Handover Inspection FAQs Solved!

Building your investment property or family home is one of the largest expenses you will make in your lifetime. Upon completion you are required to undertake a handover inspection to ensure the build has been completed satisfactorily.

What is a handover inspection?

When building a home, for investment or for your family, you need to progress through many steps. You have to tick the boxes to achieve finance approval, find the site, choose the right builder, pick all the finishes and then progress through construction itself.

Nearing the end of construction and prior to the building being handed over to yourself, inspections are done which ensure that the house is built correctly, in a liveable state and to the required standard.

This new build handover inspection is the final examination. It must be conducted to ensure you are happy with the build and that it has been constructed to the standard and specifications you have paid for.

Why is the handover inspection so important?

It is the final chance, prior to making the final payment, to pick up on anything that has not been done or has not been done correctly. It’s important to get it right as once you’ve paid the builder, they are in some cases much less likely to assist you during the warranty period.

Using a trained eye for this service is extremely important. Can you trust yourself to pick up on defective work or work that has not been done correctly? Minor defective issues become major down the track throughout the life cycle of the home so it important to have them rectified right away.

What is the difference between a Certifier’s inspection and handover inspections?

A mandatory inspection is typically undertaken by a Building Certifier. It makes sure that the house is in a liveable, safe state able to be occupied in accordance with the Building Code.

A handover inspection however is usually completed after the Certifier’s inspection, it makes sure the construction elements, including the finishes, are up to industry standards.

This inspection looks at; incomplete works, unsatisfactory finishes, standard of work and so on.

It is a much more comprehensive inspection and the final chance for you to ensure you have got what you paid for.

What does the handover inspection process look like?

Typically your Builder will give you 2 or 3 weeks’ notice before handover of the property is expected to take place.

At this time you should contact a qualified building inspector (like us at GQS) to undertake a thorough inspection of your property.

A report is then delivered to you noting all the identified defects within the property. This report goes to your Builder to request them to fix the issues prior to handover.

A follow up inspection and report can then be conducted, at your request, to ensure the works identified have in fact been completed.

Who can do a handover inspection?

Like the Inspectors at GQS, you must hold the appropriate qualifications and licences to conduct a handover / building inspection. With 15 years’ experience we offer in-depth and thorough inspections at an affordable price.