Do I Need an Inspection on a Newly Built Home? | Guest Post

If you have ever bought an older home, you have likely gone through a lengthy home inspection process, where the inspector found lots of issues associated with an older home that needed to be addressed. In the end, having that inspection gave you the information you needed about the home and the peace of mind about your purchase. But now that you are having a new home built, or looking at a brand new home, you might not think that you need a home inspection since it’s, well, brand new! …….Think twice!

While a newly built home is not likely to exhibit climate-related wear and tear as an older home would, we have found that new construction home inspections are equally beneficial. Here are some of the benefits of having a home inspection on a new house.

Identify Remaining Items for the Builder to Address

A proper home inspection can identify items that the builder may have missed in the construction of your home. These can be small elements like incomplete items or non-operational items, to more significant issues like missing insulation in the attic (yes we have seen that). When a home inspector identifies these issues in a report, it allows the home buyer to hold the builder accountable for repairs before closing on the home.

Final Test of all Components

In our experience, during the construction process, the local code inspectors in our area do a great job of inspecting the homes. They are the code specialists and can review progress during construction to validate that the home is being built to code.

They perform a framing/rough inspection prior to insulation, then they perform an insulation inspection and a drywall screw inspection. So we feel that those steps are well covered by the code officials. However, what code officials don't do is a full overall inspection once the home is complete. They do a walkthrough, but they aren't testing or operating items in the home to verify full and complete functionality prior to you taking ownership.

A final, independent home inspection prior to your walkthrough is a thorough test and performance validation of all items.

Sub-Contractors

The National Association of Home Builders states that, on average, more than 20 different subcontractors may work on the building of a new home. These subcontractors employ multiple people. And while most builders do an excellent job of project management, it is nearly impossible to keep track of every component or person building your future home. This is another reason why a home inspection on a new house is even more vital as an additional quality assurance step to confirm that all systems are performing and installed properly.

Peace of Mind

When you receive the written inspection report on your new construction home, there may be fewer items discovered by the inspector than there would be on an older home. However, the inspection report will provide you with a punch-list of items that need to be addressed by the builder, perhaps some of them being significant.

Knowing that a trained, independent inspector has gone through the home provides significant peace of mind for any buyer. Moving into a new home is stressful enough without discovering a bunch of things that don’t work while you are trying to unpack and settle in, along with the somewhat intrusive parade of subcontractors returning to perform repairs. A new construction home inspection can help to alleviate all that unnecessary stress!

We understand the investment that you are making in your new home, which is why we believe that a new construction home inspection is essential to consider.

While it may be tempting to forego spending the additional cost for the independent inspection, the benefits can far outweigh the costs and post move-in inconvenience. When buying a new home, consider having an inspection performed by a trained and certified home inspector.

Visit Scott Home Inspection for more information. 

The views, opinions and positions expressed within this guest post are those of the author alone and do not necessarily represent those of the Denver Metro Association of REALTORS®. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them.