As of July 1 this year, Brisbanites can avail of the Queensland First Home Owners’ Grant. New homeowners can avail of $20,000 (a boost from $15,000 in previous years) and get their home much sooner. This will certainly help many people looking for their first home in Brisbane. One of the main parts of getting a new home is inspection time. Inspecting a potential house doesn’t just mean looking inside, it also means taking a look at its exterior. Noticing problems or issues that could arise later could save you a lot of money in the long run. In this post, we share some tips for what to look for when buying a home in Brisbane, in particular, the considerations you need to note when it comes to its roof and gutter system.

Ask its age

Well-maintained roofs should last 30 years or more - but an underpar, poor-quality installation means you’d need replace a roof much sooner. It’s hard to tell the age of a roof just from looking at it, so make sure to ask the agent or owner selling it how old the roof is.

Water Stain or corrosion on the walls

This could point to an issue such as leaking water and/or mould in the roofing structure.

Check the walls for large cracks

The internal and external walls should be visually checked to note any large wall cracks. Cracks that are greater than ½ a cm in width or properties with excessive cracking can be cause for concern and should be further inspected.

External roof lines

Check if they are straight and free from deflections. If you can see a dip, curve or swag on the peak when standing in the street, the roof has a problem.

Inner Edges of Roof Gutters

Roof gutters might look great from ground level but when checked from their top they might appear very corroded and require replacement soon after you move in.

Roof Downspouts

Make sure they all run towards the storm water drains. You can do this by taking a quick walk around the external perimeter of the home to check that all roof downspouts are discharging into stormwater soakwells and not just into the ground.

Signs of past flooding or excess water flow around the gutter downspout bases

The could also mean that soakwells are not suitably sized or required cleaning out. Upgrading soak wells could be a costly addition to your new home purchase,  not just because you have to get new soakwells but also with existing infrastructure to think of being displaced, such as paving, concrete and garden beds.