O'Connors Property Reports - Sydney

Our Services

We provide comprehensive pre-purchase property reports.

Strata Reports from $350 inc GST

Unsure? Ask us for a quote!
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Strata Reports
Strata Report - less than 200 units $350
Strata Report - 201 - 300 units $400
Strata Report - more than 300 units from $420
Additional Limited Review BMC or Association as part of Strata Report add $220
Other Report Types
Association Report (Community / Neighbourhood / Precinct) $350
Building Management Committee $350
Company Title Report $380
Special Purpose Report
(Excluding any extra Strata Management fees.
Ask for a quote)
$200 / hr
All prices are inclusive of GST.
Additional Charges
Verbal Report $45
Urgent Report $80
Cancellation Fee $80
Standard Travel Fee $30
Travel - Blue Mountains $80
Travel - Wollongong $100
After Hours Inspection $75
Transfer Report to Purchaser - before settlement $100
Strata Manager's Fees above $34.10 Statutory Charge: as charged by Strata Manager.
Strata Manager Printing Fees (if charged) At Cost

Owners Corporations are required to keep Accounts, Minutes of Meetings, Correspondence and other records to properly manage the building.

O'Connors Strata searchers examine these documents to provide information on Funds, Levies, Insurance, Litigation, Building Alterations and Maintenance, Fire Orders and sometimes Social Problems. We are looking for anything which may be of significance to a purchaser.

When you buy a unit you are buying a share in the business of the building. You become responsible for problems in all the units, not just your own.

O'Connors Strata searchers are trained to identify and report on problems which should have an affect on the purchase price and purchase decision.

We do a wide variety of strata inspections every day and every member of our team has learned to read and interpret Owners Corporation information so you get an independent view of the property you want to buy.

There are limits - Records may be incomplete or poorly organised.

  • Try making sense of an archive box of random sheets of paper - yes it happens.
  • Current project files may be separated from the records because the Manager, the Committee or a Solicitor is working on them right now.
  • Owners Corporations almost never record the successful completion of projects. They just stop spending money.
  • Building Defects may be handled directly between individual Owners and the builder - no records are created.
  • The Owners may be deliberately withholding information. (Rare)
  • Legal action over Building Defects can take years and anything being negotiated before a Court case is inevitably uncertain.
  • We avoid destroying entire forests. Where we are manually scanning documents we extract the summaries from most technical reports.  Many contain a lot of compliance information which is of little use to a general reader and has no bearing on the purchase decision.   

Different types of Strata Reports

We regularly inspect the records of:

  • Company Title Buildings
  • Precinct Associations
  • Community Associations
  • Neighbourhood Associations
  • Building Management Committees

Different methods of sharing ownership of land and buildings each have their own special characteristics. At OPR we deal with these differences all the time and we're familiar with all of them. In many cases we are familiar with the specific property. Have a look at our paper on Multiple Entity Buildings.

You are entitled to expect.

  • OPR is independent - we are working for you.
  • Quick response time.
  • Records are inspected using systems we have developed over 20 years.
  • We train our own strata inspectors.
  • Copies of important supporting documents are enclosed at no extra cost.
  • All reports reviewed by senior staff prior to delivery.
  • Special instructions/questions welcomed.
  • Follow up enquiries welcomed.

Sample Strata Report

Download our sample strata report.

