Some helpful tips:

• When receiving the report if there is anything that you do not fully understand, contact the inspector immediately for their advice on their interpretation or clarification of any items that may concern you, before making any decisions.

• Do not allow unqualified and biased people to misinterpret the report.

• If any major problems of concern to you have been identified in the report it would be in your best interest to obtain written quotes from specialists in that particular field.
• Do not ask the inspector for guesstimates on rectification this can be very dangerous to you, especially if the guesstimate is out by a considerable amount. The last thing you want is to be out of pocket by an amount that is far greater than you allowed for especially when your chance for negotiating a better price to compensate you for any major problems has long gone, after you have moved in. This can be a very costly mistake. Always ask for worst case scenario to protect yourself. Remember the role of the inspector is fault finding, not giving quotes
• Consult with your legal representative if time constraints do not allow for quotes (if necessary) to be obtained.

• It is not up to any building inspector to give a pass or failure, the outcome of the report must be your decision and to your satisfaction, not anyone else. If the inspection results do not satisfy you and does not meet with your expectations, that is your decision. The decision must be based a buyers expectations, not others!

• Never ask a building inspector if the price you are paying for the property is too much. They are not qualified to do so. A property is only worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. Do your homework first, look online and compare it to similar buildings of its age and type before making a commitment.

• It is up to you to determine what is acceptable and at what cost, without interference from others.

• It is wise to weight up the good and bad points between each property, before making your decision.

• Once you decision is made, contact your legal representaive with the result so they can inform the other involved parties.

It is worth noting although the great majority of buildings have problems to varying degrees, the final decision depends on your requirements, not anyone else!