TikTok Inspector shares the seven things to look for when buying a new build - and why your dream home could actually be hiding major defects

By CAITLIN POWELL - NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:16, 23 May 2026 | Updated: 01:26, 23 May 2026 A property inspector has warned about the major defects Australians need to look out for before buying a new build, after Labor announced future investors will only benefit from negative gearing if they buy a new property.  Treasurer Jim Chalmers last week announced that from July 1, 2027, the tax deduction will only apply to new dwellings for home buyers, not existing ones. Zeher Khalil, who is better known as 'The TikTok Inspector', has used his decade in construction to inform potential buyers on how to avoid poorly-built homes.  Clad in his signature black clothes, he uses a body camera and phone to shine a light on every crack or shaky awning in new properties. The videos are a way to raise awareness about his day-to-day, Melbourne-based business 'Site Inspections', which provides customers with forensic assessments. 'I always encourage people to buy a new property, 100 per cent buy a new property, because you have a warranty and the builder has liability,' he told the Daily Mail. 'But (you have to) be careful about which new property you're buying, and which builder you're buying it from.' Mr Khalil said that purchasing a property is 'investigative work' during which buyers have to ask: 'Am I being tricked or played?'  Property inspector Zeher Khalil (pictured) has warned about major defects and issues Australians should consider before buying a new build Under the Federal Budget, future investors will be forced into buying new properties, if they want to benefit from negative gearing (pictured, a Launceston new build) 'When I go into a house, if it's too good to be true, it's too good to be true. What are these guys trying to hide? That's my job,' he said. '(Buyers) are spending all this money. I want to make sure whoever is selling is not being deceptive because rectifying the items is very expensive.' As a result, Mr Khalil has shared the seven things Australians need to consider when buying a new-build property. The first thing a buyer should ask is 'who built the property' and 'why are they selling it', the investigator noted. 'If it's an owner-builder, you have to be extra cautious because they are their own client,' he said. 'They can take shortcuts, (and sometimes) there aren't checks going on. He's got no company, no one to chase him personally, and it's a big headache for buyers. 'At least with a registered builder, they have a massive liability. There are other projects going on, they've got a lot of things tied up, they are known.' Mr Khalil said that if a bathroom drain has a spider's web in it, that indicates people are not using it and it could mean there is a leak The inspector added that it is always important to research builders to check their reputation 'Ask your (buyer's) agent about the builder. Research who they are. Check the building and plumbing commission,' Mr Khalil said.  'See if there's any disciplinary actions. Go to the court website, look up the builder, and see if there are any previous cases.' The inspector said the research is important to check if the builder is reliable, in case there is something that needs repairing after a purchase.  'You buy a new home, there's always going to be something wrong,' he added. 'The difference is that (by) choosing a good builder, (they) come back and fix the job. But, if you get a bad builder, the builder's not going to come back and fix it.' 'Sometimes the contract of sale doesn't have the required documents inside,' Mr Khalil said. 'They could be missing a building permit, or an occupancy permit. Is there insurance on the property? Be sure you check.' He added that scrutinising the paperwork prevents hidden issues from resurfacing and causing trouble for the buyer later. 'Check what's going on before you even look at the property, because as soon as you tie yourself into this property, you might find yourself asking: 'Where's my insurance? Who the hell is my builder? Who am I going to contact if I've got a defect'.  'There's a lot that may be honest mistakes, or may be deceptive conduct from the sellers, and homeowners are often unaware.' Mr Khalil advised home buyers check under carpets in case there is mould (pictured) 'How can you get out of the contract if you do an inspection and find something wrong with the house?' Mr Khalil asked. He said that sometimes a major structural defect is present but not defined in the paperwork, which can cause problems. 'Ensure you put a clause with a definition of what the hell is going on there,' he said. '(Otherwise) there's going to be a dispute later on when you try to get out of the contract.' Mr Khalil said bathrooms are a clear indicator of whether there is an issue with a new-build property, using the example of a pre-purchase inspection he did in 2024. He said his clients were inspecting a new-build property, which had temporary tenants before a long-term buyer was found. 'There were about five people living in the property with kids, but the bathroom hadn't been used,' he said. 'How could I tell the bathroom wasn't being used? I took out the drain cover, I looked inside, and there was a spider with a web inside the drain. 'I'm like, what the hell's going on here? These guys have got a leak in the shower, and they're not using it so the shower is dry.' Mr Khalil warned that buyers who fail to spot these issues may face costly repairs He added that, if there are no tenants, it is still important to run the shower and make sure water hits the wall and corners, to see if it leaks outside the screen. 'Run the shower into places where there are junctions, where a vertical meets a horizontal, or in a corner,' he said. Mr Khalil warned that buyers who fail to spot these issues may face costly repairs.  'You're talking about a minimum, in our experience, of $30,000 to fix one bathroom if it's non-compliant in waterproofing,' the inspector warned. 'You have to rip out tiles, shower screens, and put in new plaster and waterproofing.' Mr Khalil said he also found a 'major defect' on the balcony of the same property.  'The bedroom had a balcony, so I went inside and there were pillows along the sliding door on the floor,' he said. 'I removed them and, behind the curtain, there was mould under the carpet, there was a leak there.' Mr Khalil said mould and water leaks are 'major defects' because they require a lot of money to fix, especially with waterproofing and water ingress.  'Have a look at the sliding door or window seal, see if there is any swelling,' he added. 'Lift the carpet if you can and see if the nails are rusted.'  During one inspection, he said he spotted there was an issue with a balcony after he saw tenants had used pillows to block leaks Mr Khalil said an easy thing prospective buyers can do is bring a torch with them to inspect kitchen worktops.  'It's very common that we find the benchtops are broken, and then patched up,' he said.  'If you shine your light on an angle, you can see that they've patched up the stone. It's very common, especially where the cooktop or the sink is. 'The (surface) sometimes breaks, and they (the builders) patch it up; you have to be aware you're buying a nice property, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and they've patched up a stone for you. 'When I inspect homes in expensive areas like Toorak, Brighton or Bentleigh, I'm like, "You're selling the home for like over $2 and $3million, why are you patching up the stone?" Just get a brand new one.' He also said it is worth turning on both the sink tap and dishwasher to check for leaks and to ensure the plumbing is properly connected. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.