Robert Caulfield, Managing Director of Archicentre said Archicentre's pre-purchase home inspection statistics show an average 34% of properties across Australia have been damaged by drought with the estimated annual bill likely to be around $1 billion and rising.

"When the soil beneath a building dries up and shrinks from lack of water, it forces the property to move. If the house or apartment is built of brick, it is highly likely to crack.

"Underpinning costs around $80,000 per home or more with a wide variation depending on the extent of damage."

Mr. Caulfield said home owners should be constantly monitoring cracks in their homes as they can start out as fine cracks in plaster and deteriorate into major cracks threatening the structural integrity of the building.

"If home owners are not sure of the extent of the cracking in their homes we advise they get professional advice and undertake maintenance.

"Cracking in homes has become a major issue for Archicentre architects undertaking pre-purchase inspections and design concepts for home owners.

"In areas of continued drought where water restrictions are in place the situation is set to worsen with drought impacting on house values."

Mr Caulfield said many vendors facing the cost of repairs are opting for superfical cover-ups which can leave unsuspecting buyers with hefty repair bills. Archicentre recommends a thorough structural inspection to the insure the structural integrity of the property.