New Home? Yes, get an Inspection!

The worst decision ever made next to buying a lemon of a home, is not getting a home inspection in the first place. It’s worth the peace of mind, and probably costs less than one visit for minor work by a contractor. Often times it saves money, because a defect is located that results in a commensurate seller/builder concession, so it pays for itself. And yes, new homes DO have defects, quite frequently.

Image by Brock Builders via Flickr

That’s just it, though. Because they’re new, it often takes a professional home inspector to spot them. Don’t skimp – get an inspection.

Custom home? OK, so the builder is heavily involved in this one. We hear it all the time: “But my custom home is new – do I really need a home inspection?  The builder said I did not need one.”  The builder wants you to sign your commitment papers.  We have saved customers thousands of dollars inspecting brand new, custom homes.

In fact, custom homes can bring with them their own sets of defects. If you don’t personally have construction and construction engineering experience, get a professional. And even then, remember the Inspector is a second set of eyes and will crawl, climb, and shimmy into places you probably won’t before you sign. Put the pen down, get the inspection.

Home Inspectors Good Source of Advice

We have limits on what advice we can give, and not all home inspectors have engineering and construction experience, though it’s very helpful to the inspection if they do. In our case, we offer free advice regarding alterations and additions to the home you are purchasing.

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For example: “Can I put a bathroom there?  Can I open up that wall?  Can I put a window there?  Can we add this addition without affecting the historic integrity of the home?

Buying a home is a huge decision, and it’s hard to find someone’s brain you can tap on remodeling or other issues, without getting contractors out to the house who are there primarily to make the sale. You’ve got to respect your Home Inspector’s limits, but definitely you can ask questions, and it’s probably one of the smartest times to do so.

Getting on the Roof

Often we get asked by Real Estate Agents with whom we have never worked with before,  “I have not seen a home inspector climb atop a roof in (x) years – are you really going to do that?”

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Yes! I’ve never understood how carrying a short ladder and never making it onto the roof can give you a thorough or even satisfactory inspection. Lots of things can hide from a gutter-level view: heavey hail damage, animal infestation, damaged flashing and vent gaskets, obstructed vents… it just goes on.

In our industry, with folding ladders getting taller, cheaper, and sturdier, there’s just no reason not to get on most roofs. Of course, if it’s covered in ice, then it’s not very smart, and you do an inspection based on what’s accessible under normal circumstances.