EXCLUSIVE I make a living inspecting dodgy new properties… here are six steps you can take to stop your dream home turning into a nightmare
A property inspector who exposes dodgy new builds has revealed the best way Australians can avoid getting caught out when buying a home.
Zeher Khalil, who goes by the moniker ' TikTok Inspector', has used his decade in construction to inform potential buyers on how to avoid poorly built homes.
Clad in black clothes, the 43-year-old uses a body camera and phone to shine a light on every crack or shaky awning at new properties.
The videos are a way to raise awareness about his day-to-day, Melbourne-based business 'Site Inspections', which provides customers with forensic assessments.
The aim, he told Daily Mail Australia, is to save people from losing money by highlighting issues before they move in and the builders leave the property.
'It's one of the biggest investments you will ever have in your life,' he said.
'These guys that we're busting, they're just scammers and I'm glad we're naming and shaming most of them.'
While inspections by his company can cost up to a few thousand dollars, Mr Khalil has shared some steps for buyers to avoid their dream homes becoming a nightmare.
Don't trust the display home
'Sometimes a display home is made by the A-team,' he said, adding that this doesn't always guarantee they will also be the builders behind the other properties.
'The company will get different supervisors for different jobs, and you might end up with a different kind of home,' he said.
As a result, Mr Khalil advised buyers to keep an eye on the property during its progress to follow changes that are made.
Always get an independent inspection
Leading on from his first suggestion, Mr Khalil advised bringing in an expert throughout the construction process.
'If you're building (a home), before you make a payment, or you go to make a final stage payment, get it checked,' he said.
'Because you might not see it again, and you might not be getting what you're paying for.'
But even if a buyer isn't able to afford an independent inspector, Mr Khalil suggested customers tell the builders they are planning to.
'If they resist, that is a massive indicator that you have to get someone to look at it because these guys are trying to hide something,' he said.
He said homeowners he previously worked for have told builders they are bringing in an independent inspector and the job has been delayed, cleaned up or fixed.
Read the contract
'Read the contract like you're suing them tomorrow,' Mr Khalil said, warning that there could be clauses that customers might not expect.
'If you're late on payment, or you have to accept alternative solutions, there's all these things that come up later on.
'People just sign the contract, they don't even read it.'
The inspector said a lawyer costs a few hundred dollars but it would be worth it to make sure 'no shifty things' are in the contract.
Never use the builders' surveyor or certifier
Builders sometimes recommend a surveyor who gives a building permit, but Mr Khalil advised buyers to 'always consult someone else'.
'Get someone independent, not someone who's recommended by a builder, because most likely, they'll be more lenient,' he said.
'You want somebody to be really assertive and stringent with their findings.'
What to focus on
Mr Khalil suggested there are three features on properties that should always be checked when buying: the roofing, bathrooms and balconies.
He said these locations are the most common areas that have potential issues with water.
'Water just destroys everything and that's the biggest problem here in Australia,' he said.
'Get those assessed properly and watch out for what's going on.'
He also advised that, if there is any subsidence in the pavement around the home or if there are cracks in the external walls, this could mean there is 'movement in the slab'.
The Victorian Building Authority has previously described this issue as 'foundation movement' or 'slab heave'.
When the foundation lifts excessively in part of a house, this can then develop cracks.
