We’ve written on this subject multiple times, but it never becomes less important. Recently, we’ve seen quite a few clients choose to go without an inspection on a new build home and we’re concerned it may be a growing trend. A general home inspection (and at times other key inspections like pool, HVAC, well, septic, etc.) is an essential part of the home buying process. Common wisdom is that when you inspect an older home you will find problems – no home is perfect. We’d like to make it common wisdom that if you inspect any home, old or new, you will find problems. It’s just a fact of life.
We could write lists of things we’ve discovered on inspections at new homes: windows not caulked and sealed, fireplaces built in the wrong place, missing wiring, wrong appliances, broken appliances, exterior walls missing insulation, dangerous wiring improperly done, doors you couldn’t open, windows installed crooked…it’s an endless list. Pointing this out is not to say all builders are bad, but rather all builders are human. Ever have a bad day at work and know your focus isn’t solid like it should be? Ever had family stuff distract you from the work in front of you? Ever just flat out forget a key step in what you do day in and day out and realize it days later after it’s too late to correct? It happens to all of us.
Inspections allow you a second set of eyes to look at the things. They allow you an independent opinion of the house. All builders go through their own inspection processes, but those inspections are designed to benefit them, not you. That’s not to say they’re shady and one big set up, it’s just that we all have our focus – the builder’s is not exactly the same as yours.
An inspection will cost you money, but the money you spend will save you money by finding the problems before they become big problems later. Talk to your agent about getting an inspection and if your builder discourages you from getting one, let the red flags wave.
image courtesy of dynamosquito