Building Reports from $420 inc GST

Order a Building & Pest Report together for a reduced price.
Unsure? Ask us for a quote!
Show Price List
Pre-purchase ReportsBuilding & PestBuilding OnlyPest Only
Standard
(4 Bed, 2 Bath)
$550 $420 $310
3 Bathrooms $630 $510 $370
4 - 6 Bathrooms From $760 From $650 From $380
7+ Bathrooms From $980 From $820 From $450
Handover Inspection (Pre-settlement) From $500. Ask for a quote.
Building Defects Report From $500. Ask for a quote.
Additional Charges
Inclusion of granny flat or self-contained unitQuote
Verbal Report $42
Urgent Report $75
Cancellation Fee $75
Travel - Central Coast, Blue Mountains - Builder Quote
Travel - Central Coast, Blue Mountains - Pest Inspector Quote
Transfer Report to Purchaser - before settlement $100
Client Attending with Builder $70
Other Building Reports
Handover Inspection (Pre-settlement) From $480.
Ask for a quote.
Building Defects Report From $550.
Ask for a quote.
Special Purpose Reports $230 / hr
Multiple Units - Building $260 each unit
Multiple Units - Pest $290 for first unit
plus $110 for each added unit
Commercial / Industrial Building Inspection From $650
  • Industrial with Basic Office Facilities = $1 per m2 to 1000m2 and then 0.50c per m2
  • Commercial Offices with Standard Facilities = $1 per m2 Residential
  • Hotel / Bed and Breakfast = $100 per bedroom
Commercial / Industrial Pest Inspection From $380
  • Industrial with Basic Office Facilities = 0.80c per m2
  • Commercial Offices with Standard Facilities = $0.80 per m2
  • Residential Hotel / Bed and Breakfast = $70 per bedroom
All prices are inclusive of GST.

O’Connors Property Reports has been providing professional, independant pre-purchase building inspection reports in Sydney and regional NSW since 1985. Our inspectors have completed many thousands of inspections and our systems are highly developed so we can meet your pre-purchase building inspection needs promptly and economically.

What Is a Pre-Purchase Building inspection?

A visual inspection of all the accessible areas of the building, including the roof space and sub floor, to identify the general condition of the main building elements. The report will contain a general description of the building and information on structural defects and major maintenance items, which may affect your purchase decision.

O'Connors pre-purchase building reports include a separate, costed, repair list which provides information in a format readily usable in purchase negotiations, or to have further investigative work carried out. Most O'Connors reports will pay for themselves because purchasers can use the costed repair list to negotiate a direct deduction from the asking price. See Page 3 of the sample report. OPR reports use plain English and our builders are always available for free telephone consultation where any aspect of the report requires clarification.

What to expect from OPR’s building consultants

The quality of building inspection reports varies from company to company. It is important to understand what is included in the price of the report your order. At OPR you can expect:

  • Quick response time.
  • Experienced Builders who will answer all your questions. (The inspector's mobile number is on the report.)
  • Digital photos of points of interest.
  • Summary page giving you a straightforward, price estimated, major repair list.
  • Professional and easy to read written report complying with the Australian Standard 4349.1-2007
  • Comprehensive Professional Indemnity Insured for your protection.

Please be aware, you do not own the building we are inspecting. Our inspection is a visual inspection only. We can open and shut doors and windows but we cannot move the owner's possessions or dismantle parts of the house without the owner's permission.

Sample Building Report

Download our sample building report.

NSW Office of Fair Trading information

What is a Pre-Purchase Property Inspection Report?

Licence

On 16 September 2009 the NSW Office of Fair Trading quietly ceased issuing any licence directly related to Pre-Purchase Building Inspections.

Pest Reports from $280 inc GST

Order a Building & Pest Report together for a reduced price.
Unsure? Ask us for a quote!
Show Price List
Pre-purchase ReportsBuilding & PestBuilding OnlyPest Only
Standard
(4 Bed, 2 Bath)
$550 $420 $310
3 Bathrooms $630 $510 $370
4 - 6 Bathrooms From $760 From $650 From $380
7+ Bathrooms From $980 From $820 From $450
Handover Inspection (Pre-settlement) From $500. Ask for a quote.
Building Defects Report From $500. Ask for a quote.
Additional Charges
Inclusion of granny flat or self-contained unitQuote
Verbal Report $42
Urgent Report $75
Cancellation Fee $75
Travel - Central Coast, Blue Mountains - Builder Quote
Travel - Central Coast, Blue Mountains - Pest Inspector Quote
Transfer Report to Purchaser - before settlement $100
Client Attending with Builder $70
Other Building Reports
Handover Inspection (Pre-settlement) From $480.
Ask for a quote.
Building Defects Report From $550.
Ask for a quote.
Special Purpose Reports $230 / hr
Multiple Units - Building $260 each unit
Multiple Units - Pest $290 for first unit
plus $110 for each added unit
Commercial / Industrial Building Inspection From $650
  • Industrial with Basic Office Facilities = $1 per m2 to 1000m2 and then 0.50c per m2
  • Commercial Offices with Standard Facilities = $1 per m2 Residential
  • Hotel / Bed and Breakfast = $100 per bedroom
Commercial / Industrial Pest Inspection From $380
  • Industrial with Basic Office Facilities = 0.80c per m2
  • Commercial Offices with Standard Facilities = $0.80 per m2
  • Residential Hotel / Bed and Breakfast = $70 per bedroom
All prices are inclusive of GST.

