An accredited building inspection qualification will help protect South African property buyers and will also foster job creation in the nascent local building inspection industry, says local home inspection training institution the South African Home Inspection Training Academy principal John Graham.
Local industry has largely relied on US-based systems, particularly the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors programme because there is no formal building inspection training in South Africa, he notes.
Graham explains that the US building inspection industry has been functioning since the 1970s and currently penetrates about 80% of the property consumption market there. “Almost all property agents in the US routinely recommend to buyers that houses be inspected by an impartial professional home inspector.”
A building-inspection qualification will help provide better protection for buyers and improve overall construction standards in South Africa, he tells Engineering News.
Graham points out that many people buying houses in South Africa are unaware of the condition of the house. Further, a significant number of houses in suburban areas were constructed in the 1960s, which could mean that the roofs, for example, have reached their effective life span.
Property buyers have limited legal recourse if they buy a house in poor condition, he asserts, explaining that the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) excludes goods sold not during normal business hours.
“Most houses in South Africa are sold privately, with estate agents acting as intermediaries. “They are also excluded from the CPA, as estate agents are governed by separate legislation – the Estate Agency Affairs Board Act.”
While the National Home Builder Registration Council (NHBRC) has a legislative mandate to inspect new houses, he points out that the mandate does not extend to properties that have been extended or altered, leaving property owners and developers vulnerable to poor workmanship.
Meanwhile, Graham points out that Sahita’s commercial building inspection entity HouseCheck, recently assisted the NHBRC audit department in auditing its inspectors and providing forensic inspection for all its office complexes that it leases.
During the process, he became aware that a significant number of commercial properties, both private- and public-sector owned, would benefit substantially from disciplined and ethical inspection services, which would help inform market-related rent prices, public liability for maintenance of fire extinguishers, buildings and access fire escapes, among others.
“South Africa’s biggest asset is its fixed property and yet there is no central mechanism on how to carry out regular condition assessments on those properties,” Graham states.
He points out that a number of South African municipalities have expressed interest in the development of an accredited building inspection qualification. He suggests that the municipal market represents the most significant growth opportunity for the building inspection industry, as municipalities are tasked with enforcing the bylaws and national regulations governing new housing, as well as extensions or alterations to existing houses.