond was lodged.

In a building that qualifies, the developer must lodge a bond of 2% of the contract price before the occupation certificate is issued. The developer also appoints a building inspector within 12 months of completion, subject to the owners corporation's approval, who inspects between 15 and 18 months after completion and again between 21 and 24 months after. Any interim report defects still there at the final inspection can be fixed using the bond.

It is a different job. The bond inspector, appointed by the developer, reports on defective building work for the scheme as a whole. Our inspection of your lot, ideally done before the interim inspection, hands the strata committee a dated list while there is still time to raise it, and it covers your lot where the building is outside the bond scheme.

The Home Building Act 1989 sets statutory warranties of six years from completion for major defects and two years for other defects, and an extra six months applies if a breach is found in the last six months. Common property defects are best raised through the owners corporation. You can complain directly as a lot owner where the defect affects your lot alone, or where the owners corporation or strata manager does not respond.

Before exchange or within the cooling off period if you are buying. If you own already, allow plenty of time before the warranty deadline, as other defects generally have two years from completion (with up to six months more for some found late) and major defects six years, and claims have to be started in time. Where a bond applies, book before the interim inspection.

The strata search, or strata report, is drawn from the scheme's records and covers its finances, insurance, known building defects and planned works, legal matters and meeting minutes. We look at the building in person, which the search cannot do. Read both together, since a leak in our report means more if the minutes show the committee has been chasing it.

It is issued by the owners corporation and shows the levies for the lot, any still owing, the funding proposals in the 10-year capital works plan and where records and financial statements can be seen. The strata committee, the strata managing agent and any building manager are named on it too. You pay a fee for it, and a purchaser is not responsible for a levy owing before the certificate was given if that levy is not shown.

Yes, because it is not an audit of the whole scheme. We do not inspect other lots, locked plant or service rooms, lifts, fire safety systems, roofs that cannot be safely reached or concealed framing, and we do not test electrical, gas or plumbing services. Timber pests, asbestos and mould testing are only included when arranged separately, and anything out of reach on the day is listed as not inspected.

Yes, including Tallawong, Nirimba Fields, Quakers Hill, Riverstone, Marsden Park and The Ponds. Schofields is in the City of Blacktown. Since Tallawong and Nirimba Fields were carved out of Schofields in November 2020, we write the report to the address shown on your contract or strata plan.

The fee reflects the lot's type and size and how much common property you want looked at, and we confirm it once we know the property. You get the report, with photographs, within 24 hours, and it shows which items appear to be in the lot or common property, checked against the plan where supplied. Afterwards you can call the inspector to talk it over.