housing inspectors

[sleepingtiger]

I know that in Western countries that when one buys a house, one can get a housing inspector to inspect the house, top to bottom and find out what problems there are.
Does Taiwan have housing inspectors?

[baberenglish]

When you buy a house you don't need it inspected, but when you buy the house the transfer deed has to claim any defects. BS about it there is of course the aspect of recourse.
The housing inspection system in the west is a farce. They are all on the take. Don't trust them with a 10 foot pole.
In Taiwan, like other things, it's DIY. Hire a private one.
I just bought a house in May, it was three years old so the original warranty was kaput. I was concerned about leaking and had a private inspector come in, do some concrete/sealant maintenance for a little over 30 K. I worked this out so the buyer/real estate agent would take it out of their cut. As well I got a three year warranty on sealant for the whole 5 floor house.

[sleepingtiger]

how and where did you find this private housing inspector? Were you there when he inspected the house? What kind of things did he look at and for?
After his inspection, did he give you a written form, saying what was inspected and the condition of the house?? thanks

[baberenglish]

Originally when I was looking at the house, I had some normal structural questions, of which most sales agents couldn't answer nor back up with any proof. So, I really liked the house, location, price, etc...but I didn't want to rush into things.
The water leakage was probably the biggest as I had heard so many stories. They did some concrete injections(mix of silicone and some other nasty shit into the concrete), they recommended the roof needed to be resealed but I did that myself.
There was a contractor which I used before that dropped a few names that I phoned. A few of them came, gave estimates and that is that.
My wife found a guy on the net. Simply went to some blog and asked
"Does anyone know a good contractor in the Zhongli area?"
I don't recommend going through any renovators, designers, etc that are recommended by the sales agent, do the math, they want their cut. Find it independently. Another good place, I know this sounds greasy, but is B&Q. They have a list of contractors a mile long, you don't have to buy anything from them, just ask at the info counter.
**Don't solely rely on someone's 'friend'...protect yourself and get a few people to come and give you estimates on the job. I found their prices and recommendations pretty similar.
Private inspectors can be dodgy as well. That's why get a few to come and get an estimate.Sift through the BS.
Good Luck.

[baberenglish]

I forgot something...
If the inspector does find something major, bring it to the attention of the seller. If he is desperate he'll get it fixed right away.

[sleepingtiger]

Thanks for the good information. Unfortunately B & Q won't work for me, as I live in Taidong city.
The roof and wall cancer are my 2 biggest concerns!!!

[justreal]

hope they didn't inject silicone into your concrete. epoxy or an urethane epoxy mix is probably the nasty stuff.

[baberenglish]

Whatever combo they used, works like a charm. Been dry as a bone. Got it done at my old apartment as well and no problems. If you can target a specific area, do it. We injected it in 30 different places on two floors.

[sleepingtiger]

Was the injection of silicone to stop or prevent the water from going into the walls. which creates the " wall cancer" on the inside of the house walls?
Couldn't that also be fixed by having the roof extend more and preventing the rain from hitting the outer walls?

[baberenglish]

nothing will stop leaks, rain comes from all over the place, plus humidity, plus sun exposure...too many variables.
The injection material is a mix of chemicals. I looked them up and there are too many to list. Best thing is to get a professional in and give you an estimate, then you know what you are dealing with. If you try to guess yourself, you are going up a creek without a paddle.