The third and final phase of the new construction process is conducted when the home is substantially complete, generally around the time the builder is prepared to do a final walk-through with the home buyer.
The purpose of the final inspection is to ensure the major systems and components in the home were installed in accordance with common model building standards and that there are no observable major defects present prior to you purchasing the home from the builder. The final inspection is vital and highly recommended.
If you skip any phase of a New Construction Inspection by an unbiased 3rd party home inspector, you miss out on the chance to hold the builder responsible before that issue can be discovered and it then becomes your problem alone.
Usually, the misconception for someone buying a new home is their expectations of the house being free from any issues that would otherwise be found in an aging house — like outdated electrical, plumbing, roofing and even cosmetic flaws. The reality is there can sometimes be many issues found within a newly constructed home; in fact, a lot of times these issues exist because — it’s a newly constructed home.
Contractors work so fast, sometimes too fast, building to the bare minimum of code using substandard material and subcontracting out to vendors with a varying range of competence and diligence. Sometimes, mistakes just happen and mechanical or material components may fail for one reason or another. Don’t assume a newly constructed home will be flawless just because it’s new.
Newly constructed homes will always include a “final walk-through,” but rarely will it include a complete home inspection. Usually, a builder will try to assure the buyer, their guy will always be inspecting each phase of the building process and may even suggest that a home inspection isn’t necessary. But let’s examine that analogy more closely. The “builder’s guy” is usually the GM or the Project Manager who works for the builder, getting paid by the builder and has the builder’s best interest, not necessarily your best interest. Buyers should always ask to include in their contract an independent, unbiased 3rd party home inspection as part of their contingency for buying the home.
About two-thirds of home buyers will do an inspection. It often times depends on how savvy the buyer is. If a buyer is really involved in a new construction project, a lot of times they’ve been with the builder or they’ve significantly contributed to the construction, and then in those cases, they know enough about what’s going on and they may not be too concerned. Still it’s a smart decision to get one anyway.
“As an agent, I have always encouraged my buyers, whether it’s new construction or a hundred-year-old house, to do an inspection.” <br>
– Jase Norsworthy, Remax. –
Is this question keeping you up at night? Experts say… it shouldn’t. That’s because the decision to get a home inspection on a newly constructed home should be a clear and obvious choice.
If there is a downside, it’s paying for the home inspection out of your own pocket and if the budget is “really tight” for the buyer, the extra expense could make it financially uncomfortable.
However, consider this… a new construction home inspection is a good investment, because in the scheme of a 30-year mortgage, when you’re looking at the overall long term investment for a property… to only spend $400-$500 for an inspection now rather than thousands of dollars for unexpected or unknown issues the builder would have been responsible for, is such a minor expense.
If you skip the Builder Warranty Inspection by an unbiased 3rd party home inspector, you miss out on the chance to hold the builder responsible before that issue can be discovered and it then becomes your problem alone.
When you’re buying a home of any age, there’s no doubt that you’d want a home inspection. You absolutely want to know its condition and any safety issues before you make that final commitment to purchase that home with your hard-earned money.
However, if you’re buying a brand-new house, committing to that decision might not seem so obvious.
Should you consider getting a home inspection for a newly constructed house?
Why would you need one since everything is brand-new — and, in some cases, a custom home built to just your preferred specifications; even perhaps under your own supervision.
The answer is a resounding, yes. Top experts will tell you that new home construction should always get a home inspection. With the exception of paying a home inspector to do this for you, every consideration lends itself to simply leaving it “all up to the professionals, right?”
But then there’s always the possibility of the inspector finding an issue or several issues. Wouldn’t that be information you’d want to know on the front end, — BEFORE all of your warranties run out?
Understand, you do not need your builder’s permission to have a 3rd party home inspector do this inspection; this is your home.
That said, builders typically have no problem with 3rd party inspectors because it’s another set of eyes on their work to catch potential issues they may have missed and if they stand by their product, they’re going to welcome a home inspector to come take a look.
As the buyer, you want to find out if there are any issues with the newly constructed home on the front end to make sure the builder takes full responsibility to correct those issues before you close on the home, move in and your builder’s warranty expires leaving you paying for repairs out of your own pocket.
If the inspector finds something… the builder is not done yet. All repairs are going to fall on the shoulders of the builder and there’s not a whole lot of negotiating. It’s not like you’re debating over whether this item is something the seller is willing to fix: it’s brand-new construction and they’re legally obligated to stand by their product.
Yes and no. You are not required to have a re-inspection after an inspection. However, in some cases, you may opt to do so or need to. After repairs have been made on a home you are purchasing, you may opt to have a re-inspection to verify the seller or builder had the repairs completed professionally.
We do charge a nominal fee for re-inspections.
The More Thorough We Are, The More Defects We Find…
The More Money You Save!
OFFERING YOU THE BUY-BACK PROGRAM
HelloPro Home Inspections, LLC. is a participating InterNACHI® Certified Inspector. If a HelloPro Inspector misses anything on your inspection, InterNACHI® will buy your home back! It is through our affiliation with InterNACHI® that we are proud to include a Home Buy-Back Guarantee with every Standard and PLUS Package Inspection we do; not all InterNACHI® Certified Inspectors participate in this program.
Greenville, SC
License: RBI49649
864-370-5600
Epidemiological studies in the U.S. and Europe have associated mold sensitivity with the development, persistence, and severity of asthma. Exposure to mold and the mycotoxins or toxins they produce can be absorbed through the skin, GI tract, or by inhalation of fungal parts. Suppression of the immune system by exposure to these types of pollutants has been linked to chronic diseases, even cancer.
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Bacteria are microscopic organisms not visible to the naked eye. These tiny organisms are everywhere, both inside and outside of your body. They survive in a variety of environments and while some are necessary for life others can make you extremely sick. At Microbial Express Labs we offer a complete testing service that not only detects the presence or absence of sewage-related bacteria, we also quickly identify and enumerate them.
Coliform bacteria are natural inhabitants of the environment and the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals. It is their presence in drinking water that indicates that disease-causing organisms (pathogens) could be in the water system. A Total Coliform test is used as an overall indication of sanitation efficiency. The presence of total coliform, by itself, does not imply that the resource is contaminated, but it can reveal that one, if not more of the more serious types of harmful bacteria, such as fecal or E. coli bacteria, may be present.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the major species in the fecal coliform (FC) group and is the best indicator of fecal pollution and the possible presence of pathogens or disease-causing organisms.
E. coli bacteria are found in greater quantities than Total Coliform in animal fecal matter. Our Total Coliform test detects the presence of Total Coliform and E. coli. If E. coli is detected along with Total Coliform in drinking water, there is strong evidence that sewage is present. As a result, a greater potential for pathogenic organisms to exist.
At Microbial Express Labs we offer a second layer to this test. In addition to the traditional test mentioned above, our Complete Fecal Coliform test adds the detection of Enerococcus faecalis. E. Faecalis is also a fecal indicator organism and one of the various microorganisms used a positive control in the examination of water for human consumption. E. faecalis is a very stable bacterium. Its ability to survive in harsh conditions is greater than that of E. coli and in recent years there has been an increase in its resistance to many once used antibiotics.
A positive test implies a risk that pathogenic species may be present. Testing for bacteria is the only reliable way to know if your water is safe. You cannot determine the presence of disease-causing organisms by look, taste, or smell.
It is recommended that well owners test their water for coliform bacteria at least once a year and more frequently if bacteria have been a problem in the past. Our trusted labs not only provide the detection of but also will enumerate the number of Coliforms/Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Enterococcus faecalis bacteria. We provide fast, accurate results you can trust!
