Apartment & Unit Pre-Purchase Inspection – Internal Lot
The inside of the lot you are actually buying, inspected properly, with the common property questions flagged for the strata search.
Who this report is for
Buyers of an apartment, unit or townhouse within a strata scheme who need the interior of the lot assessed independently.
When to order it
Before exchange, and ideally alongside a strata records inspection — the two answer different halves of the same question.
What is inspected
- Interior ceilings, walls, floors and finishes throughout the lot
- Bathrooms, ensuite, laundry and kitchen — waterproofing evidence, falls, seals and the early signs of a wet area failure
- Windows, doors, balcony doors and their weather seals
- The balcony or terrace surface, drainage and balustrade where it forms part of the lot
- Visible moisture, staining, efflorescence and mould
- Services visible within the lot, and evidence of past rectification work
- Common property issues visible from the lot, flagged so you can put them to the strata search
What you receive
- A written report on the condition of the lot interior with photographs
- Findings prioritised, with the wet area evidence set out clearly
- A list of the questions worth putting to the owners corporation or the strata search
- A statement of what sits outside the lot and therefore outside this report
Important exclusions and limitations
Publishing this is unusual. It should not be — you should know where the gaps are before you rely on the document.
- This report covers the internal lot. Common property — the building envelope, roof, facade, common areas and structure — is not within its scope.
- Visual only. No opening up of wall or floor linings.
- It is not a strata records inspection and does not review the owners corporation’s finances, minutes or defect history. That is a separate report.
Technology and equipment used
- Professional FLIR thermal imaging
- Moisture measurement and mapping
Thermal imaging identifies temperature anomalies and supports professional interpretation; it is not proof of a hidden defect on its own. Drone use depends on weather, airspace, privacy and site conditions and supplements physical inspection rather than guaranteeing complete coverage.
Turnaround
Need it fast? An urgent report is delivered within 6 hours of the inspection when you ask for one at the time of booking. Standard turnaround is confirmed in writing with your booking, before the inspection takes place.
Pricing
The guide price for this report starts at $379 (inc GST) for a standard job of this type. The confirmed figure is subject to travel distance and job complexity, and also depends on the property type and size, access, the scope of the report, urgency and any specialist equipment or testing required. You receive a confirmed price and a written scope before anything is booked.
- Property type and size
- Location and travel
- Access to the areas that need inspecting
- The scope of the report
- Complexity, and how many concerns are involved
- Urgency
- Any specialist equipment or testing required
Service areas
This report is available across Sydney, The Illawarra, Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven. Outside these areas, call 1300 140 579 and ask — travel is often workable.
Questions
Questions about this report
Why does the report stop at the lot boundary?
Because that is what you are buying. The building envelope belongs to the owners corporation, and its condition and repair history live in the strata records, not in a walk-through. Where something visible from inside the lot points at a common property problem, the report says so and tells you what to ask.
Is a strata search worth it as well?
On an apartment purchase it is usually the higher-value of the two. Special levies, unresolved defect claims and a thin capital works fund are the things that cost apartment buyers real money, and none of them are visible on an inspection.
Can you check for water coming in from the unit above?
The report records the evidence — staining, moisture readings, thermal anomalies — and identifies where it is likely coming from. Tracing it conclusively through another lot is a leak investigation, and it needs access to that lot.
Do you need access to common property or the building manager?
Not for the internal lot inspection itself — that only needs access to the apartment. If something inside the lot points at a common property issue, the report says so and tells you what to ask the owners corporation or check in the strata records. Inspecting common property is a separate scope and needs the owners corporation’s permission.
Request a report
Tell us the property and the problem
You will get a confirmed price and a written scope before anything is booked. No deposit is taken to answer a question.
Would rather just talk it through?
1300 140 579Describe the property and the concern. You will get a straight answer about which report fits, including when the answer is that you do not need one.
- NSW Licensed Builder
- Professional Indemnity Insured
- $20 Million Public Liability Insurance
- More than 20 years of hands-on building experience
- Independent — the report is written for you
Enquiry received.
Thank you — your request has been sent and you will get a reply with availability, scope and cost.
If you are working to an auction or a cooling-off deadline and need an answer quickly, call 1300 140 579.