Pre-Purchase Termite Inspections Melbourne

Buying a home in Melbourne? Get a termite inspection from people with real termite experience before you commit — not as a formality, but because the cost of finding termites after settlement lands entirely on you. Amazon Pest Exterminators has spent 25+ years opening up Melbourne homes, holds a 5.0-star Google rating from 440+ reviews, and answers the phone 7am to 9pm, seven days: (03) 9436 0883.

The saddest calls we take

They come a few months after settlement. A family in their new home starts a small renovation, or notices a door that won’t close, or taps a skirting board that sounds hollow — and we arrive to find damage that’s been quietly accumulating for years. Nobody looked properly before they bought. And here’s the part that makes those calls genuinely heartbreaking: home insurance in Australia almost never covers termite damage — it’s classed as preventable — so the repair bill belongs to the new owner. Every one of those situations was avoidable for the cost of one inspection before signing.

Isn’t a standard building inspection enough?

A general building inspector checks a lot of things adequately. A termite inspection is not one of them — it’s a specialist’s job, and whoever does yours should have real termite experience: knowing that termites enter slab homes concealed through shower bases, that subfloors have to be physically crawled, and where Melbourne termites actually work. We bring the tools that finding hidden activity requires — thermal imagers, the Termatrac unit that detects live termite movement through walls, skirtings and architraves without damaging anything, moisture meters, and the sounding dongers our techs use to hear what timber is hiding. People get us in for reassurance — and reassurance is only worth something when the person giving it would actually find the problem.

When should the inspection happen?

Before you’re committed — and in Victoria that timing matters more than most buyers realise. Buying at auction is unconditional the moment the hammer falls, so the inspection has to happen before auction day. In a private sale, get it done before you go unconditional. Either way, you’re usually working to a deadline that isn’t yours — so tell us the date when you call and we’ll work to it. Termites are treated as urgent in our book, and depending on location we can often move fast.

The agent handed us a report — doesn’t that cover it?

Read who commissioned it. A report supplied with the sale was ordered by the seller, and the inspector who wrote it answers to them, not to you. It may be perfectly honest — but the only way to know is to have someone whose job is protecting you look at the property. When the biggest purchase of your life is on the line, that’s not a corner worth cutting.

What does a pre-purchase termite inspection cover?

A proper inspection takes 60 to 120 minutes on site — longer if there’s a subfloor, because our techs physically crawl it. Then the report takes another 60 to 90 minutes to build, because it’s nearly as important as the inspection: key findings, photos, the conditions around the property that attract termites, and our recommendations. One check matters more than buyers expect: previous treatment history. Evidence of past termite management — or the total absence of any protection — tells you a lot about the house you’re about to own, and if there’s no protection in place, the report says exactly what we’d recommend installing.

What if you find termites — should we still buy?

That decision is yours, and we won’t pretend otherwise. What we do is make sure you’d be buying with your eyes open: whether there’s live activity or only old damage, how far it appears to extend, whether the home has any protection in place, and what fixing it would involve. Some buyers walk away. Others use the report to negotiate, get the problem treated properly, and end up in a home they love with termite protection newer than their neighbours’. Both are fine outcomes — the disaster is only ever the buyer who never looked. If you’ve spotted something yourself during an open for inspection, don’t touch or disturb it — read our advice on what to do when you’ve found termites.

Buying in a termite-busy suburb?

We see the most termite work in Melbourne’s leafy north-east — St Helena, Eltham, Montmorency — and in the inner west around Yarraville and Kensington. Buying in those belts, an inspection isn’t a nice-to-have. But no Melbourne suburb is termite-free, and the house with no protection history is the one that needs looking at, wherever it stands. For the full picture of how we handle termites, see our termite control page — and if you already own your home, our standard termite inspections page is the one you want.

On a deadline? Call now

Auction Saturday, settlement looming, or a vendor who won’t wait — call (03) 9436 0883 between 7am and 9pm any day, tell us the property and the date, and we’ll tell you straight whether we can get there in time.

Pre-purchase termite inspection questions

Should I get a termite inspection before buying a house in Melbourne?

Yes — before you’re committed. Termite damage is almost never covered by home insurance, so whatever isn’t found before you buy becomes your cost after settlement. One inspection is cheap insurance on the biggest purchase of your life.

When should I book it?

For an auction, before auction day — an auction purchase is unconditional the moment the hammer falls. For a private sale, before you go unconditional. Tell us your deadline when you call and we’ll work to it.

The seller provided a building and pest report — is that enough?

It was commissioned by the seller, and the inspector answers to them. It may be honest, but the only way to be sure is your own inspection by someone with real termite experience working for you.

What happens if termites are found at the property?

You get the full picture: live activity or old damage, how far it extends, what protection exists, and what treatment would involve. Some buyers renegotiate and treat; some walk away. Our job is making sure you decide with your eyes open, not talking you into either choice.

How long does it take, and when do I get the report?

Sixty to 120 minutes on site — longer with a subfloor, which we physically crawl — then another 60 to 90 minutes building the report: findings, photos, conducive conditions, treatment history and recommendations. Tell us your deadline when you book and we’ll work to it.