Pre-purchase termite inspection across the Gold Coast.

Six areas to expect on the report (60 to 90 minutes on site).

1. Under the floor. Where it can be reached: joists, bearers, posts and brick piers, checked for mud tunnels, with moisture readings taken as the inspector goes.
2. The roof space. All accessible sections, including trusses, top plates, rafters, fascias and eaves. It is easy to skip and often affected.
3. The outside of the house. Slab edges, weep holes, brick courses and weatherboard joins, plus anywhere soil or garden beds touch timber.
4. The yard and outbuildings. Sheds, fences, retaining walls, landscape timbers, mulch beds, old stumps and woodpiles. Coptotermes nests can sit within 100m of the house.
5. Wet areas inside. Bathrooms, ensuite, kitchen and laundry: around the bath and shower base, under sinks, at the toilet base and behind the washing machine. Damp timber attracts termites.
6. Probing suspect timber. Where there are signs, the inspector tests timber with a moisture meter and, with the owner's permission, may drill 2mm test holes in suspect framing.

Equipment worth asking about.

• Calibrated moisture meter. Framing above 15% moisture suits termites; above 20% needs attention.
• Thermal camera. Shows active colonies behind walls and ceilings, because their metabolic heat lifts the local temperature by 2-3°C.
• Borescope. Looks into cavities that cannot otherwise be seen: wall voids, blocked subfloors and spaces behind built-in cabinets.
• Acoustic detector. Picks up the head-banging signals Coptotermes use to communicate, which only happen in an active colony.
• Foundation probe. Tests whether timber has lost strength before any damage shows.

What the written report should include.

• Photos of each suspect area; a full report often carries 20 to 50
• Moisture readings listed by location
• A clear split between active and past evidence
• The state of any chemical barrier: current, expired or none
• Treatment recommendations with estimated costs
• A one-page summary your conveyancer can use for settlement
• Documentation you can keep for insurance records

What these inspections usually find.

Many Gold Coast pre-purchase inspections come back clean: no current activity, no significant past damage, the barrier status recorded either way, and a suggested annual inspection schedule for the new owner.

The others turn something up, most often:

• Old damage, 5 to 15 years back, that has been repaired or that the structure has carried safely
• Mud tunnels under the floor that point to past activity
• An active colony in landscape timbers 5 to 20m from the house, which can be treated before it reaches the building
• An active colony under the floor or inside a wall of the house itself, which is urgent and can change the price you negotiate
• A missing or expired chemical barrier on a high-risk site

Fitting it in before settlement.

Give your settlement date when you book a pre-purchase inspection on the Gold Coast, so the report reaches your conveyancer in time.