Heed this advice - it could save you a lot of money.
Claudette couldn't be more correct in her assessment of why having an inspection done during construction is crucial. One thing I notice is that many buyers of newly constructed homes are looking to save a little money as they are spending a large sum today, for a house they can live in tomorrow.
Which costs more: a stage-by-stage inspection or finding out the foundation guys didn't let your foundation cure properly?, an electrician who had a "few too many" the night before forgot to cap a wire and it didn't get caught by the building inspector (who inspects thousands of these exact same homes and sometimes doesn't do much more than a quick walk-through)...sheet rock goes up and that loose wire burns your home down one night while you're out?, or (and this happens often enough that it shocks me) while insulating the exterior walls of your home, someone "forgets" to do one of the walls. Years later while you're replacing the siding you realize why you electric bills were so high.
These little missteps can cost you big dollars down the road. Even the best builders make mistakes. Having a stage-by-stage inspection done by a qualified inspector who works for you (and not the builder) is crucial to having the best home you can have.
Builders do inspections in stages too, but remember those inspectors (although meant to be impartial) do these all day for the builder - they are on the builder's payroll. They are not looking for the long term business, because they already have that with the builder. Much like a real estate agent, a good inspector wants your business today and tomorrow, so they should be doing an amazing job today, so you'll think of them in the future when you buy another home.
Let me sum it up for everyone:
Do not rely on a builder's inspections. Hire an inspector and tell them you want a stage-by-stage inspection of your new home as it is being built.
If you're a home buyer in San Antonio and are thinking about new construction, call or email me and I will be happy to give you the names of several qualified inspectors to choose from.
Note: I typically turn off comments on re-blogged posts from other authors, but in this case I am leaving it open to comments in case anyone has further questions about inspecting a new home or inspectors in San Antonio and surrounding areas.
When buying a new home in Massachusetts you need to be aware that, just because a home is new, it is not necessarily fault free.
Not only can you greatly benefit from an inspection on your newly constructed home but it is something that you should insist on. All new construction should be inspected to ensure that your home is being built with the quality that you are expecting it to be.
Builders will often point to the fact that the town will be requiring a number of inspections at different stages of the construction process and certainly prior to an issue of a certificate of occupancy. They may also cite these inspections as reasons why an independent inspection is unnecessary.
While it is true that town inspections will be done, these inspectors focus primarily on code violations - not the quality of the contractor's work. A professional home inspector will scrutinize the workmanship that is going into the construction and will uncover potential defects in the process.
A relocation client of mine who was having a new home constructed initially disagreed with my advice to have an inspection done several weeks prior to the closing. I finally won out and attended the home inspection in my client's absence. This particular home had a finished basement that had been nearly completed.
During the course of the inspection, it was discovered that there had been a substantial flood in the basement and all of the finish work had been submerged for a period of time. Detecting the moisture, the inspector revealed the problem. It appeared as though the builder was hoping that all would be dry by the time of the final walk-through.
That may, in fact, have been the outcome if the inspection had not been done and could have resulted in a serious mold or rotting situation at a later time.
As a result of the inspector's discovery, the builder was forced to rip out all of the finish work in the basement including the sheet rock and build it back from scratch. And, my client was saved from a potentially bad outcome.
This episode is one of many that make a solid case for the fact that a professional home inspection is a necessary part of any home purchase, including new construction. It also demonstrates the need for a professional buyer broker to oversee the entire process. If left to their own initiative, my clients would have certainly suffered some serious damage at some point in the future.
Having a new home built is an exciting and rewarding undertaking. Don't have the excitement ruined by not taking the property precautions. Protect your investment with a professional home inspection. It's the extra step that is worth taking.
Copyright 2009 - Claudette Millette, President, TheBuyersCounsel - 800-392-1446 - E-mail
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All content ©2008-2010 by Matt Stigliano unless otherwise noted.
Matt Stigliano, Realtor® Becker Properties | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com
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I use to work for a builder in a sub in Saline.
When we had buyers they ALWAYS found a few things.
Once a contractor had nicked a pipe line in the laundry room. Now wasn't that much easier to find out before they moved in.
Penny wise, Pound foolish. Good reblog, I missed Claudette's.
I know a lot of buyers think new construction wouldn't need an independent inspector. We always tell our buyers to get one. We've had issues that wouldn't have been caught otherwise. Great post Matt.
We did our home inspection after being in the home about 10 months too so that we could catch everything that the builder needed to fix at the 1 year follow-up visit. There weren't many things in my case but peace of mind was huge.
This is smart advice for anyone buying a new home. Thanks for the post.
Matt:
Thanks so much. I'm glad you liked the post.
Your information about the electrician who had "a few too many" the night before is priceless. We know these types of things actually do happen.
Missy - My parents bought a new home (they didn't build it, but it was brand new) and had a similar problem. Someone had put a pinhole leak in a pipe. After about 10 showers, water would appear in the bathroom. No one could figure it out until they tore the whole bathroom area apart. Lucky for them, it was under warranty still, but those sorts of problems can be prevented with a little bit of inspection.
Susan - That's why I thought it was important to reblog this post.
Stacey-Ann - It's great when an inspection report comes out clean, but that peace of mind (and additional release of some of the burden of liability) can be a welcome relief.
Jim - Thank Claudette for the post, I just wanted more people to see it - especially in my area, where there are many new construction homes.
Claudette - Wow, you found this fast. I didn't even get a chance to send you a note about it. The comment about electricians may irk some in that industry, but it's true of all industries - you never know who isn't performing 100% until it's too late. In the case of an electrician, once the drywall goes up, you may not learn about it until it's too late.
Great point. Often times, it is not the cost, but the belief that since it is new construction, there is no need to do a home inspection. I have learned that it is just the opposite and that inspections for these types of properties are even MORE important. Great post by yourself and Claudette.
Matt. I do recommend home inspections on new construction but never thought of a stage by stage inspection during the process.
YES, YES, YES and YES!
The buildres inspector works for the builder, always! Especially in my market. I've NEVER witnessed a builder block or delay a closing because of the "builders" inspector/quality assurance team, both a JOKE. An independent inspection that includes PHASE INSPECTIONS is critical!
Hi Matt... Claudette wrote a great post (I commented on the original) and you definitely added value with your re-blogging of it. Thanks!
Dear Matt,
I managed a construction office for a commercial builder and a high end custom builder for several years before I became a Realtor. You should ALWAYS have an inspection. New construction is not immune from things being installed improperly. This is great advice for every home buyer!
Betina Foreman-Realtor in Austin Texas
Matt: I enjoyed reading all the positive comments. I find I am doing more and more phase inspections each year. It is best to have a minimum of three from beginning (foundation), close in and then final.