Thank you!

Some examples of what houses I mean...there are lot of these around Stirling/Balcatta area in WA

Pay for a thorough inspection. While the required inspections in the US are pretty good, in England, a basic inspection was very limited. We put an offer in on a house in England, got a thorough inspection and backed out, getting our deposit back. Best money I've ever spent. Look at the permits for renovation for your new house and the neighboring houses. That might give you a few hints. Septic is a big expense, so if you're not on city sewage, find out the age of the septic tank.

You could have a house full of asbestos and lead paint. Or those could be limited or absent. None of us know. Your new neighbors might know, if all the houses were built by the same firm.

The US has some pretty good disclosure laws, but those are much weaker in the UK. So, it's hard for us to guide you to pitfalls, because we don't know the rules in Australia. Would a seller have to disclose asbestos?

But, everywhere in the world, a good and thorough inspection is worth the price. We had someone send a camera up the chimeys and got the cost of fixing them off the price of the house we actually did buy (in the US).

Thank you Sigrid, we will certainly get an inspection and perhaps pay more to ensure it is thorough!!