The conveyancer asks late
The vendor mentions a bathroom, kitchen, deck or other work. The property gets listed. Later, the conveyancer asks who was responsible for the work and whether a 137B report is needed.
For Victorian real estate agents
137B usually becomes urgent after the sale is already moving.
A lot of the calls I get start the same way: the property is already on the market, buyers are interested, and the conveyancer has just asked the vendor for a 137B report.
I’m Alan Hou, a registered building inspector. I’ve been doing these inspections for years. Most last-minute 137B jobs can still be dealt with. It is just much easier when there is more time.
What I normally see
The report itself is usually not the hard part. The timing is.
There are already buyers waiting
Now everyone wants the report quickly because nobody wants the sale to lose momentum while the buyer is still interested.
The vendor can get frustrated
Some vendors will not care. Some will ask why this was not picked up earlier. A simple question early in the campaign can avoid that conversation.
A recent example
Two buyers were interested. The agent wanted the report sorted before the offers came in.
A vendor called me after the property had been on the market for about a week. Their real estate agent had told them that 2 buyers were interested in making offers.
The agent did not want the sale to lose momentum over a 137B issue while those buyers were still keen, so the agent wanted the inspection arranged before the sale moved further.
This is the kind of timing issue I see again and again.
One useful habit
Ask one more question when the vendor mentions renovation work.
Ask the vendor“Have you done any renovation or building work in recent years?”
If the answer is yes, it is worth raising it with the conveyancer early. You do not need to work out the 137B rules yourself.
If the conveyancer says a report is needed — or you are already under time pressure — call me.
Why timing matters
Momentum can disappear faster than paperwork gets fixed.
Sometimes nothing serious happens. Sometimes a buyer gets tired of waiting, changes direction or the deal becomes harder to hold together.
Even if the report can still be arranged, a delay can mean the seller misses a good selling window or loses negotiating strength.
If there is already a contract issue, that part needs to be dealt with by the conveyancer or solicitor.
Urgent job?
Call me. I deal with this situation regularly.
Tell me what work was done, where the property is and how soon the report is needed. I’ll tell you what I can realistically do.
Before you call: what to check when the 137B report is missing close to auction.
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