Six beliefs about defects in finished properties, and what the reality means for inspection and negotiation.
Buyers of finished properties carry assumptions about what defects mean and who is responsible for them. Those assumptions shape whether inspection happens, how findings are treated and what is negotiated.
How to test a claim like this
Test any assumption about a defect by asking three questions: what caused it, is it progressing, and what does the remedy require. Defects that can answer all three are manageable; those that cannot need investigation.
Myth 1: All cracks indicate structural problems
Reality: Most cracks are cosmetic, arising from shrinkage and movement in finishes. Some indicate structural movement, and the distinction depends on location, pattern and whether they are progressing.
How to check it yourself: Ask an engineer about cracks that are diagonal, wide, located at corners of openings, or appear to be growing.
Myth 2: A new property has no defects
Reality: New buildings have characteristic defects, particularly in waterproofing, services and finishing, and they appear during the first year of use.
How to check it yourself: Inspect new units as carefully as old ones, and test systems rather than assuming new equipment works.
Myth 3: Water stains mean an active leak
Reality: A stain may be historic and resolved, or it may be current. The distinction requires investigation rather than assumption in either direction.
How to check it yourself: Test the area with moisture measurement and ask what was done about the cause.
Myth 4: Cosmetic defects do not matter
Reality: They matter in two ways: they affect what you enjoy daily, and they often indicate the standard of work throughout, including what is concealed.
How to check it yourself: Treat poor finishing as an indicator about the parts you cannot see rather than as a separate category.
Myth 5: The seller must disclose known defects
Reality: Disclosure obligations vary, and in practice buyers who rely on disclosure rather than inspection discover problems afterwards.
How to check it yourself: Inspect regardless of what is disclosed, since your own findings are what you can rely on.
Myth 6: Defects can be assessed in one visit
Reality: Some defects appear only under specific conditions: rain for roofs, summer for cooling, evening for noise.
How to check it yourself: Visit more than once where possible, and test systems under load rather than briefly.
What this changes in your decision
- Have significant cracks assessed rather than assumed to be cosmetic or structural.
- Inspect new properties with the same rigour as older ones.
- Investigate water stains rather than accepting an explanation.
- Read finishing quality as an indicator of concealed work.
- Test systems under realistic conditions rather than briefly.
If you are buying a finished property, Domira can inspect it, verify the documentation and price the findings with you before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which defects should stop a purchase?
Structural movement that is progressing, widespread waterproofing failure, and significant unapproved alterations that cannot be regularised. Each is expensive, difficult to remedy and affects future transactions.
How can I tell if a crack is structural?
Diagonal cracks, cracks wider at one end, cracks at the corners of openings and cracks that continue through more than one element are more concerning than fine straight cracks in plaster. Assessment by an engineer is the only reliable answer.
Should minor defects be raised at all?
Yes, in the defect list, because collectively they represent real cost and because raising them establishes the standard you expect. Whether they justify price adjustment is a separate question from whether they are recorded.
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