Buying a property can involve plenty of research. Location, price, transport, schools and neighbourhood amenities might all make the list, but the condition of the building itself can be just as important.
That becomes particularly relevant in a city with property ranging from older Federation-era homes to apartments, townhouses and brand-new developments.
For Melbourne Talk readers researching building inspection services, All Build Inspections is a Melbourne-based option serving homebuyers, property investors and homeowners across Melbourne and Victoria.
The business is founded and led by Vlad Breskin, a registered builder and qualified building and pest inspector with more than 14 years of experience in Melbourne’s building and construction industry. Importantly, Vlad is the sole inspector and personally carries out each inspection.
What does All Build Inspections do?
All Build Inspections provides inspection services for several stages of buying, building and owning property.
Its services include:
- pre-purchase building inspections
- pre-auction inspections
- combined building and pest inspections
- pre-handover inspections
- building defect inspections
- timber pest inspections
- dilapidation reports
- construction stage non-mandatory inspections.
That range makes All Build Inspections relevant to more than someone about to buy an established house.
For example, a Melbourne buyer preparing for an auction may want information about the property’s condition before making an unconditional bid. Someone approaching practical completion of a new home may instead be interested in a pre-handover inspection. Existing homeowners may need an inspection and written report when investigating a defect or other building issue.
The appropriate inspection will depend on the property and your circumstances, so prospective clients should discuss their requirements directly with All Build Inspections.
One inspector from the inspection through to the report
One aspect of All Build Inspections’ approach that may be useful when comparing providers is its owner-operated model.
Vlad Breskin is the inspector on every job rather than the business sending different inspectors depending on availability. According to All Build Inspections, clients receive a detailed report on the same day or following day, followed by a personal phone walkthrough with Vlad.
That follow-up can be worth considering when researching inspection services. A building report can contain terminology or findings that are unfamiliar to someone buying their first home, and having an opportunity to discuss what has been identified may help a client better understand the report.
The business also says reports are photographically supported, providing additional context around the findings.
All Build Inspections’ building experience and qualifications
Building inspections are an area where it makes sense to look beyond the business name and investigate who will actually be inspecting the property.
Vlad Breskin has more than 14 years of experience in Melbourne’s building and construction industry. His background includes working as a registered builder as well as carrying out building and pest inspections.
All Build Inspections states that Vlad is registered with the Victorian Building Authority and is a member of Master Builders Victoria. He has inspected a variety of Melbourne properties, including new builds, established houses, Federation-era cottages, apartments, townhouses and investment properties.
The business also uses inspection equipment including moisture meters, thermal imaging cameras, radar technology and floor-level surveying tools.
Depending on the inspection, areas examined can include structural elements, roofing and gutters, subfloors, walls and cladding, moisture and water ingress, drainage and signs of pest activity, alongside other building observations.
If qualifications or registrations are important to your decision, it is sensible to verify their current status with the relevant organisation before engaging any inspector.
Why building inspections can matter in Melbourne’s property market
Melbourne doesn’t have one uniform type of housing.
Someone inspecting an older inner-city cottage can be dealing with very different building characteristics from a buyer looking at a recently completed house in a growth corridor. Apartments, renovated homes, townhouses and investment properties introduce their own considerations.
An inspection can provide information about the condition of a property at a particular point in time and identify observable issues that a prospective buyer or owner may want to investigate further.
Timing can also matter.
Melbourne auctions, for example, can require buyers to do much of their research before bidding. All Build Inspections offers pre-auction inspections for people who want to investigate a property’s condition before deciding whether to participate.
For private sales, buyers may have different contractual circumstances and deadlines. Anyone buying property should obtain appropriate independent legal, financial and property advice for their own situation rather than relying on a building inspection alone.
Pre-handover and new-build inspections
All Build Inspections also works with people buying newly constructed homes.
A new property should not automatically be assumed to be free from defects simply because construction has recently finished. A pre-handover inspection provides an independent opportunity to examine the property around practical completion and document issues that may require further attention.
All Build Inspections offers pre-handover inspections as well as non-mandatory construction stage inspections.
For Melbourne Talk readers building or buying a newly completed property, these are services that may be worth researching before reaching the relevant construction or handover stage.
Building and pest inspections
All Build Inspections provides combined building and pest inspections as well as timber pest inspections.
The business uses tools including moisture meters and thermal imaging as part of its inspection work. These can provide additional information when investigating conditions such as moisture that may not always be immediately apparent from a basic visual look around a property.
No inspection should be treated as a guarantee that a building will never develop problems. Prospective clients should read the inspection scope, exclusions and terms carefully so they understand exactly what is and isn’t covered.
Reports and follow-up
Receiving an inspection report is useful only if you can understand what it is telling you.
All Build Inspections says reports are generally provided on the same day or next day. Vlad then personally walks clients through their report by phone and answers questions about the findings.
This approach may be particularly relevant for first-home buyers who haven’t encountered a professional building report before, as well as anyone dealing with a short property deadline.
If you have an auction, cooling-off period, settlement or handover approaching, confirm turnaround times and availability directly when booking rather than assuming a particular deadline can be met.
Who may want to research All Build Inspections?
All Build Inspections may be worth considering if you’re researching inspection services as a:
- first-home buyer trying to better understand a property before committing
- Melbourne auction bidder researching a home before bidding
- property investor assessing a potential purchase
- buyer approaching handover on a newly built home
- homeowner investigating a building defect
- property owner requiring a dilapidation report
- seller wanting to understand a property’s condition before listing.
The business services Melbourne and other parts of Victoria. Contact All Build Inspections directly to confirm whether a particular property location is within its current service area.
What to check before choosing a building inspector
Melbourne Talk’s role is to help readers find useful information and begin their own research, rather than tell them which provider they must use.
When comparing building inspectors, consider the inspector’s qualifications and practical experience, what the proposed inspection actually covers, how findings are documented, turnaround time, equipment used and whether you can speak with the inspector afterwards.
You may also want to confirm pricing, availability, professional registrations and any exclusions or limitations that apply to the inspection.
All Build Inspections advertises a price match guarantee for comparable inspections, but readers should check the current terms directly with the business.
Why All Build Inspections is a Melbourne business worth knowing
For Melbourne property buyers and homeowners, All Build Inspections combines building inspection services with the practical construction background of its owner and sole inspector, Vlad Breskin.
The owner-operated structure is particularly notable: the person whose experience and qualifications you research before booking is also the person who conducts the inspection and follows up about the report.
Its range of services also covers several points in the property journey, from researching an established home before an auction or purchase through to inspecting a new build before handover or investigating defects in a property you already own.
For those reasons, All Build Inspections is one Melbourne business worth considering as part of your research into local building inspection services.
As always, Melbourne Talk recommends checking current information directly with the provider, comparing your options and carrying out your own due diligence before engaging a professional service. Visit allbuildinspect.com.au to check its current services, availability and booking information.
