Local property context
Ballarat: heritage houses in the centre, growth suburbs in the west
Ballarat has a great many Victorian and Edwardian houses, in suburbs such as Soldiers Hill, Black Hill, Bakery Hill and around Lake Wendouree. Many have been opened up at the back and given new kitchens and bathrooms while the front rooms keep their period character.
Wendouree, Sebastopol and Redan have many post-war homes, while Lucas, Alfredton, Delacombe, Winter Valley and Smythes Creek to the west are newer growth areas.
Ballarat is also cold for much of the year, so enclosed verandahs, sunrooms and rebuilt back rooms are common owner projects. The Section 137B question follows that recent work, not the age of the house.
Period homes opened up at the back
A common Ballarat project keeps the front of a period house and replaces the back with a new kitchen and living area, sometimes with a wall or two removed. When the owner managed that work, the new section and the connection to the old house are the usual focus of the inspection.
Sunrooms, enclosed verandahs and back rooms
Because of the climate, many owners have enclosed a verandah, built a sunroom or rebuilt a cold lean-to. These are often small jobs done over a few weekends, but they can still be owner-builder work that a buyer needs to know about.
Heritage controls are a separate matter
Heritage controls in central Ballarat can affect what changes need planning approval. That is a council planning question. Section 137B is about the condition of owner-builder building work at the time of sale. Your conveyancer can tell you which documents your contract needs.
Newer homes in the western growth areas
In Lucas, Alfredton or Winter Valley the house was usually built by a registered builder. The owner-builder work tends to be what came later:
- A deck or alfresco roof
- A garage fit-out or conversion
- A shed or carport
- An internal wall change or a new bathroom
Booking a Ballarat inspection
Ballarat properties are priced by hand. Send the address and the work, and we email the price and the likely inspection day before you pay. We group Ballarat inspections onto set days, so let us know early if you have an auction or contract date.
What the inspection covers
The inspector looks closely at the new kitchen wing, the enclosed verandah or whatever else you declared, including where new work meets the old house. Visible defects are written up for that work, and the report is emailed to you. The untouched period rooms are not assessed as a buyer’s pre-purchase inspection would.
What can be included in the inspection?
We inspect the owner-builder work you tell us about. You can select more than one renovation area and, where relevant, tell us how many bathrooms or bedrooms were involved.
Local inspection scope
What to identify before requesting the report
- For a period home, separate the original rooms from the rebuilt or added section and give completion dates.
- List enclosed verandahs, sunrooms and outbuildings as separate items.
- Note any work done by a registered builder under contract, and any permits or certificates you have.
Area served
137B inspections around Ballarat
The map shows the local area. Enter the exact property address in the quote form so the inspection scope, travel and availability can be assessed for that property.
Local permit information
The City of Ballarat explains when building permits are needed and holds building records for properties in the municipality. Many central streets also have heritage controls. Those records and approvals help explain a property history; the Section 137B report is a separate inspection of the owner-builder work at the time of sale.
Permit information can be useful, but it is separate from the Section 137B requirements that may apply when the property is sold.
City of Ballarat building permits →Get a quote for a Ballarat property
Enter the property address and tell us what work was done. Regional properties are priced by hand: we email you the price and the likely inspection day before you pay anything.
What happens after you book?
Work
Tell us what was built, renovated or changed.
Price
We email the price and inspection day before you pay.
Inspection
A registered building inspector attends the property.
Frequently asked questions
137B reports in Ballarat
Do I need a 137B report to sell a renovated period home in Ballarat?
Not always. It depends on whether you did the work as an owner-builder, what it was and when it was finished. The free scope check gives an indication and your conveyancer confirms it.
I enclosed the back verandah myself. Does that matter?
It can. An enclosed verandah or sunroom you organised yourself is often owner-builder work. Whether it needs a report depends on timing and the sale.
Does heritage approval replace a 137B report?
No. Heritage and planning approvals are separate from the Section 137B report, which records the condition of the owner-builder work for the buyer.
Do you inspect in Buninyong, Mount Clear and Smythes Creek?
Yes. Enter the full address in the quote form and we will plan the inspection with other Ballarat jobs.
Can a Ballarat inspection be done the same week?
Sometimes. Ballarat jobs go onto set days, so the sooner we have the address and the work, the more likely we can fit in before your campaign starts. We email the fee and the proposed day first.
Selling a renovated home in Ballarat? Send us the address and the work.
We email the price and the likely inspection day before you pay. Not sure the report applies? Check first.