Apartment Building Inspections in Sydney — What's Involved?
An apartment building inspection in Sydney differs from a standard house inspection. Under Australian Standard AS 4349.1 Appendix B, a strata or apartment inspection is limited to the interior and immediate exterior of the specified dwelling — not the entire building.
However, the inspection still covers everything within and immediately adjacent to your lot: internal walls, ceilings, floors, windows, balconies, waterproofing, wet areas, moisture penetration, electrical (visual), and plumbing (visible). These are the areas where defects are most likely to affect your specific investment.
For apartment buyers in Sydney, common issues include balcony waterproofing failure, moisture penetration through external walls, defective bathroom and laundry waterproofing, and structural cracking within the lot. All of these can be identified by a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
We also recommend apartment buyers obtain a strata inspection report covering the building's common property, sinking fund, and any known defects or pending special levies — which we can advise on separately.
A building inspection covers the physical condition of your lot. A strata inspection covers the building's common property, finances, sinking fund, and pending levies. For a complete picture when buying a Sydney apartment, you need both. We conduct the building inspection — and we can recommend reputable strata inspection services for the common property component.