A New House is Not a Perfect House

If you are buying a newly constructed home, it is still as important to get a professional home inspection as it is if you were buying a preexisting house. Why? After all, don’t you buy a new house to avoid the problems of old houses? New houses don’t have the usual problems that come from wear-and-tear or outdated features.

True- newly constructed homes allow you to bypass some common problems. But just because a house is new, does not mean it is perfect (“Why new construction houses need to be inspected by private home inspectors”). We are going to look at why home inspections are still crucial, even for new construction houses. 

First thing first: even in the most detailed, thorough, professional constructions, there is still human error. Having a second opinion on a newly constructed house is good for everyone. It’s better to notice problems now when contractors can still make fixes. When contractors are building a house, especially under tight deadlines, they can make mistakes, or, sadly, may try to cut corners. And if your contractor is uncomfortable with you hiring an inspection, that may be a sign that they haven’t done as good a job as they should have. Also, while a county building inspector will check the building, they are only concerned with the house meeting minimum safety and building requirements (“Should You Hire a Home Inspector for a New House?”) Getting a home inspection continues to protect you as the buyer. 

Though a new construction house won’t have problems that aged houses have, it can still have problems. Some common issues include flooring problems, gaps in decks and patios, HVAC malfunctions, window and door leaks, drainage issues, or poorly installed appliances. In addition, unlike a preexisting house with previous owners who have been able to observe how the house holds up under weather conditions and such, this new house does not have a history of observation.

If possible, experts recommend getting two inspections. The first is before the drywall is put up. This allows the inspector to check all of the electrical and framing work. The second is at the very end when the whole house is completed. Doing these two inspections means you’ll get the most thorough inspection possible, and problems can be caught as early on as possible (and it’s more inexpensive to fix now than after you’ve moved in).

In short, an inspection is still important even for a new construction home. Doing so holds the building contractors to a higher standard, and makes sure the house will be truly ready for you to move in. While it may feel like one last unnecessary expense, an inspection protects you and your investment for the long-term. 

Sources: 

https://www.homelight.com/blog/buyer-new-construction-home-inspection/

https://www.mortgageloan.com/do-you-need-inspection-newly-built-home#New-home-problems-differ-from-older-ones