Why have your newly-constructed home inspected?
New houses are like the first day of school, full of opportunity and promise. There's something wonderful about a brand new house -- you get to pick out the plan and finishes, and have everything designed exactly the way you want it. They are are more energy-efficient than older homes -- and come at a more competitive price.
But there may be a downside. Sometimes, the advantages of new houses are overshadowed by problems like shoddy construction and construction delays or construction stoppages for multiple reasons. The number one piece of advice we like to give is have your new house inspected during and after construction.
Hire an experienced home inspector to visit the house you're buying at various phases during construction to evaluate the quality of the work. When a house is being worked on, it's easy to see whether construction standards are high or not -- plumbing, HVAC, and wiring can be checked before it's been covered over by drywall.
Also, you should visit your home site yourself regularly during construction and take a walk-through to catch finishing defects or deficiencies.
Ask the builder to allow your inspector to give the home a once-over at least these three times during construction:
When the foundation is poured
When the framing is completed
When the home is finished
Have the inspector examine various systems as they are completed, including the walls, roof, plumbing, electrical, and insulation systems.
If the home is finished when you buy it, hire a home inspector to give it a thorough examination. There are so many stories about owners finding out the hard way about a non-working chimney baffle, a missing gas valve, or a leaky spa tub. Issues like improperly applied stucco may only become visible years later, after moisture has accumulated and the stucco starts falling off the walls.
Also, get a new home warranty. That can help you with problems that crop up after you've moved in and gotten settled. We wrote an article on these. Check it out here: https://belletgrakal.com/advice-blog/home-warranties