Buying a new construction home directly from the builder is like buying a brand new car from the car dealership. It’s perfect, and there’s nothing wrong with it, right? Therefore getting a new construction home inspection is a total waste of money, right?
Wrong! Oh, so wrong!
There is no perfect house
Homes are built by humans. Humans make mistakes. Contractors are under pressure, behind schedule. They’re on autopilot because they’ve done the same thing a thousand times, and get careless. Contractors don’t take the time to test what they just installed to ensure that it actually works. Builders hire subcontractors who are the cheapest bidder and deliver substandard work and cheap materials.
We have performed new construction home inspections regularly over the years and can say with confidence that the perfect house does not exist. Every single new construction home we inspected had a list of issues.
Here are just a few examples of issues we found in a new construction home recently:
Our infrared camera indicated a thermal anomaly in the wall near the front door. The moisture meter confirmed that the wall was wet. There was a leak somewhere.
The customer paid extra to get 11 inches of insulation instead of just the standard 9 inches that would meet the minimum requirement. What they got instead was an average of 6 inches, and even less in some spots.
There was live electrical wiring sticking out of the insulation in the attic. They never connected it. Which explained why the ceiling exhaust fan in the laundry room wasn’t working.
There were several beer cans tossed into the insulation in the attic.
The light fixture at the front door was painted over. The painters forgot to mask it.
Most common defects found in new construction home inspection
- Insulation in the attic is less than required or advertised
- Heating/cooling systems are not installed properly or working as intended
- Air ducts, air supply registers blocked or not working as intended
- Exhaust fans in bathrooms, laundry, kitchens not working or not vented correctly
- Lights, light switches, or outlets not working as intended
- Dishwasher not installed properly or leaking
- Plumbing connected backwards at faucets or shower valves (hot/cold reversed)
- Missing safety/anti-tip bracket at kitchen range
There are many more defects we find. This is just a list of the most common ones.
Why get a new construction home inspection?
The house is covered with a one-year warranty, so the builder will fix things for you. What’s the big deal?
- Would you prefer things fixed before you move in, or contractors traipsing all over your home after you already moved in?
- Some defects will inconvenience and frustrate you when you move in.
- Some defects are a safety hazard to you and your family. You don’t want to discover them accidentally, do you?
- It can take days or even weeks for the builder to get a contractor to come out and fix defects. You will have to live with it until then.
- There will be hidden defects that you might never find yourself.
- Some defects will cause issues that develop slowly or become apparent only much later – after the warranty has already expired.
Always get a new construction home inspection
It can save you money, frustration, and discomfort. In addition, it can make your home ownership experience after moving in much more pleasant.
Every single client we have done a new construction home inspection for was very grateful and glad they hired us.
Contact Desert Diamond Home Inspections today to schedule yours!
