Common faults in older Wollert houses and estate homes
The faults that turn up repeatedly in Wollert homes built through the 2000s and 2010s, from drainage and roof plumbing to owner built decks.
In short: Twenty years of estate housing produces a recognisable set of problems. These are the ones that show up again and again in Wollert pre-purchase reports.
Site drainage that was never finished
This is the most frequent finding on estate homes here. Landscaping goes in after handover, soil gets built up against the slab edge, surface falls end up running back toward the house, downpipes discharge into garden beds instead of the stormwater system, and agricultural drains are cut or blocked. On reactive clay that combination causes damp and drives footing movement.
Wet areas past their first decade
Shower waterproofing installed in the mid 2000s is now well into its service life. The signs are efflorescence on the outside of the shower wall, damp skirting in the adjoining room, drummy tiles, deteriorated silicone at the hob and wall junctions, and floors that hold water rather than draining. This is the single most expensive fault to find after settlement.
Roof plumbing and gutter capacity
Gutters full of debris, rusted or sagging sections, downpipes disconnected below ground, poorly bedded and pointed ridge capping, and valleys that have never been cleared all turn up regularly. Where a large roof area drains to too few downpipes, water backs up over the gutter during heavy rain and runs down the wall behind the fascia.
Owner built structures without a permit
Decks, pergolas, carports, garage conversions, studios and retaining walls added after handover are common in twenty year old estates. Many were built well and many were not. What matters is whether a building permit from a registered building surveyor was obtained where one was required, because the liability transfers to you at settlement.
Brickwork, joints and movement
Articulation joints filled with hard mortar or painted over, weep holes blocked by mortar droppings or garden beds, stepped cracking above openings, and lintels with surface corrosion are all worth recording. AS 3700 covers masonry construction. Most of these are minor individually but they combine to tell you how carefully the original build was supervised.
Fences, retaining and the boundary
In sloping estate lots the retaining wall between neighbours is frequently the item nobody wants to own. Look for leaning, loss of ag drain behind the wall, saturated soil, missing weep holes and timber sleepers past their life. Establish who is responsible before settlement, because it becomes a neighbour conversation the moment you own the place.
Written by the Owner Inspections team from inspections carried out in Wollert. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