Professional, licensed, insured, pre-purchase pest inspections in Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast. Our experienced Pest Inspectors provide prompt and economical and independant service for all your timber pest inspection needs.

What is a Timber Pest Inspection Report?

A visual inspection of a property focusing on the environmental issues which encourage timber pest activity.

O'Connors pest inspectors will identify termite and other timber pest related risks within and around the property and will identify past, current or likely future activity.

Why order a Timber Pest Inspection Report?

The sub-tropical Sydney region is particularly susceptible to severe termite damage. Modern buildings commonly use softwoods in construction and landscaping, automatic watering systems, biodegradable chemicals create a termite friendly environment.

OPR’s pest inspector specialises in pests and only pests, this means we are very good at spotting the early warning signs if your new and or existing property has unwanted visitors.

Main timber pests:

  • Termites
  • Delignification (breakdown down of a structure e.g. timber)
  • Borers
  • Timber decay by Fungi (Rot)

We look for and report on the following:

  • External and internal walls and floors
  • Fences, trees, gardens and stumps
  • Garage and other structures
  • Posts and timber retaining walls
  • Subfloor and roof void (subject to access)

Timber Pest Inspection reports are long complicated documents. Our pest inspector's contact information is on your report and you are welcome to make follow-up phone calls if you require any explanation of material in the report.

O'Connors offers fully accredited and insured Swimming Pool Certification inspections.

  • Prompt inspections.
  • Immediate certification.
  • Easy to read, comprehensive and high quality reports.

Selling a home with a swimming pool

All NSW properties being sold with a swimming pool or spa pool must have either a:

  • Certificate of Compliance, or
  • Certificate of Non-Compliance attached to the contract.

The Certificate of Non-Compliance means the vendor transfers the obligation to upgrade the pool barriers to the purchaser, who has 90 days from the date of settlement to rectify defects causing the issue of the Certificate of Non-Compliance.

Leasing a home with a swimming pool

The landlord must ensure that the swimming pool is registered under the Swimming Pools Act 1992 and has a valid Certificate of Compliance or an Occupation Certificate for a new pool, a copy of the certificate must be provided to the tenant.

Swimming Pool Inspection Agreement

The Act requires us to have a written agreement for a pool inspection. Download, print and email, or give it to our inspector when he comes to see you pool.
Download Agreement

Pool Inspection Prices

First Inspection $255
Second or subsequent inspection, if required $145

The first swimming pool inspection includes a review of all supplied documents and issue of 3 year Certificate of Compliance or Certificate of Non-Compliance.

Check the Gate - Qld experience tells us this is where most pools will fail.

The gate must automatically swing closed and self latch from any position. Our inspector will test the swing from at least three angles. One at the most open position, one at mid-open and one where the gate is resting on the latch. If it fails to self close from any of these positions your pool will not comply.   Simple!

Trees Growing Too Close to the Pool Fence?

Has your garden grown since the pool fencing was installed?

To comply with the current Australian Standard (AS1926.1-2012) you should remove any climbable trees/branches within 300mm of the inside of a 1200mm barrier with vertical openings and ask us about trees/branches within a 900mm radius of the top of the outside of a 1200mm fence. (The formula is a little complicated, you may wish to discuss it.)

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