Mr Khalil also pointed to 'patched up bricks' as a sign that vendors might be 'trying to hide something'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Missing head of decapitated model's boyfriend ‘still not found' as Beauty & The Geek star, 34, charged with murder
A FORMER Beauty and the Geek star has been charged with the murder and decapitation of her boyfriend — as cops desperately search for his missing head. Julian Story, 39, was reportedly found burnt and dismembered on the bathroom floor of an apartment in Port Lincoln, southern Australia. 7 7 Officers made the grim discovery last Tuesday after responding to reports of a small fire. His girlfriend, Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser, 34 — a model and reality TV star — was arrested two days later under the Mental Health Act and charged with murder. Detectives have launched an urgent public appeal to help locate Mr Story's missing head, which was allegedly removed after his killing around midnight on June 17. Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke told reporters on Friday: 'While I won't provide any further detail about that at this time, I can tragically say that we have not recovered the head of Julian Story. 'I can only imagine, and I want you to imagine, the grief this news is causing Julian's family. 'Recovering Julian's head to return it to his family so they can have a peaceful outcome, have a funeral and lay him to rest is a really important aspect for us.' Police have circulated CCTV footage and stills of a woman alleged to be Ms Chesser strolling through Port Lincoln hours after the alleged murder. The woman was seen with three dogs — dressed head-to-toe in black with a head covering, cops said. Officers hope locals might spot something that could lead them to the missing remains. 'Killer' told man he 'tortured to death he was going to s**g his ex' 'I'm appealing to local residents to review CCTV or dash cam footage which they may have, which may assist the investigation,' Supt Fielke said. Court documents reveal officers found Ms Chesser sitting in the back garden of the property 'in a catatonic and unresponsive state' before arresting her. She's also been charged with disposing of human remains to pervert the course of justice and assaulting a police officer, The Telegraph reports. So far, police say there's no obvious motive, with Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott admitting there were still 'a lot of unanswered questions' in what he described as a complex crime scene. In court on Friday, a suppression order protecting Ms Chesser's identity and banning publication of the alleged circumstances of Mr Story's death was lifted. The ex-reality star, who appeared via video link, has been denied bail and remains under a mental health detention order ahead of a committal hearing set for December. Ms Chesser's sister, Kiya-May, claimed her family is shattered by reports she'd been charged with murder. They told Daily Mail Australia: 'Please report how my sister is in a mental psychosis... This is not her... She would never do these things.' She added her sister had suffered 'a life of trauma and abuse, and now this – it has fried her brain'. Meanwhile, Mr Story's grieving family has thanked police, emergency workers and the community for their support during what they called an 'unimaginable loss,'. 7 7 'Your care has brought comfort amid the chaos,' they said. Neighbours have also recalled how they tried to tackle the blaze, unaware of the horror inside. Local resident Jody Miller told 7News: 'It's devastating. This doesn't happen in a small town like Port Lincoln.' He added he'd seen the couple before, saying: 'She seemed normal, she was good.' It comes as eerie footage emerged of a woman believed to be Ms Chesser reportedly standing topless at the Port Lincoln war memorial wearing a wedding veil, just days before her arrest. The bizarre clip showed the woman silent and motionless at the Garden of Remembrance while holding what appeared to be a sharp object — an unsettling stunt filmed by a horrified bystander. 7
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Why boomers are holding on to their massive homes - even if they want to downsize
Aussie boomers are often criticised for not downsizing, but there's a good reason why they're holding onto their big properties. New data from the Regional Australia Institute shows that only 25 per cent of Boomers - aged 65 and older - are open to moving from a capital city to a regional area - the lowest of any age group. In contrast, 57 per cent of Millennials and 37 per cent of Gen Xers are more willing to make a tree change. Selling a $2million home in Sydney could allow a couple to buy a $1million property in coastal towns like Port Macquarie or Coffs Harbour - leaving them with $1million in cash. But that windfall could affect their eligibility for the age pension due to the government's assets test. While the family home is exempt from the test, any leftover funds, whether held in cash or superannuation, are counted. As a result, many older couples are choosing to stay in their large homes to protect their pension entitlements, despite no longer needing the space. Financial adviser and author Helen Baker said older Australians are delaying selling their homes to ensure that they maximise their pensions. They usually only sell when they've run out of super and downsizing is their back-up option to release more cash. A couple with $1million in cash, after selling the family home, could potentially put that money into super and live off an income stream known as an annuity. But having access to the age pension, or a part age pension, can help with bills ranging from electricity to health costs, plus travel. 'There are benefits in even getting a part age pension,' Ms Baker said. The Association of Super Funds of Australia says couples need $73,875 a year for a 'comfortable' retirement which includes an overseas holiday every seven years. But with access to an age pension, it's possible for those aged 65 to 84 to live on $43,753 a year. When it came to younger Australians who don't own a home Ms Baker, the founder of On Your Own Two Feet, suggested they consider purchasing an investment property with a friend or a sibling to at least get into the housing market. 'I think the problem for younger people now is they don't get in,' she said. 'It's likely that property will continue to rise over the short-term, maybe, and even definitely the medium, long-term.' Australia's median capital city house price of $1.026million is beyond the reach of the average, full-time worker on a $102,742 salary. That's because the banks are reluctant to lend someone more than 5.2 times their salary before tax. This means an average-income worker would only be able to buy a $665,000 apartment with a 20 per cent mortgage deposit. Those wanting a house would have to do so with a friend or sibling if they weren't married or in a long-term relationship, unless they were in a highly-paid job. 