Two years passes faster than anybody expects
The short warranty is the one that catches owners out.
In short: Why the two year period, not the six, is the one to diarise.
The two windows
Six years covers major defects. Two years covers everything else. Both start at completion of the work.
Which one you will actually use
Almost certainly the two year one, because most of what surfaces early is not structural.
The trap
Two years goes by while you are unpacking, landscaping and living in the house. The window closes without any notice.
What to put in the diary
An inspection at around twenty months, which leaves time to raise anything found while the period is still open.
Why the wording of a report matters
Because whether an item is major or minor decides which window applies, and a report that names the element and the requirement lets that be argued on evidence.
Written by the Owner Inspections team from inspections carried out in Marsden Park. Licensed building practitioners, NSW Fair Trading licence 366177C.
