Why your Newly Constructed Home Should be Inspected before you Move

By Stacy Richards

If you have just completed construction of your house, a home inspection can help you identify any defects before you move in. While in the old home inspections are done to identify the extent of wear and tear, newly constructed homes are inspected to ensure they have been built well. During an inspection, old homes are checked for roof conditions, mold, and termites. This is not the case for newly constructed homes. Ideally, new constructions should be defect-free because they have never been used before.

But this assumption is far from the truth. Newly constructed houses have defects too and inspecting them helps with the identification of errors that have occurred in the building process. Fixing these issues early is the key to preventing long-term problems. There are three phases of inspection that new constructions should undergo. These are:

1. Pre-dry wall inspections

This is the first phase of inspection. This inspection is done once foundation components have been installed in the house. These include the floor, wall and roof, as well as windows and exterior doors. Also, plumbing, electrical and rough-in components must be in place before the inspection. Ordinarily, the inspection takes 60-90 minutes to complete and prepare a report.

2. Final inspection

This is the second phase of inspection and it’s done after building the home is complete. It is the most important type of inspection.

3. One year warranty inspection

This inspection is done before the warrant expires. Most people who do this inspection are those who fail to inspect their homes before moving in. Once they begin experiencing many problems than they expected, they decide to conduct an inspection to find out what else they may have missed out. After the inspection, the construction firm fixes the issues. This inspection is most beneficial when it is done to find out the condition of the house after one year of living in it.

Usually, the purpose is to find out whether there are issues that may have arisen after the final inspection. A one-year warranty inspection is often conducted on the 11th month after one has moved into the new house. Doing it at the expense of the final inspection is costly and time- consuming.

So, Why Should you Inspect your Newly Constructed Building?

Inspection of a newly constructed is important because it enables you to get a YBI Sunshine Coast licensed home inspection early before you move into your new home. Here are more reasons why your new home needs inspection:

1. New constructions have problems too

Building a home is a complicated process that involves inputs from different subcontractors. Each subcontractor comes with many employees working under him. The employees work on separate systems of the house. With different activities happening at the same time, it becomes difficult for the main contractor to inspect the construction. Some problems that are commonly found in new constructions include roof trusses that are broken and missing siding. You may also find roof shingles that are raised, allowing water to seep beneath them.

2. Home inspections differ from municipal inspections

Inspections that are conducted by the municipality may overlook defects because they only check whether contractors have complied with building codes. Building codes are prerequisite requirements for any building construction. It is illegal to construct any building without complying with these requirements. As such, there are times when buildings pass the municipality test but do not meet the requirements you want for your home. This is where youneed a home inspection.

3. It is convenient for you

Having your newly constructed home inspected before you move in offers you convenience. It is inconvenient to stay home and miss work because a defect that could have been dealt with before you moved is being repaired. You also have to deal with the noise and dust when repairs are being done – which is pretty inconveniencing. Inspecting your home before you move in saves you all that. Although your home may need minor touches after you have moved in, youwant all the major repairs to be done before.

4. Inspections save you money and ensure safety

Issues like gas leakages pose a risk to you and your family. They need to be addressedbeforehand to ensure that you are safe. If roof shingles are raised, they will allow water to seep under them, resulting in leakage and rotten roofs. Also missing insulation in spaces such as attic results in high utility bills. Conducting a home inspection before moving into a new houseensures that such defects are fixed early to avoid damage and additional costs.

5. Inspections matter during resale

You may want to sell your home after some time. When that time comes, your buyer will want a pre-purchase inspection conducted before buying your home. When this type of inspection is done, it is likely to reveal defects that date back to the construction time. At this point, it will be too late to involve your contractor to do the repairs. As such, you will be forced to bear the cost of fixing those defects even if you took good care of the house during your stay.