The final walkthrough is often treated as a quick look through a property before keys change hands. That is exactly when costly details can be missed. Common pre settlement inspection issues range from agreed repairs that were never completed to new water damage, missing fixtures, faulty appliances, and rubbish left behind. This inspection is your practical opportunity to confirm that the property is in the condition required by the contract before settlement funds are released.
For buyers in Melbourne and regional Victoria, the pre-settlement inspection is not a replacement for a pre-purchase building and pest inspection. It serves a different purpose. A building inspection assesses the condition and risk of the property before you commit. A pre-settlement inspection checks whether the property you are about to take possession of matches what you agreed to buy.
Why the Pre-Settlement Inspection Deserves Care
A property can look broadly the same at a quick glance while still presenting meaningful problems. A leak may have developed after the open-for-inspection period. The seller may have removed an item you expected to remain. A contractor may have completed a repair, but not to a reasonable standard. Vacant properties can also reveal issues hidden by furniture, rugs, stored belongings, or a seller’s day-to-day use.
Settlement timing can be tight, so inspect as close to settlement as your contract allows, ideally after the property has been vacated. Bring your contract, any special-condition correspondence, the sales listing photos if relevant, and your earlier inspection report. Take dated photos and videos of anything that does not appear right.
The goal is not to find minor age-related marks in an older home. It is to identify changes in condition, incomplete obligations, damage, missing inclusions, or defects that need to be addressed before settlement.
Common Pre Settlement Inspection Issues Buyers Find
Repairs promised but not properly completed
This is one of the most frequent sources of disagreement. A seller may have agreed to repair a leaking shower, replace damaged roof tiles, service a heating unit, or rectify electrical concerns. At the walkthrough, buyers sometimes find that no work has been done, that the repair is incomplete, or that the visible finish has been improved without fixing the underlying cause.
Check the exact wording of the agreement. If a repair was required, look beyond a fresh patch of paint or new sealant. Run taps, flush toilets, operate the relevant appliance, and look for staining, drips, loose finishes, or signs that moisture has returned. If a licensed trade repair was required, ask your conveyancer or legal representative whether supporting invoices, certificates, or compliance documentation should be requested.
Water leaks and moisture damage
Water problems can appear quickly, especially after rain, a burst flexi hose, an overflowing gutter, or a plumbing fault in a vacant property. Look beneath sinks, around toilets, inside vanity cabinets, near hot water systems, and around showers and baths. Check ceilings, cornices, walls, and flooring for new stains, swelling, peeling paint, musty odors, or soft areas.
Some moisture issues are not obvious to the naked eye. A professional inspector may use a moisture meter and thermal imaging to help locate concealed moisture patterns without opening walls or damaging finishes. That can be particularly useful when a previous report noted a bathroom leak, roof concern, drainage issue, or elevated moisture reading.
Missing fixtures, fittings, and agreed inclusions
Buyers can be surprised to find that a dishwasher, wall-mounted television bracket, garden feature, curtains, remote control, or shed shelving has disappeared. Whether an item should stay depends on the contract and what is classified as a fixture or specifically listed inclusion.
Do not rely on memory alone. Compare the property with the signed contract, vendor statement, any inclusion schedule, and pre-purchase photos. Check that installed light fittings, ovens, cooktops, exhaust fans, blinds, heating controls, garage remotes, keys, and fixed outdoor equipment remain in place where required.
Appliances and services that do not operate
A property can have working-looking appliances that fail when tested. Turn on lights, test accessible power outlets with a charger where safe to do so, and operate range hoods, exhaust fans, heating, cooling, hot water, garage doors, intercoms, alarms, and pool equipment if included. Run water through taps and showers long enough to identify poor pressure, drainage problems, leaks, or discolored water.
There are limits. A pre-settlement walkthrough is not an invasive technical test, and you should not place yourself at risk by accessing switchboards, roofs, crawl spaces, or machinery you do not understand. Still, basic operation checks can expose a problem that deserves immediate follow-up.
New damage caused during move-out
Move-out day can leave behind more than an empty house. Scraped timber floors, cracked tiles, holes in walls, damaged door frames, broken windows, stained carpets, and dented garage doors are all issues worth recording. Pay particular attention to rooms that previously contained heavy furniture, areas around stairways, and external access points used by removalists.
A distinction matters here: existing wear visible when you entered the contract is different from fresh damage that occurred afterward. Clear comparison photos make that conversation easier and reduce arguments about what was already present.
Rubbish, unwanted belongings, and incomplete cleaning
The property should generally be handed over in the condition required by the contract, often vacant and reasonably clean unless another arrangement has been made. Buyers may find discarded building materials, paint tins, chemicals, old furniture, green waste, or household rubbish in garages, sheds, roof spaces, and yards.
This may sound minor, but removal can become expensive when the material is bulky, hazardous, or extensive. Photograph it before arranging disposal. Do not assume you need to accept a property full of leftover items simply because settlement is approaching.
Pest activity or conditions that invite it
A pre-settlement inspection may reveal fresh termite leads, damaged timber, rodent droppings, wasp nests, or moisture conditions that increase pest risk. This is more likely where a property has been vacant, where landscaping has changed, or where stored materials have been removed and concealed areas are now visible.
Fresh termite evidence needs urgent professional assessment. Do not disturb suspected termite workings, spray chemicals, or remove damaged material before it has been documented. Disturbance can make activity harder to assess and may affect the treatment approach.
A Practical Way to Inspect Before Settlement
Start outside and work in one direction through the property. Check the roofline from ground level, gutters, walls, windows, fences, paths, drainage points, garages, sheds, and outdoor taps. Inside, move room by room and test the items that are included in the sale. Open and close doors and windows, look inside cupboards, inspect behind accessible doors, and check ceilings and floors in natural light where possible.
Use your phone carefully. Photograph the overall area first, then take close-ups of the defect. Record a short video when testing a leaking tap, non-functioning garage door, drainage issue, or appliance fault. Note the room, location, time, and what you observed. Evidence is more useful than a vague statement that something “did not look right.”
If you identify a concern, notify your conveyancer or solicitor immediately. They can advise on the contract process, including whether settlement should proceed, whether a retention or adjustment may be appropriate, or whether the seller should rectify the issue first. An inspector can provide technical evidence about a defect, but legal and contractual remedies require legal advice.
When to Bring in an Independent Inspector
A professional pre-settlement inspection is particularly worthwhile when earlier defects were meant to be repaired, the home has been vacant for a period, the purchase involves a new build, or you suspect a material change in condition. It can also help when you need an independent report rather than a disagreement based on recollection.
Ausgun Building Inspections applies construction experience and diagnostic equipment to investigate concerns such as concealed moisture, uneven floors, incomplete workmanship, visible structural movement, and pest indicators. The value is not simply a defect list. It is clear evidence, plain-English explanation, and a better basis for making time-sensitive decisions before settlement.
Do not let the pressure of settlement turn the final walkthrough into a formality. Slow down, compare the property with your agreement, document what you find, and raise genuine concerns while you still have options.