Nerine

Any tips on what features to look for when buying a house in the Brisbane area. Top of our list is within a few minutes of a good high school for our two kids. But I quess people also look for size, good access to the garden, entertaining space etc ?

Would also be lovely to hear about problems to be looked out for too e.g. here in NZ "leaky building" is still quite a big issue, is there similar in Oz or are the issues more related to insect damage, water issues...... ? ?

iPom

Check how old the water tank is. They last 10 years. There should be a tag on it telling you the date it was installed.

Same as the UK or NZ, look for leaky patches in the ceilings and ensure they've been fixed.

If the house is on brick piers, check they've not moved as to fix this, the house needs jacking up and the piers rebuilding, which can cost.

Check the roof tiles are all good.

Insect damage is the main thing so always get a pest report done.

Wendy

Put in a subject to finance, building and pest inspection clause.

Our house needs a new roof, so really glad we put them in!!

matt-and-jenny

Hi Nerine
Termites are a bit of a problem in Brisbane, most houses have been touched by them, but as long as the correct measures are put in place, they can be prevented from turning the house into sawdust!

Also in some of the older suburbs (such as ours!) there's a lot of roofs made from "Super6" material, which contains asbestos. There's still a lot around because it's really durable and insulates well. They don't pose a problem really unless they are in bad condition and/or you need to pull it down. Then it can get expensive, as you need qualified asbestos removalists.

The drought is making houses do funny things. Especially in areas with clay based soil, the ground is contracting, creating cracks in houses. There's not really much people can do about that, except hope for rain.

Apparently, a house facing north/south is good here (something to do with the breezes as well as the sun).

Good luck in our house hunting!
J.