In short: Settlement is the moment leverage transfers. Before it, incomplete work is the builder's problem. After it, it is yours to chase through warranty.
Incomplete rather than defective
The recurring theme in Edmondson Park pre-settlement inspections is not poor work. It is unfinished work: landscaping not done, a fixture missing, a driveway poured but not trimmed, a fence line left for later. Easy to resolve before settlement, awkward and slow afterwards.
The structural items still matter
We have recorded connections not matching the engineering, discontinuous loadbearing bracing walls, missing tie down bolts and insufficient bearing at lintels in this corridor. Most are invisible by settlement, which is the argument for inspecting at frame stage rather than relying on a final look.
A short window
Pre-settlement inspections happen days, sometimes hours, before settlement. Everything compresses - the visit, the report, the conversation with your conveyancer. Book as early as you can and aim for three to five days out so there is room to act.
What your conveyancer needs
Something specific enough to rely on: what is wrong, where, photographed, and referenced to a standard where one applies. In Liverpool City Council's area, as everywhere in NSW, the fallback is statutory warranties under the Home Building Act - six years for major defects and two years otherwise - but holding funds at settlement is faster than either.
Written by the Owner Inspections team from inspections carried out in Edmondson Park. Licensed building practitioners, NSW Fair Trading licence 366177C.
