Inspections on New Construction
It is a common belief that new homes are fault free. The truth is that all types of new construction should have third party inspections performed to ensure that your home is being built with quality standards.
Most major cities in the United States enforce a required number of inspections at different stages of the process. Many builders of residential real estate will cite these inspections as being the reason why inspections aren't necessary.
Time and time again, regardless of the number of city inspections, real estate consumers purchasing new construction commonly find problems after moving into their homes with 5 years. Many times, these problems can be attributed to a defect during the build process of their home. Unfortunately, consumers are forced to rely on the warranties provided by their builder. This home warranty process has been known to be time consuming and stressful.
What can you do when buying a new construction home? Get your own inspection. Inspections can be performed in three key areas during the construction of your home: pre-pour, pre-drywall and final walkthrough.
Pre-Pour Inspection
After your form boards are in place in preparation for your foundation to be poured, it would be a great idea to get a pre-pour inspection performed on your new home. This inspection will thoroughly scrutinize the most important part of your home. The foundation is simply the building block in which your home is constructed. If you get this part wrong, you're bound to be in for a rude awakening in the future when foundation problems begin to come out of nowhere.
According to Mike Elmore with USInspect, the pre-pour inspection focuses on identifying several key issues:
- Site location with respect to drainage
- Proper wood form construction
- Pad and trench inspection
- Rough-in plumbing inspection
- Presence of a vapor barrier
- Proper post-tension cable installation
Pre-Drywall Inspection
Before the drywall has been installed in your home, ask your sales counselor or real estate agent about performing an inspection. At this stage of your construction, main load bearing studs, wiring, and plumbing can be easily seen by an inspector. Builder sales counselors will usually recommend that you perform your inspection prior to your pre-drywall walkthrough so that all items found on your inspection report can be addressed with your builder's superintendent (the person managing the build out of your home).
Pre-Walkthrough Inspection
If you performed a pre-drywall inspection, this follow up visit by your inspector will simply be an assurance that all items requiring repair were repaired or replaced. This inspection will also verify that appliances, fixtures, and building code violations are reported and given to you to provide to your builder.
Many new construction builders of residential properties will not bring up your options to an outside inspection for your new home. Performing one, however, is highly recommend and can offer a significant piece of mind to you and your family well into the future.
Carolyn Capalbo And the Other Carolyn
So what happens when you are a realtor and your name appears in a scandal but it has nothing to do with you? Carolyn Capalbo... Add Comment Read MoreJanuary Stats for the Houston Real Estate Market
Their were 2788 sales this month in the Houston real estate market. This is down 10% from this time last year. This was a pre... 3 Comments Read MoreGetting A Loan Just Got Tougher: Fannie Mae Changes Debt To Income Ratio
So the government is offering an 8k tax credit to help the real estate market recovery. There have been a lot of debates back... 2 Comments Read MoreWe're always on the lookout for talented real estate agents to join our growing team.
Contact Us
