Yep - Even New Construction Homes need a Home Inspection

I’m working with some very excited clients who are buying a new construction home.  The builder is very well respected in the area and is known to build a good, solid home.  Last week, we were informed that it is okay to do a home inspection to ensure all systems are working well and there are no obvious issues prior to the new owners moving in. 

In a conversation with my clients, they questioned the need to have a home inspection.  They indicated they have visited the home regularly during the build process and feel like all was going well (from what they could tell), so aren’t sure if it is necessary to spend the money for the inspection.  I shared that mistakes can happen or things get overlooked, even with a really good builder, and it is probably cheap insurance to find out about any issues now versus waiting.  They agreed and the home inspection was conducted yesterday morning.

Most of the ‘repair needs’ found during the inspection are pretty easy fixes.  For example:

•         Missing vapor barrier in spots in the crawl space
•        Construction debris left in the crawl space, on the roof and in the gutters
•          Loose wires under the fireplace that need to be contained in a junction box
•          Garbage disposal not working properly
•         Caulking at counter top/wall junctions.

The real benefit from yesterday’s home inspection was the discovery of a significant amount of standing water in the crawl space and very soggy ground around the backyard landscaping.  Since there is newly laid sod, the soggy ground could have been overlooked and said to have been caused by the need to over water the sod to ensure the grass sets.

However, with the amount of standing water in the crawl space – during a time when we have not had any significant rain in months – it could be a bigger issue.  Imagine if the Buyers didn’t have a home inspection and closed on the home.  During their one-year inspection next September, they potentially could have a pool of water in the crawl space, the beginning of mold in the attic and possibly other issues that may need to be addressed.

In previous new construction home inspections, issues such as missing attic insulation, improperly installed low-point drain, sewer lines not hooked up, leaking pipes (plus others!) have been found and saved the buyers a lot of future angst!

So, yep, it is worth the expense of the home inspection on a newly constructed home.