SSSS

Right, well I am only 4 days away till I take off on a jet plane to see 4 expatriates (my close friends) who have made the break to London since leaving school. Riddled with excitement as I get into bed most nights this excitement gets overtaken by the fear of the dreaded word on any boarding pass “SSSS”. Now many of you will not know what I am referring to, however those who do, know my pain.

It all started when my family went to America two Christmases ago. My parent’s first overseas trip. It was not unlike European Vacation (Chevy Chase, if you’ve ever seen it).

Yes we may be nicknamed the Griswalds however intentionally harmful we are not. It all started as the four of us finally got to the check in counter at Tullamarine Airport – Christmas Eve – what’s not to be happy about. It’s Christmas Eve & we are waking up Christmas morning in Hawaii & spending New Years in Vegas (yes it was my brother and I that planned the trip). After many phone calls later by the check-in staff and 30 minutes of standing at the counter with impatient people tapping their feet behind us, the smiles soon disappeared. From here to the security checkpoint we were all pulled aside for every sort of security check imaginable. This SSSS that had magically popped up on our boarding passes we found out later stood for "Secondary Security Screening Selection". This followed us every where we went around America. This meant arriving at the airport an hour earlier to obtain the extra security checks. All this I was coping with until it reached the point where we were at Las Vegas airport ready to fly out to New York. Our entire family was pushed to one side & frisked in front of everyone about to board the plane! Yes you heard me right frisked. I bet everyone about to board the plane were praying not to be seated next to us.

So you can now understand my concern for travelling. I have been humiliated in front of an entire plane & singled out to be a threat to everyone’s well being and made feel like a terrorist however, despite all this I do respect that these checks should be in place especially after the horrible events of Sept 11. Security checks make everyone feel safe prior to boarding that plane and the same can be applied when looking to buy that house. So I am going to run you through the important checks that you should undertake before purchasing a home so you will be comfortable & feel safe with your decision.

Pest Inspection:

Most solicitors/conveyancers will advise you to get a Pest Inspection done before purchasing a home. I have never had a house which has had a Termite Inspection come back with active termites, touch wood, however I would still instruct any purchaser to take this check. Termites are one thing that aren’t covered under an Insurance Policy and you could easily find, that great purchase where you saved $50,000 – is now crumbling around you (extreme circumstances).

Chattels:

Make sure you check to see that everything is in working order before you actually put an offer forward on a home. If something isn’t working you can then either request for it to be fixed upon purchasing or at least you will know what costs you will be up for once you settle on the home. If there is anything that you are unsure about that you would like to be bought with the property, make sure this is negotiated and specified in the contract. Something that you may think is fixed – actually is not, and you could move in the day of settlement to find it gone.

Building Inspection:

A building inspection is something people generally apply to older homes however I have seen in more recent times it is something that people are requesting even on brand new homes. You must remember the purchase of your home will be one of the biggest transactions in your life – for the cost of the building inspection and your piece of mind it may be worth doing. If you are buying a home with the thought of renovating it is advisable to check with a builder first before buying the home as your great idea for a renovation may not be viable.

The other minor things that I would suggest you look into would be council planning around your area to see if there are any future developments and if this will or will not effect the value of what you are purchasing. It’s also handy to know if there are any easements on the property, if there are you need to know where they are located on the block. Also the other common check is for people to investigate the street they are buying into at different times of the day. Make sure it is an area you feel comfortable buying into.

You can ignore any of these checks at your own peril. It’s like the Security Checks at the airport, I only complain & think it’s unnecessary because it’s happening to me however as the old cliché goes you are “better to be safe then sorry”.