'The nurses, the teachers, aged care workers, childcare workers, hairdressers, for these people, it's incredibly difficult for them to purchase a property but those who are in more executive positions, or even tradies these days with what they're earning, they have more of an opportunity,' Ms Baker said. 'Are they willing to make the sacrifices in other things that they're spending their money on - to meet the obligations of their mortgage?' The e61 Institute think tank said unaffordable house prices meant younger Australians were delaying key milestones like buying a house or starting a family. 'Today's young Australians are navigating a different economic and social landscape than the generations before them,' it said. 'While young people always face a degree of precarity as they transition into adulthood, there are social and economic changes, as well as changing preferences, that are pushing key life milestones – like buying a home, moving out of the family home and starting a family further down the track. 'Today's 25 to 34-year-olds have a lower home ownership rate compared to their parents when they were the same age – with this disparity greater in capital cities.' This is also particularly the case for those unable to access the Bank of Mum and Dad to get into the housing market. Millennials are increasingly relying on their boomer parents to set themselves up financially, including with that 20 per cent mortgage deposit. Ms Baker said this was now the new divide between the haves and have-nots. 'There's a lot of talk about getting some early inheritance from the Bank of Mum and Dad,' she said. 'To me, this deposit for a house and buying a property, it's become the new private school.' Those boomers helping their children - by selling their family home - are also making a financial sacrifice by comprimising their ability to get the age pension.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE For decades, Patrick stood by childhood sweetheart and convicted baby killer, Keli Lane. Suddenly, out of the blue, it's cost him his job. Now he wants to know why he's been DUMPED after 30 years as a school's PE teacher
Mystery surrounds why the long-time partner of convicted baby killer Keli Lane was suddenly dismissed by the Sydney north shore school where he taught for 30 years. Veteran PE teacher Patrick Cogan, 50, was escorted off the premises from the Chatswood campus of St Pius School without any official explanation last month. It's believed his ongoing relationship with Lane is at the centre of the controversy, although it's understood no formal reason has been given to him. But Mr Cogan has loyally stood by Lane for years, even after her trial and murder conviction, and the couple made no secret of their relationship. Sources close to the couple have told Daily Mail Australia their high-profile public past has made the decision to unexpectedly stand him down now 'simply baffling'. 'It makes no sense though because Pat's support for Keli is not new and it certainly has no reflection on his teaching ability,' a school insider said. 'He never brings it up at work and is well respected by his students and other teachers. It's completely out of the blue. 'I'd be willing to hedge a bet there were no external complaints made.' The school has declined to shed any light on the reason for the axing, and declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. School staff were said to be 'blindsided' by the decision, which was not even officially announced to students who were left in the dark over his sudden disappearance. The school insider claims it may stem from an entirely separate case to Lane's conviction, which can't be discussed for legal reasons. 'Nothing has been said and the kids were all left scratching their heads wondering where he had gone,' the insider said. 'Most found out in the media and still don't really understand it. 'Patrick is a bit lost now. Being a sports teacher is all he has ever known and not to have that each day is a massive adjustment. 'He has never been warned about his relationship with Keli before.' Mr Cogan was Lane's childhood sweetheart and the pair grew up together in Sydney's northern beaches and dated as teenagers, reuniting years later. He was already a key part of Lane's life when she concealed a series of five pregnancies between the ages of 17 and 24. The couple reconnected and began dating again while Lane was under police investigation. He was by her side when she was arrested in 2009 for murdering her baby daughter Tegan in 1996. She left the hospital with the baby in secret and returned home alone hours later, but claimed she had given the child to its father, a mystery man called Andrew Norris who proved untraceable, and she never saw either again. Mr Cogan sat in the public gallery almost every day during her four-month trial and sent her long-stemmed roses when he couldn't attend. The trial made international headlines - but Mr Cogan never doubted his girlfriend's innocence, publicly pledging his allegiance and unwavering love. When she was jailed for 18 years in 2011, Lane's eyes searched the courtroom as she was sentenced before she turned to her mum and asked: 'Where's Patrick?' Lane was originally due for parole in May 2024 but her bid was rejected under the 'no body, no parole' laws introduced in 2022. Mr Cogan has been a regular on Lane's visitor log since then and speak almost daily on the phone while also sending reams of love letters to each other. Lane walked free from jail after almost 14 years behind bars when she was granted weekend release and she returned straight into the arms of her devoted partner. Mr Cogan is now Lane's sponsor for her weekend release from jail where they stay at his $2.6million home on Sydney's northern beaches. The couple were spotted enjoying the autumn sun at Fairlight Beach Rockpool near Manly in April where Lane donned a tropical-themed bikini and electronic ankle monitor. 'The silver lining is that Keli now gets weekend release and that's been his focus, building their relationship on the outside,' the source said. 'They are like a couple of giddy teens in love. Keli has been supporting him and he is so grateful for her. The insider added: 'If anything, a lot of his peers see his loyalty as a testament to his character. 'All these years on, they are still together and that says a lot about their relationship.' Mr Cogan has since lodged a complaint against the school with the Fair Work Commission and is due to appear in court in July.
