LIM report checklist: what to review before buying

A LIM can help surface council-held information, but it is not a full building report, legal opinion, valuation, insurance check, or guarantee that nothing is wrong.

• Use it to identify records and questions that need review.
• Compare the LIM with the title, listing, inspection report, and what you saw at the property.
• Keep a separate list of points to ask your lawyer, council contact, inspector, insurer, or adviser about.

Consent history is often the section buyers care about first, especially where renovations, decks, fireplaces, garages, bathrooms, or additions are visible.

• Does the LIM show consents or permits for major work you can see at the property?
• Are any final inspections, code compliance certificates, or older permit records unclear?
• Do the dates and descriptions line up with the agent's information and the building inspection?

Check next: Ask a lawyer or council contact about unclear consent records. Do not assume unrecorded work is acceptable just because it looks tidy.

Hazard and services notes can affect what you ask next, especially for coastal, hillside, flood-prone, rural, or older urban properties.

• Look for flood, erosion, instability, contamination, wind, coastal, or other hazard notes.
• Check stormwater, wastewater, private drainage, water supply, and any service limitations that appear in the report.
• Compare maps and notes with what is visible on site, including retaining, overland flow paths, gullies, or low-lying sections.

These details may not decide whether a property is suitable, but mismatches can reveal useful follow-up questions.

• Check rates, legal description, property area, zoning, and any special features or designations.
• Compare the LIM details with the title and listing information.
• If future development, subdivision, rental use, or major renovation matters to you, get specific professional guidance rather than inferring from a short note.

A LIM is most useful when it leads to specific follow-up, not when it is skimmed once and filed away.

• Send unclear items to your lawyer or relevant professional before relying on the property.
• Pair LIM review with a building inspection and insurance check where appropriate.
• Allow time and budget for follow-up questions before an offer deadline or auction.