Local property context
Flat country at the top of Western Port, and the sheds that go with it
Tooradin sits on Sawtells Inlet at the top of Western Port, and the country behind it is flat. Much of the district around Koo Wee Rup and Lang Lang was once the Koo Wee Rup Swamp, drained for farming from the late 1800s, and it is still a district of market gardens, dairy and grazing land crossed by drains.
Housing is a mix: older farmhouses and weatherboard homes in the townships, brick homes from the 1970s onwards, newer estates on the edge of Koo Wee Rup and Tooradin, and rural-residential blocks of an acre or more around Pearcedale and Cannons Creek.
With boating on the inlet and farming all around, a lot of properties here have a big shed or two. Owners extend the house, renovate the bathroom and put up the shed themselves, often in that order, and it is that recent owner-managed work that can matter when the property is sold.
Boat sheds, machinery sheds and workshops
In a boating and farming district, the biggest building on the block is often not the house. A high-clearance shed for the boat, a machinery shed, a workshop with power and lighting, or a carport long enough for a caravan are common additions around Tooradin, Warneet and Koo Wee Rup.
A shed is building work. When the owner organised the slab, the frame and the cladding, or bought a kit and had it erected, it can form part of the owner-builder scope for the sale. List each shed separately, with its rough size, what it is used for and the year it was finished.
Ground conditions on low-lying land
On flat, low-lying land that was once swamp, the ground and the drainage around a building matter. Where you have added an extension, a slab for a shed or a new wet area, the inspector looks at the visible condition of that work, including signs of movement, cracking or water problems that relate to it.
A 137B inspection is a visual inspection, not a soil or engineering assessment. If you have engineering drawings, a soil report or a building permit for the work, keep them with your sale documents; they help explain how the work was designed.
What owners change in the house
Inside the house, the work we are asked about in this district is much the same as anywhere a home has been lived in for a while:
- A rear extension or added bedrooms on an older weatherboard or brick home
- Bathroom, ensuite or laundry stripped out and re-done, with new plumbing, waterproofing and tiling
- Kitchen replaced or walls moved to open up the living area
- A verandah, deck or pergola added, or the roof replaced
- On a newer estate home, an alfresco, ensuite or garage changed after handover
A walk around the block makes the scope clear
On a rural or semi-rural block, work tends to pile up over the years. The easiest way to prepare is to walk around the property with a notepad and record:
- Every shed, carport and addition you put up, with the season or year it went up
- Changes inside the house, room by room
- Whether a kit supplier, a shed builder or you yourself arranged the slab and erection
- Paperwork you still have: permit, drawings, soil report, receipts, plumbing and electrical certificates
What the inspection covers
Our registered building inspector looks at the declared owner-builder work on site — a Koo Wee Rup bathroom, a Tooradin extension, a Warneet boat shed — and notes visible defects in it. You receive the report by email, normally the same day as the visit. Whether Section 137B applies to the sale is a question for your conveyancer or solicitor.
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
- List each shed separately, with its size, its use and the year it was finished.
- Mention any extension or slab built on low-lying or recently filled ground, and keep any engineering drawings or soil report.
- Leave out buildings that were already on the property when you bought it.
Area served
137B inspections around Tooradin
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
Tooradin, Pearcedale and Blind Bight are in the City of Casey, while Koo Wee Rup and Lang Lang are in Cardinia Shire, so permit records sit with whichever council covers the property. Permits show what was approved; 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 Casey building permits →Get a quote for a Tooradin property
Enter the property address and tell us what work was done. You’ll see the inspection price before payment. Some jobs need a quick price check first.
What happens after you book?
Work
Tell us what was built, renovated or changed.
Price
See the price before payment for standard jobs.
Inspection
A registered building inspector attends the property.
Frequently asked questions
137B reports in Tooradin
Is a 137B report needed for every sale around Tooradin?
No. It turns on whether you carried out relevant domestic building work as an owner-builder in the last six and a half years. Try the free scope check, then ask the conveyancer drawing up the contract.
Does a boat shed or machinery shed count?
It can. A shed is building work. If you organised it yourself, including a kit shed you had erected, include it in the scope you declare.
Will you check the soil or the slab design?
No. The inspection is visual. The inspector records visible defects in the declared work, such as cracking or signs of movement, but it is not a soil test or an engineering assessment.
Do you cover Lang Lang, Pearcedale and Warneet?
Yes. We cover Tooradin and the top of Western Port, including Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Pearcedale, Blind Bight, Cannons Creek, Warneet, Caldermeade and Monomeith.
My auction is soon. Can you fit me in?
Often, but it depends on our diary and the size of the job. Include the auction or contract date when you ask for a quote, and ring us if it is within a week or two.
How do I see the price for a Tooradin inspection?
Type the address and tick the work in the quote form. Most standard jobs get a price straight away; a rural block with several buildings may be checked by hand first.
Selling a renovated home or rural block around Tooradin? Check whether the report applies.
Use the free scope check first, or enter the property and the work completed to see the inspection price for standard jobs.