Buying a five year old house
What a young home tends to hide.
In short: Cracked render, blocked weep holes and loose window flashings on a recent Tallawong home.
Young does not mean finished
A house of five or six years has not worn out, but it has had time to show anything the builder skipped.
The render tells you
Cracks through rendered cladding often line up with joints that were bridged. On a Tallawong home we recorded render cracking along with an unfinished final coat.
The base of the wall
Weep holes blocked by render stop the cavity draining. Rubber window flashings sitting out of place let rain past the frame.
The top of the wall
Parapet cappings fixed at wider spacings than the code allows can lift in wind and let water in behind.
Warranty still running
The six year major defect warranty may still apply. A buyer's report records items while there is still someone to claim against.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Tallawong. Licensed building practitioners, NSW Fair Trading licence 366177C.
