By Hobart Building Inspections · November 1, 2025
Six Good Reasons to Get a Building Inspection in Tasmania
Buying or selling a home in Tasmania is a big decision. Whether you’re a first-home buyer, upgrading, downsizing or investing, making the right choices matters. One of the smartest moves? Having a professional building inspection carried out before you commit.
If you’re planning to purchase a property, you might also like our detailed guide on buying a house in Tasmania, which explains key steps, legal checks, and how to protect yourself with a pre-purchase building inspection.
Here are six compelling reasons to get a building inspection when you’re dealing with property in Tasmania.
1. Protect Your Investment and Avoid Costly Surprises
Tasmanian property markets often operate under a “buyer beware” model — sellers are not legally required in most cases to disclose all defects or problems with the property. Without a thorough inspection, you may buy a property that looks fine on the surface but hides serious problems such as rot, structural issues, moisture damage, or illegal alterations.
A building inspection gives you a clearer idea of what you’re truly buying and lets you budget or negotiate accordingly. In short: spending a few hundred dollars now could potentially save many thousands later.
2. Increase Negotiating Power and Make Informed Decisions
When you have an inspection report in hand, it arms you with facts. You can negotiate repairs, ask for a price adjustment, or even walk away if the defects are too severe.
In Tasmania, contracts often include a defect-limit clause that caps the buyer’s ability to withdraw from a contract based on the magnitude of defects found. Knowing the issues before you commit allows you to manage this risk confidently. Bottom line: an inspection turns you from a guessing buyer into an informed one.
3. Understand the Condition of the Building and Its Hidden Issues
A professional building inspector goes beyond what catches your eye. They’ll check structural elements, roof, subfloor, drainage, ventilation, potential moisture or decay issues, and other hidden defects.
Especially in Tasmania’s cooler, wetter climate with many older homes, hidden issues can escalate quickly if left untreated. Knowing what problems exist — and how serious they are — gives you peace of mind and avoids costly surprises down the track.
4. Check Compliance with Building Standards and Legal Protections
While building inspections themselves aren’t always regulated in Tasmania for existing homes, the state government strongly recommends that buyers engage someone with “appropriate skills and competencies,” such as a Licensed Builder or Building Surveyor.
By commissioning a qualified inspector, you ensure the report is credible and that you have the best chance of identifying non-compliance or structural defects. If major defects are discovered later and you didn’t obtain an inspection, your legal recourse could be limited.
5. Save on Future Repair Costs and Plan Ahead
A building inspection doesn’t just tell you what’s wrong now — it provides valuable insight into what may need attention in the future. Timber decay, moisture infiltration, structural movement, or roof deterioration might not cost you thousands today, but will eventually. Knowing early means you can budget, plan for renovation, or negotiate a better deal.
Being proactive means fewer financial shocks and a clearer roadmap for maintenance.
6. Increase Confidence in Your Decision (and Reduce Buyer’s Remorse)
Let’s face it: buying property is stressful. When you’ve done your due diligence — including a thorough building inspection — you can sign with greater confidence, knowing exactly what you’re dealing with.
Many Tasmanian buyers report major issues only after settlement — sometimes too late. A professional inspection helps you sleep better at night, knowing you made an informed choice rather than hoping for the best.
Final Thoughts
When you’re buying or selling property in Tasmania, a building inspection isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a smart and essential step. It protects your investment, informs your decisions, arms you with negotiation power, helps you identify hidden defects, lets you plan ahead for repairs, and gives you confidence.
During the 2020–21 COVID property boom, many real estate agents were telling buyers that if they insisted on getting a building inspection, they’d “miss out on the deal.” Since then, I’ve inspected a lot of properties purchased during that period — and a common line I hear is:
“We bought it in 2020 and didn’t get a building inspection.”
Unfortunately, many of those homes have turned out to have serious and expensive problems that could have been identified early with a proper pre-purchase inspection. Don’t make the same mistake.
If you’re about to engage in a property transaction, include a building inspection clause in your contract, choose an independent qualified inspector (preferably a Licensed Builder with local experience), and allow enough time for a thorough inspection before settlement.