A few years ago, RealtorMag put out a list of the “Top 10 Most Common Home Inspection Problems.” They range from faulty wiring to roof problems to foundation flaws.
Whether caused by deferred maintenance or just the aging of the home, the older a home is, the more likely it is to have issues.
Most buyers of newly-built homes breathe a sigh of relief over their assumption that they’ll be escaping having to fork over large chunks of money for someone else’s problems. And, they typically decide to forego a home inspection.
Yes, new homes don’t have deferred maintenance. Yes, all the components in these homes are new. That doesn’t mean, however, that the home is without an entirely different set of problems.
And that Certificate of Occupancy issued by the local municipality only guarantees that the home is livable, not that everything is in working order.
New doesn’t equal perfect
There are excellent craftspeople out there, but not all of them work on newly built homes during the construction process. Both laborers and contractors bring a diverse set of experiences and skill sets to the table. Although the majority are scrupulous, there are others who cut corners.
In addition, the majority of the construction jobs, including framing, plumbing, foundation, and electrical work, are subcontracted out – often to the bidder who submitted the lowest offer. For the builder, the most crucial factor to consider is speed rather than the quality of the work being produced.
Even though they are not all that often, mistakes and omissions sometimes happen when anything is being built. According to Bruce E. Holmes, an engineer located in Florida, he looks for fit and finish flaws, such as uneven walls, connections that aren’t fastened, and reversed hot and cold water lines. This information was obtained from Bankrate.com.
Municipal inspectors aren’t enough
Don’t assume that county inspectors will find all problems that may exist. Bankrate relates the story of a private inspector that went through a custom-built home during construction, but after the county inspector performed his inspection.
He found cracked floor joists, missing fire blocks, and what he describes as “tons of stuff” wrong with the construction.
Reuben Salzman, with Structure Tech in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area of Minnesota, wrote a five-part series, with photos, of problems he has found in newly constructed homes. It’s well worth a visit to his blog if only to view the eye-opening photos.
Too late?
Because some problems require seasonally-unique conditions to become apparent, most builders offer their buyers a warranty. For example, water intrusion into a basement won’t be apparent until the first big rain.
Warranty terms vary, but most offer terms for different types of work. For instance, you may receive a one-year warranty for faulty labor and materials, two years for mechanical defects, and ten for structural problems, according to Ilona Bray, legal editor for Nolo.com.
“The result is that the best parts of the warranty expire quickly — your carpeting, tiles, paint, and roofing, for example, may not be covered after the first year,” she said. Bray also suggests that you obtain an independent, professional home inspection before each warranty expiration date.
Since homeowner insurance typically doesn’t cover construction defects, get to know the warranty. Consult with your attorney, if you must, but ensure that you understand all aspects of it.
Whether you have a home inspection during construction (do so before the drywall goes up) or upon completion, the peace of mind it offers is worth the price.
