Heed this advice – it could save you a lot of money.
This question comes up time and time again in talking with clients thinking of buying a new home. Because it’s new construction, it’s brand new and nothing is wrong with it…right? One thing we 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 that 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)…sheetrock 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 your 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, contact us and we will be happy to give you the names of several qualified inspectors to choose from.
image courtesy of IAEA Imagebank
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