Yes, New Construction Needs a Home Inspection
You’ve decided to purchase a newly constructed home thinking that the city or local government will inspect it in order to issue necessary certificates of occupancy. Keep in mind that although local government may do certain inspections, those inspections do not guarantee the quality of the work on the home or verify that everything has been built to the plan. Typically speaking the new home inspection, which is given by local government, only checks for “minimum” standards. When you have several hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in the purchase of this new home “minimum” standards is not what you want to see in the construction of that home. Keep in mind:
- Building Codes are a Bare Minimum Standard
- Construction Varies Throughout the United States. Requirements for building a home in Nebraska are not the same as California. Wind, environmental issues, materials, techniques all contributes to the requirements for the area that you live in.
- Houses are very complex systems that have many components that are installed by many different contractors. A fresh set of eyes that look at the home can reveal potential issues that you may not see from a simple walk through of the home.
Although this new home will not have the potential issues that an older home may have – mold, heating and cooling systems failing to work correctly due to age, old wiring, and a roof that needs replaced. It may have issues that may show up after you have moved in and become aware of as you live in the home – warped floors, leaky plumbing, drainage problems around the foundation, and a list of other issues that result in poor quality workmanship. Building code inspections may have been missed, proper insulation may not have occurred, drywall may not have been properly installed, plumbing may not be functioning correctly, kitchen cook tops may not be properly installed, siding may not have been properly installed, etc.
Tops and bottoms of doors
Check for proper finishing of window edges
Cook tops not properly secured
Check for Sewer Pipe Leaks
The sale or construction contract on a new home allows you the right to an inspection. Home Inspection costs of $500 is a small investment to make before you finalize the sale of your home. Builders who have nothing to hide will have no issue with your desire to have a Home Inspection before the final signatures are placed on the purchase of your home. The Home Inspector will make sure that the house and systems of the home are sound. If you follow-up at the conclusion of the inspection the Home Inspector will walk through the home and teach you how to operate and maintain your new home. Keep in mind that the Home Inspector has a trained eye to look for details that you may miss.
Contact Corspect Advanced Home Inspections of Omaha and Lincoln. Corspect Advanced Home Inspections of Omaha and Lincoln performs the most comprehensive home inspections in the industry. With over 25 years in the residential building industry, Bob Corsini and the Corspect Team will provide the latest infrared diagnostic technology to evaluate every aspect of your home. Our mission at Corspect Advanced Home Inspections is to make the home buying experience rewarding, informative and enjoyable for all.