Get this before the auction, not after it. Three things get covered: termites, borers and wood decay. Subfloor and roof void where access allows, accessible timbers sounded, fence lines, stumps, decking and retaining walls checked, plus the conditions that invite termites in even where nothing is active yet.
On the peninsula the decking and the retaining sleepers are where the surprises sit. Plenty of beach houses have had decks and pergolas added over the years with timber in ground contact and no barrier under them, and a coastal property that looks sound from the street can carry real damage underneath. A building inspection and a timber pest inspection are not the same thing, and buyers find that out after settlement.
