No cooling-off, no second chance
In NSW, a successful auction purchase is generally unconditional. There is no cooling-off period to fall back on, and no opportunity to inspect after the fact and renegotiate.
That changes the arithmetic: the inspection is not a step in a process, it is the only chance you get to understand the property's condition before you are committed.
Work backwards from the auction date
Allow time to arrange access, complete the inspection, receive the report, read it properly, and obtain any specialist follow-up the report recommends. Three of those four steps are routinely underestimated.
Where the property is tenanted, access can take longer than expected. Ask the agent on day one.
Attend if you can
Attending the inspection is optional, but it is the fastest way to understand what the report describes. It also lets you ask questions about findings while the inspector is still on site.
Decide your limit with the findings in front of you
The most useful thing an inspection does at auction is remove surprises before the bidding starts. Set your limit after you have read the report, not during the auction.
Written by Accurate Building Inspections. This article is general information about property inspection in NSW and is not a building inspection, pest inspection, engineering assessment or legal advice. A visual inspection cannot guarantee the absence of concealed defects.