Inspection Day Checklist: What Buyer’s Agents Always Look For

A calm, practical guide to help Queensland buyers see the full picture, spot red flags, and feel confident at open homes.

Open homes can feel like speed dating for houses. You get a few minutes, bright lights, and a lot of other people in the room. If you’re feeling a mix of excitement and nerves, that’s completely normal. Grab your cuppa, find a cosy spot, and use this checklist to look past the styling and into the stuff that really matters.

Before you go

• Non-negotiables list: bedrooms, bathrooms, layout, parking, pet needs, mobility needs.

• Quick risk scan: flood or overland flow overlays, bushfire, aircraft noise, heritage or character controls.

• Comparable sales: 3 to 5 recent sales to anchor your value range.

• What to bring: phone torch, tissues or damp cloth for light wipe tests, small marble or coin for slope, tape measure, notepad, fully charged phone. Optional extras if you have them: moisture meter, plug-in tester, laser measure.

Outside first: site and structure

• Street and slope: look for water fall lines, spoon drains, driveway fall away from the home.

• Block and drainage: pooling, damp patches, high garden beds against walls, downpipes connected to stormwater.

• Subfloor (if accessible): ventilation, signs of moisture, wood rot, borer or termite damage, uneven piers.

• Retaining walls and fences: movement, rot, weep holes, engineering on higher walls.

• Exterior walls: cracking patterns, previous patching, bubbling paint, soft timber.

Roof and gutters

• Roof surface: rust on metal, slipped or broken tiles, patchwork repairs that do not match.

• Gutters and eaves: sagging, overflow marks, blocked downpipes, staining that hints at leaks.

• Ceiling lines from outside: look along the eaves for sagging that suggests structural issues.

Inside: floors, walls, windows

• Floors: slope test with a coin or marble, springy boards, ripples in vinyl that may hint at moisture.

• Walls and ceilings: hairline vs major cracks, fresh paint in odd patches, staining around windows or ceilings.

• Windows and doors: open and close a few, binding can signal movement or moisture.

Wet areas and services

• Bathrooms and laundry: ventilation, silicone and grout condition, soft skirting, staining near shower screens.

• Kitchen: under-sink moisture, water stains at kickboards, age and condition of appliances.

• Water pressure: turn taps on together, check for hammering or slow flow.

• Hot water system: age, leaks, corrosion on valves or tray.

• Electrical quick look: test a couple of power points with a phone charger, look for mixed ages of fittings.

• Air-conditioning: ask age and service history, look for leaks or rust at external units.

Termites and timber pests

• Fences and landscaping: sleepers and stumps close to the house, timber stacked against walls.

• Subfloor and skirting: mud tubes, hollow-sounding timber, frass or fine sawdust.

• Garden design: heavy mulch against walls, moisture traps, shaded damp areas.

Flood, damp and ventilation clues

• Low rooms and garages: tide lines, peeling paint, rust on metal legs or tracks.

• Musty smell: consistent mustiness can point to poor ventilation or moisture ingress.

• External clues: debris lines on fences or posts, patched lower walls, high-water marks on masonry.

Noise, light and liveability

• Orientation and light: morning and afternoon sun, cross-breezes, shade in summer.

• Noise check: pause and listen for traffic, aircraft, trains, school bells, venues.

• Parking reality: check street rules, turning space, gradient, visitor parking in schemes.

If it is a unit or townhouse

• Body corporate health: ask for last 2 to 3 AGM minutes and a strata records check.

• Sinking fund: balance and major works pipeline.

• Common areas: water ingress, concrete spalling, lift maintenance, roof replacement schedule.

Questions to ask the agent

• Seller’s ideal timing: settlement date, inclusions, rent-back requests.

• Known issues or past repairs: roof, drainage, movement, termite history.

• Offers and interest: number of contracts out, typical decision time frame.

• Recent works and approvals: who did them, certificates, warranties.

Red flags vs quick fixes

• Likely red flags: active leaks, structural movement with step cracking, chronic drainage issues, significant termite damage, unsafe wiring, unapproved works that affect structure.

• Often cosmetic: paint, worn flooring, dated kitchens or bathrooms, old lights, basic landscaping.

Your next steps after inspection

• Shortlist and notes: compare against your non-negotiables and value range.

• Book building and pest: attend if possible so you can ask questions on site.

• Price logic: update your value range based on what you saw and comparable sales.

• Offer plan: consider conditions, time frames and a clean communication line with the agent.

A short Queensland story to make it real: a Clever Home Buyer stood in a beautifully styled living room that felt perfect. We did a slow walk outside and noticed a gentle dip toward the house and overflow marks on the driveway. Inside, the lower wall paint looked fresh in just one corner. A week later, the building and pest report confirmed recurring damp from poor drainage. They negotiated time for a proper fix or the right to walk. Same house, very different outcome, all because they looked past the cushions.

Which part of inspection day feels trickiest for you right now, drainage clues, termite signals, or reading cracks, pop your question in the comments and I will point you to the right checklist.

Buying in Queensland feels easier when you have a plan. Go slow, ask for clarity, and remember, you have got this, Clever Home Buyer.