When a client purchases a newly constructed home sometimes, they assume that everything is in tip-top condition and the home does not have any issues. Buying a brand-new home does not mean the home is without issues or is flawless. Even newly built homes can have problems or defects that only having a professional NJ home inspection can discover. Having a home inspection on a newly constructed home is a very smart move and can save you significant money and stress. Only an experienced NJ home inspector will be able to determine if your newly constructed home is defect free. It pays to have a home inspection on a newly constructed home just for peace of mind. You are investing a ton of money in a new home and are making a huge financial commitment. Why not have the home professionally inspected so you understand exactly what if any issues exist. If any issues are uncovered, then you can bring those issues to the builder and have the builder rectify those problems before you close the home, and it becomes yours.
Let’s face it, homes are not constructed the way they were long ago. These new homes are quickly constructed and put up as fast as humanly possible because time is money. What happens in the construction process is that often shortcuts are taken, and craftsmanship goes by the wayside to improve profits for the builder. There was a time when it took a year or more to construct a single-family residence. Now a single-family residence can be constructed in less than three months. In these new large development’s homes go up so fast and they are done before you can blink. Rest assured problems are going to exist because tradesmen are rushing and have time limits to do their parts.
Building a home is a complex undertaking that involves multiple trades which include carpenters, plumbers, electricians and roofers all working under very tight time constraints. With so many trades involved and on tight timelines oversights and problems often occur. Some of these problems are small, take for example doors that do not latch or much larger problems, for instance structural problems, plumbing or electrical issues which are larger. Having an independent home inspection offers an objective evaluation and can catch these problems before you close and before these problems become your problem because you are the new owner of the house. It is better to catch these problems before then catch these problems later after you close
Builders face pressure to complete the construction process quickly. We all have heard the expression that time is money. The faster the builder can construct a house the more money goes into his pocket. This rush to complete a project can lead to less than stellar workmanship which only a thorough and comprehensive home inspection can bring to light.
New homes must meet local building codes and requirements. But having the municipal building inspector in to do a code compliance inspection is not the same as having an independent home inspection. Building codes set a minimum type of standard. They are not essentially best practice. A home can pass the building inspection process but still have significant issues. A home inspection is different than a code compliance inspection. Home inspectors are trained to look for problems and are most likely going to discover many more issues than a code compliance official will. This is because New Jersey home inspectors are trained to identify defects in homes. Code officials are there to make sure that the home is safe for occupancy. There is a big difference in these inspections. Home inspectors performing a new home inspection will also look for cosmetic and smaller issues when a code compliance official will not. A NJ home inspector is going to look at the home top to bottom where a code official will be looking at one specific area of the home say for example the code official for plumbing will inspect the plumbing. The code official for electrical will just inspect the electrical. However, a home inspector will look at all the systems in the home top to bottom. It is also a safety net for the code official. Sometimes a home inspector will find problems that the code official will miss. This will give you the buyer the opportunity to address these issues before you close and that is what you want because the last thing you want is to close on the home and then all the issues become yours. If you’re able to identify problems before you close you can have the builder rectify and remediate those problems before you put your money on the line.
A newly built home often looks perfect, but defects can exist. A New Jersey home inspector is going to use certain tools to attempt to find issues that are not visible with the naked eye. A couple of these tools are moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras. A moisture meter is a device that detects moisture in a wall or floor that may not be visible to the naked. A thermal imaging camera allows the inspector to determine temperature differentials and can bring to light problems that are not visible with the naked eye such as water leaks or missing insulation in walls or ceilings. Code compliance officials are not utilizing these tools in their code compliance inspections.
Having a new home inspection will also allow the home inspector to test all the appliances and equipment in the home. A code compliance official is not going to operate your oven, microwave, refrigerator, water lines, dishwasher, boiler, furnace, water heater and air conditioner. Having a new home inspection takes the code compliance inspections to the next level because home inspectors will operate the equipment and test the systems in the home to make sure that before you move in all your systems are operational. If one or two systems are not operational it gives you the opportunity to have it corrected before you close on the home giving you more peace of mind. The last thing you want to do is close on a home on a hot summer day and you move in, and the air conditioning is not working. Or you close in the middle of the winter and your heating is not working. The same goes with the various kitchen appliances, water lines and water heater.
Having a new home inspection is also going to examine your foundation. A home inspector will document any settlement cracks found in the foundation and identify larger potential issues with your basement or crawl space floor slab as well as your foundation walls. Just because a home is new does not mean that there will not be any problems or cracking that is abnormal in your foundation wall. Having a new home inspection will identify these issues and allow you to document them.
If you do not have a new home inspection you should consider having an 11-month warranty inspection. Here in New Jersey builders will provide a 12-month warranty on workmanship in the home. There will also be a larger structural warrantee of 10 years, however the 12-month warranty is there to address any minor or mid-level concerns that were to come up during the 11-month period. If the builder did not allow a pre-purchase inspection, then at month 11 you still have the opportunity to do a warranty inspection. This will give you the opportunity to present to the builder before your 12-month warranty expires any issues that exist in the home so that builders can rectify the problems under the warranty program. This type of NJ home inspection must be done before the 12 months are over. I suggest having this warrantee inspection in the beginning of month 11 so you have ample opportunity to get the inspection report and provide your areas of concern to the builder so they can document those issues and begin the correction process. I have never been through warranty inspection where everything is perfect. There are always a multitude of issues that are found, and you can present these issues for correction to the builder.
As a NJ home inspector, I certainly understand the excitement and appeal of buying a newly built home. However, homebuyers must understand that even newly built homes do have problems for a variety of reasons. Having a newly built home does not mean the home is perfect or without flaws. Having an independent home inspection is a very proactive measure that can help a homebuyer protect your investment by uncovering problems before you close on your expensive home. Having a brand-new home inspected also provides you with an extra measure or level of peace of mind that you will not have without having a home inspection. If you missed the prepurchase home inspection, then I would suggest that you have an 11-month warranty inspection. An 11-month warranty inspection is not a replacement for the prepurchase home inspection but it is a measure of protection for you and allows you to bring to light to the builder problems that exist so they can rectify those before your warrantee on the home expires at the 12-month period.