4 Signs your House has been Infested by Termites

Termites can be a serious threat to your beloved home. If you have the slightest suspicion that your house has been attacked by this worrying bunch of arthropods make sure you contact a professional pest inspection company to conduct an inspection. Here are four signs that will give you an idea whether your house is infested by termites:

• Termites harbor in dark and humid surroundings. Therefore you will not find them on the surface of the wood where they would be visible to the human eyes. Even if your wood surface appears smooth, tap on the wood and if it sounds hollow means termites are inflicting damage.

• If you see a swarm of insects or groups of discarded wings, you have to be careful because this is another sign that your house has been attacked by termites. This is because these winged insects are known to take flights to create new colonies within your house.

• Termites are capable of entering through openings that are too small to be spotted. If you find cracks and crevices on the roofs, sidings, doors or windows, make sure you get the sealed before termites start breeding.

• Mud tubes are another sign of the possible existence of termites in the house. Check your home’s foundation for any such sign as these pests use the mud tubes to provide moisture.

Ask an Architect offers building and Pest Inspection in Sydney, Brisbane and neighboring areas to homeowners. The company also specializes in home renovation and offers expert tips and advice on home architecture and on working with architects.

3 Things to Ensure in your Property Inspection Service

Are you sure the professionals you have hired to inspect your recently bought property in Brisbane qualified and authorized? Do you think they are the right persons to examine your house of existing and potential defects and ensure you a safe living? If you are pretty unsure here are three things that you need to ensure in your property inspectors before hiring them to do the work:

• Before you hire a property inspection company ask them for a sample of their home inspection report. The report should be comprehensive and should contain at least 20-50 detailed pages highlighting the defects and flaws in the property. The report should also have clear photographs of the issues that they found in the property.

• Enquire them about the length of the inspection process. If your inspector claims to complete the project within an hour you know you are not supposed to hire them. A thorough inspection of a property cannot take less than three hours.

• Lastly, do not forget to ask the professionals for credentials and qualifications. Make sure you are choosing a certified company. If someone in your family or friend circle has conducted a home inspection on their property in the past then you can always ask them for references and suggestions.

Ask an Architect is one of the leading home renovation companies that offers excellent advice and tips on home architecture and design. The company also offers pest inspection and Property Inspections in Brisbane and surrounding areas. Ask an Architect is the ultimate solution for those who are looking for new home deigns and building inspection services at competitive prices.

3 Common Mistakes Buyers Make in Property Inspections

Considering the amount of time and money spent in buying or building a new house you can comfortably say that it is one of the biggest investments you will ever make in your life. As such you will want it to be the epitome of perfection and far from structural flaws and gaffes. A building inspection before buying the house seems an obvious solution. However, there are some common mistakes that buyers make during home inspections. Here are some of them:

• Believing that the house is perfect and you do not require a building inspection is by far the biggest mistake you can make with your new home. No matter how picture perfect the house may look, a walk-through inspection is a must to avoid severe damages and huge costs in the long run.

• Hurriedly choosing one of the many building inspection companies in the market to examine your new house is the second biggest mistake new home owners can make. You should take time to do your own research, compare the prices and services and trust your house with a reliable and experienced company.

• The company you have chosen to inspect your house might be a great one but leaving everything to them and not making personal participation in the inspection process is not appreciable. Make sure you stay right with them while they are inspecting your property so that you can get a better understanding of the areas that need a repair and get their expert recommendations whenever possible.

Ask an Architect offers excellent advice and tips on home architecture, design and building. The home design and renovation company also offers Building Inspection Services in Sydney. Apart from this, the company is known for offering new home deigns and pest inspection services to home buyers.

How Pre-Purchase Building Inspections Help You?

When you are purchasing a home, you need to be sure that there are no problems with it as it will end up saving you thousands. Thus it is imperative that you get the property properly inspected prior to purchasing it. 

In order to get your would be property professionally inspected you will need the services of pre-purchase building inspection agencies, for they have professionals who can find problems that are not visible to the naked eye. 

No matter how clearly you have inspected a property on your own, there may be some hidden defects that could cause you unnecessary expense and hardship down the track. A building inspector is specially trained to detect hidden problems that can cause you serious trouble in the future. These may include structural problems as well as faulty plumbing and electrical problems. Moreover, quality inspection service will also provide pest inspections. This will help in finding pests like termites that may eat out the entire inside of a wall of a floor, furniture and many other items. 

When it comes to buying a property, you can give yourself peace of mind that there would not be any surprise problems after you have purchased the home. Make sure you choose the best pre-purchase building inspection company that offer high quality professional inspection services. 

Ask an Architect provides advice and information regarding architecture and working with architects to those who are interested in buying, building, renovating, or maintaining New Home Designs in Melbourne and nearby areas. 

Building Inspection Checklist for Home Buyers

Planning to buy a new house? Before you invest all your savings and splurge a fortune on that strikingly amazing house you saw the other day make sure that the house is as healthy from the inside as it is from the outside. Here is a building inspection checklist for all those who are going to be the proud owner of a house:

Doors and windows: Make sure that all doors and windows can open and close smoothly without any hindrance or blockage. Look for gaps at the top and bottom of the doors and check for cracks on the window panels. Also, examine both doors and windows for condensation issues and water damage.

Walls and roofs: Check your walls for damp and mould stains, especially if you have solid brick walls. Make sure that the level of the ceiling is uniform throughout. Damp stains in the ceiling can be signs of potential problems.

Plumbing: Are there any cracks or leaks in the waste pipe? If yes, they need an immediate repair. Replace the galvanized pipes with copper or PVC pipes. If you have no idea whether yours is a copper or galvanized pipe then simply scrape the dirt off the surface of the pipe and look at the color of the pipe. A silver color denotes a galvanized pipe and a copper pipe can be identified by the solid copper hue.

Roof and drainage: Check the roof for signs of rust. The homeowner might have painted over the rust to conceal the corroded parts, therefore, pay specific attention to the color of the roof. Make sure that the down pipes are linked to the storm pipe at the ground level.

Ask an Architect is your resource to find excellent advice and tips on architecture, design and building. The company offers building, property and pest inspection to homeowners and also provides Prepurchase Building Inspections in Melbourne to those who are planning to buy a new property.

Tips for Home Design Ideas

Today, there are thousands of ready made home design ideas you can choose from. Moreover, if you have your own ideas then together with your architect you can create your own oasis. In order to create a modern style house, it is necessary that you know some crucial tips on choosing a home design.

Your lifestyle plays an important role in terms of the design of the home design you should choose. To choose an effective design according to your lifestyle you need to consider your future planning of the extension of your family and kids. This helps in keeping your mind flexible about home design.

Moreover, modern home tends to look clean, neat, simple, and comfortable. Thus, from architecture to furniture, modern elements with a classical touch can become one of the best integration into homes. It will keep you inspiring and let you feel the comfort within the house.

Further, for lighting, modern home tends to use indirect lighting for a dramatic effect. Hence, lamps with the latest model will be the most appropriate choice for the stylish modern homes. Carpets with muted colors in the living room will make the room look warmer and inviting. Painting with soft colors will be aesthetically pleasing to your and your guests.

Ask an Architect provides advice and information regarding architecture and working with architects to those who are interested in buying, building, renovating, or maintaining a home design. They also provide quality services, when it comes to Building Inspection in Sydney and local areas.