Why “Further Investigation Needed” May Be the Most Important Line in a Termite Report

A recent termite court case has highlighted one of the most important lines a buyer may see in a pest report: further investigation needed.

The Region article reported that Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson said the inspection report in a Canberra property case should have warned that termites and extensive termite damage could have been present in areas not accessed during the inspection.

She also said the report should have recommended that further investigation was required.

For buyers in termite-prone areas, including Brisbane and the Gold Coast, that message is worth remembering. Sometimes, the most important part of a pest report is not what was seen. It is what could not be seen.

Limited Access Can Leave Important Questions Open

Every property inspection has limits.

Some areas are easy to inspect. Others may not be accessed or confirmed during the inspection.

That does not make a report useless. It means the limitations need to be read carefully.

Note: If a report says an area could not be accessed, the buyer should understand what that means. If it recommends further investigation, that line should not be treated as background detail.

Many buyers focus on whether active termites were found. But a report can also tell a bigger story through the areas it could not inspect.

Why Hidden Areas Matter With Termites

Termites do not need to travel in the open.

They can move through concealed areas, including soil, wall cavities, foundations, subfloors and hidden timber.

That means inaccessible areas can sometimes be the very areas where termite risk sits. If an area cannot be inspected properly, the risk is not automatically removed. It remains unknown.

The Fine Print That Can Change the Risk

Eddy Karimi from EPM Pest Control said report limitations should be taken seriously, especially before buying a home.

“When a termite report says an area was not accessed, that does not mean the area is clear,” Eddy Karimi said. “It means the risk is still unknown. In termite work, the unknown areas can matter just as much as the visible ones.”

A report may say no live termites were detected in accessible areas. But if key areas were not accessed, the buyer may still need more information.

The Court Finding Buyers Should Notice

The real example is in the case itself.

The Region article reported that the buyers of the Bruce home discovered termite activity within 12 months of purchase. The court later considered what the inspection report had said before the sale.

Justice Loukas-Karlsson agreed with the plaintiffs’ lawyers, who said the report should have warned that termites and extensive termite damage could have been present in areas not accessed by Scott Maher.

She also said the inspection report should have recommended that further investigation was required.

That point matters because a report does not only need to say what was found. It may also need to make clear what could not be confirmed.

In the Bruce case, the buyers had purchased the property for $1.8 million. Termite activity and damage were discovered within 12 months. The court later awarded $1,113,133 in damages, plus interest.

For buyers, the lesson is not to fear every report note. The lesson is to understand what each note means before relying on the report.

Report Phrases That Deserve a Second Read

Some phrases should slow a buyer down.

Beyond this case, buyers may see phrases such as:

• Further investigation recommended
• Limited access
• Area not inspected
• Moisture detected
• Evidence of timber damage
• Previous termite activity

These phrases do not always mean a serious issue exists. But they do mean the buyer should understand what is still uncertain.

Note: A buyer may need to ask simple questions. What area could not be inspected? Why was it not accessed? Could it be checked before settlement?

Why Acting Early Can Reduce Confusion Later

Termite risk becomes harder to manage when uncertainty is left too long.

Before settlement, further investigation may help clarify the issue. After settlement, the same uncertainty may become the buyer’s repair problem.

In a recent video, Eddy Karimi said buyers should be careful about relying only on a seller’s building and pest report.

“Don’t rely on the seller’s building and pest report alone,” Eddy Karimi said. “If you want proper certainty, organise your own inspection.”

He also said termites are a specialist area. If a report raises termite concerns, access limits, or a need for further investigation, buyers may want to understand whether a separate termite-focused inspection is needed.

A further check may confirm there is no active issue. It may find a minor concern. It may reveal something more serious. But each outcome is better than guessing.

The Small Line That Can Carry a Big Warning

The Region case shows why the fine print can matter when termites are involved.

A buyer does not need to understand every technical detail. But they do need to understand whether the report has left any important questions unanswered.

When a report recommends further investigation, it is worth treating that as part of the decision, not as background noise.

The safest approach is not to assume the worst. It is to ask what the report is really saying, what remains unknown, and whether more information is needed before the property decision becomes final.

About Guest Expert Apart from our regular team of experts, we frequently publish commentary from guest contributors who are authorities in their field.