Buying or selling a property: What you need to know

To facilitate the smooth sale or purchase of a property, there are a few areas to be considered in relation to building permits.

If you purchase a property that has illegal building works, you as the current owner of the property are liable for those works.

As a preventative measure prior to purchase, it is recommended your real estate agent ask for permission from the owners to access the building file at the council to ascertain that all works on the property have a building permit and an accompanying final certificate or occupancy permit.

If you are selling a property, any illegal building works on your property will generally be discovered at contract stage and you will be required to submit an application for illegal works.

This application has a penalty built into the application fee of 150 per cent.

A note about swimming pools and spas: If you are buying a property with a swimming pool or spa, ask for a swimming pool certificate/compliance inspection to ensure the safety barriers comply with the regulations.

For more information or forms, visit https://www.wodonga.vic.gov.au/Building-Planning