What checks should a buyer undertake before purchasing a strata lot?

Is there a difference between how these checks work in theory and how useful they are in the real world?

For example, even if I go to the trouble of investigating and taking copies of previous minutes of meetings as I theoretically should, if the building's self-certified and run by goons connected to the original builder then in practice the defects might be concealed and covered up. This would make such searches time-consuming and meaningless.

There are probably all sorts of checks that people with experience could offer to potential first-home buyers.