Buyers … think you don’t need a home inspection on a new build?
I know my buyers often ask that question when they’re in-contract on a new build home. After all, they think since it’s new, it must be PERFECT!
Wrong!!!
I’ve found – and inspectors usually agree – that often there are more things wrong with a new build than with an existing home. Here’s what happens … Buyers who chose to not use an agent … shame on you … don’t bother to have a professional home inspector examine their home prior to closing. Instead, they erroneously believe that their walk-thru with the superintendent will suffice. The super always tells them that “if anything goes wrong” they’ll fix it within the year, and of course, there’s all those warranties the builder has told them about. All that is true, but what about those items that the buyer isn’t trained to watch out for?
The worst repair that one of my buyers learned about via the home inspection was that a couple of the roof trusses were split. Most likely this occurred when the trusses were off-loaded from the delivery truck. Even so, the contractors installed them. Without the home inspector climbing into the attic, the buyer would never have known about this flaw. That is until the buyer sells and the new buyer has a home inspection. Imagine being faced with making this repair when you’re trying to sell your home and it’s a couple weeks before closing.
I’ve had several sellers in this very situation. They didn’t use a realtor when buying from the builder and therefore, didn’t have a home inspection. But as a result of the home inspection THEIR buyers had, they learned that (1) there had been a small gas leak in the crawl space for the 3 years they owned the home, or (2) a vent pipe was improperly installed affecting the furnace performance, or (3) an AC unit was not achored properly. In all these examples, the seller had lived in the home long enough for all warranties to expire, which meant the repairs were their responsibility.
So if you’re planning to buy a new-build, first use a Realtor® – it won’t cost you extra for that professional representation, and have a professional home inspection, even though the builder will try to talk you out of it. It will be money well spent. Trust me!
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A professional pre-purchase home inspection can reduce anxiety by screening for problems and itemizing them in a comprehensive report. This home inspection report may include approximations of repair costs and recommendations of useful upgrades to the property systems. The general result of a professional home inspection is that property buyers make significantly more informed purchases.
Screening for Problems: All homes have strong and weak points, they are not always what they seem. Gain the perspective and sound information you need to make better decisions with a home inspection performed by an experienced professional home inspectors. A good home inspectors works through a very long checklist of potential concerns to identify the major and minor deficiencies in the home. A good report will clearly describe the problems and illustrate them along with the what-to and how-to of repairs.
Provide Owners Benefits: Home owners who are planning to make improvements to their homes in order to increase its market value would be well advised to have it inspected first. A home inspectors can help prioritize home improvements and offer advice on the best ways to approach repairs. More importantly, an inspectors can help the seller identify potential or undiscovered problems before those problems become material for contract contingencies. By taking a pro-active approach one can avoid the frustrations many owners encounter when they are asked to re-negotiate their contracts because of unanticipated problem areas.
Credentials: Like any other professional, home inspectors (even those with licenses) have varied degrees of expertise. All home inspectors should be carefully screened. Inspectors learn from experience. It takes a few thousand inspections and a more than a few complaints for a home inspectors to LEARN what it takes to satisfy clients. I spent seven years as a construction contractor prior to becoming a home inspectors in 1993. I have taught the New Jersey home inspection training class to new inspectors for a few years. I still see things I have never seen before. Would you want the biggest investment of your life inspected by a person who took a three week training class? RECENTLY PASSED LEGISLATION ALLOWS NEW JERSEY HOME INSPECTORS TO BE LICENSED WITH AS LITTLE AS THREE WEEKS OF CLASS ROOM TRAINING AND JUST ONE WEEK IN ACTUAL HOMES. LICENSING IS A MINIMUM QUALIFICATION. MAKE SURE YOU ASK FOR RESUME!