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.
