Inspecting properties
Exterior and site
Drainage, roofline, cracking, retaining walls and fencing — what a visible condition can and can't tell you.
- Work around the exterior in a consistent order — ground levels, roofline, walls, retaining structures, site slope.
- The type and pattern of a crack or stain matters more than its bare presence.
- None of this is a diagnosis — it's what to describe accurately to a professional inspector.
- Check neighbouring properties too, since drainage and retaining-wall issues often aren't confined to one title.
What to look at, systematically
Work around the outside of the property in a consistent order rather than glancing at whatever catches your eye: ground levels and drainage away from the building, the roofline and gutters, external wall surfaces for cracking or damp staining, retaining walls and fences, vegetation growing close to the structure, the driveway and garage, and the general slope of the site. Look at neighbouring properties too — a shared drainage or retaining-wall issue affects more than one title.
Reading a visible condition carefully
A hairline crack in a rendered wall is not the same signal as stepped cracking through brickwork. Damp staining near ground level is not the same signal as a stain on an upper-storey ceiling. None of this is something a buyer's own inspection can diagnose — the point of observing carefully is to know what to describe accurately to a professional inspector, not to reach a conclusion yourself.
Site and services
Note visible services — meter boxes, stormwater and sewer access points, any solar installation — and whether the site slopes toward or away from the building. A property on a downhill block relative to its neighbours warrants closer drainage attention than one that sits at the high point of a street.
Practical checklist
Exterior and site checklist
- Check ground levels and drainage direction around the building
- Look at the roofline, gutters and downpipes from ground level
- Note any cracking, damp staining or recent patching on external walls
- Check retaining walls, fences and vegetation growing close to the structure
- Note the site's overall slope relative to neighbouring properties