Owners Of A Brand New $500,000 Flat Hire Defect Checkers Who Knock On Every Tile, Flood The Bathrooms And Catch A Leaking Sink Pipe

What can go wrong in a brand-new $500,000 flat? Quite a lot, as it turns out. The couple behind boringbeings walked through their new public housing flat with professional defect checkers and filmed everything, from tiles that sounded hollow to a sink pipe that was quietly leaking.

Two defect checkers on a new flat inspection cover next to an empty room with wood floors and tall windows

The process starts when the housing board hands over the keys. After that, owners get a window with the building service centre, known as BSC, which is in charge of fixing any defects so the home you get is truly defect-free. You book a first appointment, find the problems yourself or hire a professional, and the officer comes down to go through your list.

The couple chose to hire help, and they say it paid off in ways they never would have guessed.

How The Three Appointments Work

For the first BSC appointment, the officer visits and you or your defect checker run through the list of problems. The BSC then has 14 days to fix everything and will notify you when it is done. You book a second appointment so the officer, you and your checker can review what was repaired.

If anything is left over, or new problems turn up, the officer can have the team fix it on the spot or schedule another repair. You can book by scanning the QR code in the kitchen or the one in the pamphlet you receive at key collection. The couple says everyone fights for slots, and because repairs need to be finished before renovation can begin, anyone wanting a fast renovation should book quickly. Defect checking was the first thing they booked once they had their key collection date.

What The Checkers Actually Did

They went with a company a friend recommended as good value. Its package sent a team three times: once to check for defects, once to walk the BSC officer through them, and once more to confirm everything was fixed. For the first visit, the company sent three people, who split into different rooms and clearly knew their jobs.

One person knocked on tiles with a metal rod, listening for the hollow sound that means a tile is loose. Another checked the water. Another walked barefoot across the vinyl flooring to feel for dents. The team also tested every plug to see that it was wired properly, and every data point to make sure the wires were connected. They looked at every corner for gaps in the silicone, chips and cracks, including around the door frames.

The Problems They Caught

The couple says the checkers were most helpful with things that move. The storeroom door would not close tightly, and the couple says they would never have thought to try it. The checkers also tested the top windows as well as the bottom ones and found which were squeaky or hard to close.

For waterproof areas, the team ran a water pooling check, flooding the area to make sure water was not collecting in odd spots. In one toilet, they found that the pipe under a sink was leaking. Other findings were mostly cosmetic, including uneven paint on a wall, rusty hinges and misaligned switch casings. After the check, the team went through each defect with the couple, took videos and sent them in a chat group so they could track everything.

The BSC Visit And The Final Round

At the second appointment, a different checker came with the BSC officer and explained all the defects. He spotted a few more as he talked. The couple describes the officer as super nice, saying he stayed a long time recording the issues and emailed a list afterwards. Repairs began the very next day.

For the third and final appointment, they booked the BSC inspector and the checker for the same time, so the checker could point out anything still wrong directly. The company sent its most experienced checker, who found a problem with a child lock that everyone else missed. The BSC had to take out an entire window and dismantle it to fix the lock. He also found a big scratch on the floor, and the officer had his crew glue the floor down until the defect disappeared. Missing grout was patched, and chipped tile corners were repaired too.

What They Found On Their Own

Even with professionals, the couple caught things themselves. One electrical plug did not work at all, and some missing grout and other flaws had not been flagged. Friends had also told them to look inside the drains, because builders sometimes throw cement or stones down the drain pipes, which can cause trouble after you move in. In the master bedroom toilet, they spotted a very big burn mark inside the shower drain and raised it with the BSC officer in case it caused issues later.

Is It Worth Paying For?

Their answer is that a professional is worth it, with a catch. The check was detailed down to very minor items, and they say a checker clears out most of the issues. But they still think owners, or their interior designer, should look around too, because the checkers are not perfect. They also point out that three trips by three different teams meant the flat was checked three times, and a checker can explain everything to the BSC if you would rather not deal with it. They only used one company, so they simply report a good experience.

The couple also says most of what was found was not very important, but some of it would have caused real problems after they moved in.

Tips For Doing Your Own Check

Bring blue tape and a permanent marker. Stick tape beside each defect and write what is wrong, such as whether something is dented.
Bring a door stopper so the front door cannot swing shut on you.
Pack tissues or wet wipes, water and a fan, since the empty flat has nothing in it.
Dress for warmth, and be ready to give the BSC officer the code to your bicycle lock, because the door is secured with that lock rather than your keys so the repair crews can get in.

They also share a summary list of the defects they found that viewers can screenshot and use. The couple says they are not professional inspectors, only owners sharing their experience, but both are happy they hired help since they are busy with work and are not experts in this area. The result, they say, is peace of mind before the renovation begins.

Willow and Hearth