Newcastle · Lake Macquarie · the Hunter
Independent editorial, not a booking desk
A journal of houses, pests and purchase
Building Inspector NewcastleA journal of houses, pests and purchase in Newcastle and the Hunter
The paper trail
Licensing in NSW, the fine print of limitations and exclusions, and the tools — moisture meters, thermal cameras — that sit behind a serious report.
Photo: Mark McIntosh. Jesmond House. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source on Wikimedia Commons. Licence. Full credits on the image credits page.
Why a walk-through cannot replace a records search — complying development versus a DA in plain language, unapproved work, and where Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland keep the paper.
Mark Ellison · 17 September 2024 · 12 min read · Photo: Sardaka, CC BY-SA 4.0
Professional indemnity in plain language, why AS 4349 reports disclaim so much, and what a Newcastle buyer can reasonably expect from a document that is not a warranty.
Mark Ellison · 11 June 2024 · 11 min read · Photo: Mark McIntosh, CC BY-SA 3.0
What a moisture meter and a thermal camera actually measure on a Hunter house, where they lie, and when they should change a recommendation rather than decorate a report.
Mark Ellison · 16 May 2024 · 10 min read · Photo: Sam Wilson, CC BY-SA 2.0
What AS 4349 actually leaves out — inaccessible areas, furniture, locked rooms, roofs, and the “visual only” agreement buyers sign and then forget.
Mark Ellison · 19 March 2024 · 10 min read · Photo: Kabang Bladina Gideon, CC BY-SA 4.0
How to choose a pre-purchase inspector in Newcastle and the Hunter without a preferred-partner list — licences, insurance, sample reports, and the questions that still matter.
Mark Ellison · 30 January 2024 · 11 min read · Photo: Mark McIntosh, CC BY-SA 3.0
