Rick Jacquemard, Flatirons Home Inspections
Are you purchasing a recently built home or building your dream home? A home inspection is recommended in both scenarios. It is recommended to have a home inspection on a new home at several points during construction. The walk-through with the builder is not enough. An inspector of your choice will be looking out for your best interest as the buyer, not the builder. This inspection is the same as one you would have on any resale property, the one that ensures the home is safe for occupancy and has been finished per local code and building standards. Anything your inspector finds on this inspection should be remedied by your builder before closing. The following are just a few of the reasons for inspections on newly built or under construction homes.
The builder’s inspector works for the builder, not the buyer. Some builders hire their own, third party inspection company to escort new homeowners around the home and look for issues. Inspectors that the builders provide are paid for by the builder and may not be impartial. An inspector hired by the buyers are working in the buyer’s best interest. Most large national home building firms as well as many local builders will welcome a home inspector as another set of eyes. However, there are builders who do not want independent home inspectors on site. Buyers should make a point of having their own home inspection before signing a sales contract.
Municipal building inspectors are not the same as home inspectors. Local municipalities and counties follow building codes that are designed to keep people safe. Building codes are the minimum standards for construction of buildings. Building to code is simply complying with local minimum standards. Codes do not guarantee that best practices are used in constructing the house. Building inspectors make sure building codes are obeyed on behalf of the municipality they work for. A home inspector is an independent, third-party working for the home buyer.
The fact that a house has just been built does not mean it is perfect. Your new home is a system of interdependent parts. Each individual part may have an impact on the operation the other parts. Considering all the subcontractors who participated in the home’s construction (roofers, carpenters, plumbers and electricians) you can get a feel for the complexity of building a new home. If deficiencies or safety issues are identified during a home inspection, the builder can repair or correct them before closing.
Finally, the last thing the buyer of a brand-new home is considering is the possibility of selling at some point in the future. However, when you decide to sell your formerly new home, the next buyer will likely get their own home inspection. Deficiencies that date back to the original construction will be discovered; things you may never knew existed. At this point, will be too late to get the builder involved. New home buyers can certainly skip the home inspection stage, as can any other homebuyer. The risk in this is that unknown issues with the home could crop up after move-in, when it is too late for the builder to fix it. A new construction home inspection will give you the benefit of a third party looking evaluating the house. It will give you valuable insight into the houses’ positives and negatives, all houses have both. An independent home inspection can add value by evaluating the overall quality and design of the building, and it will give you a good idea of maintenance items to keep your eyes out for in the future.
By Rick Jacquemard, Flatirons Home Inspections. For more information contact Rick Jacquemard, at 720.280.3544, e-mail [email protected] or visit flatironshi.com.
