5 Reasons You Need A Home Inspection For A Newly Constructed House
Home inspections may be the last thing on your mind while buying a newly constructed house but with brand new houses mushrooming across cities, they are a must.
There are three times when you should get your newly constructed inspected thoroughly.
A Pre-Delivery Inspection: A Pre-Delivery Inspection happens when the builder or someone from his team takes you through the home. This situation can be tough for you to handle on your own. That is where the role of an inspector comes in handy. Home inspectors know where to look for flaws, whether they are small or big. It is their job to find such flaws and the inspector ensures that safety and other aspects are not overlooked. While the inspection is on, it is a good time for you to get acquainted fully with your future house by knowing as much about it as you can. The builder’s team puts the builder’s interests first, as that is where their loyalty lies. You need to be able to see what they aren’t showing you.
The 30 day or 12 month period: The 30 day or 12 month period is when you would have gone through the house in more detail than the first round. The home inspector sees and tries to evaluate the home beyond the beautiful paintings and minor flaws; they actually test the solid foundation of the house.
The other time i.e. the passing of a year is a great time for you to get your house inspected as it is a decent time for you to have lived in it. By this time the house would also have experienced wear and tear, if any, from all the seasons. With the warranty in place, if any issues come forth with the house, they can be resolved without you having to cough up a large chunk of money on the repair costs.
To See What Is Amiss
New homes aren't exactly flawless. Each part of the house has a consequence on the other parts. There are so many sub-contractors involved in building a home. Inspections may be able to help find flaws in their work, if any. Some areas where flaws have been found previously include:
Wired receptacles that malfunction and could be a potential fire hazard.
Incorrectly routed vents.
Raised roof shingles which may end up letting water come beneath the shingles.
Missing flashing in chimneys leading to water entering the home.
To check building codes have been followed
Building codes are charted by cities and counties for safety purposes. These codes set only the minimum standards for building construction but do not ensure best practices are used while the house is being constructed. Home inspectors are a third party who work for the buyer and are licensed by the state so that they can do the inspections. Thus their inspections must meet the standards. Municipal inspectors have many inspections to go through during the course of a single day, while privately hired home inspectors spend a lot of time on your site and thus do a better job.
To Remove Obstacles During A Future Resale
You may not be purchasing a new home with the intent of selling it immediately. But should there come a time when you want to sell it, any defects left unattended to during the construction will come back to bite you as the prospective buyer will get a home inspection done and those flaws will come forward. This will lead to a lower negotiating power in your hands.
A home inspection is thus immensely helpful and comes highly recommended.