Home inspector John Hagan is an advocate for his clients, helping them become as informed as possible about the home they are buying or attempting to sell. Owner of Hagan Home Inspections in Raleigh, North Carolina, Hagan is a residential inspection pro with an expertise in building codes as well as home construction techniques and materials. In this piece, he explains the benefits of getting an inspection on a newly built house.
Just because you are buying a brand new home does not mean that it won’t have defects. That is why all homebuyers, whether they are purchasing a home that is brand new or 100 years old, should be sure to ask for an inspection from a qualified professional before closing on the home’s purchase.
As a home inspector, I frequently hear people say that they don’t think they need an inspection because they are buying a brand new house. Their assumption is that nothing could go wrong with the home because it is so new, and that whatever warranty came with the purchase will cover any issues that arise over time.
Unfortunately, there is more to it than that. Builders are not perfect, and even the best ones will make mistakes during the construction process. And if you, the new homeowner, doesn’t hire an inspector to watch what is going on, then you have no way of telling which mistakes were made while the builder wasn’t paying attention.
When I was a builder, the company I worked for had good construction practices. We had numerous checklists to keep everything on track, too. But even then, we hired an independent inspector to inspect the construction at different stages. We hired an independent inspector simply to have one more set of qualified eyes watching everything. The more people who see the home being built, the better.
When it comes to the construction of a new home, all types of things could be missed. By making even one mistake, builders can cause all types of defects. I have seen all kinds of things go wrong with new homes in my experience, which that is why I am such a firm believer in homebuyers getting inspections before they close on the purchase of any home including a newly-built one. It is simply a good investment.
My advice to homebuyers purchasing a brand new house is to at a minimum have an inspection at the 11-month mark before the construction warranty — included with most new homes — is up. Obviously, getting a home inspection done during the construction itself is the best scenario, because a number of possible defects may not be covered by some new home warranties. But at the very least, a licensed inspector needs to be brought in before the warranty has expired to catch as many potential problems as possible that could be covered by the warranty.
Ideally, it is best if homebuyers of new homes get two inspections:
- Before they close on the purchase of a house.
- At the 11-month point, right before the warranty expires.Whether you are buying a home that is a month or a decade old, get an inspection done by a qualified professional.
