Many new homeowners purchasing new construction are surprised to hear us say that they need a home inspection before moving in. It\’s easy to believe that since everything is new, there\’s no reason for an inspection. But, here in the Seattle area, we encourage new homeowners to have a new construction inspection before closing and moving into their new home.
A new construction inspection ensures that nothing was missed or completed improperly during the construction of your new home. Just like a regular inspection, we check the major systems of the home, like electrical and plumbing, along with structural systems like the roof and foundation and the major appliances.
In the case of new construction inspections, we\’re not looking for wear and tear or items that need to be replaced. Rather, we\’re ensuring that things were built properly and installed appropriately. As a homeowner, you deserve to know that no corners were cut in the building of your home.
Though many builders include a warranty, it\’s much easier to get problems taken care of before closing. Once you\’ve closed on your home, you lose a lot of leverage with your builder. This often means that problems take months to get repaired. In addition, you may not notice your problems until a year or more later, and by then you may not even be able to find your builder to get the problem taken care of.
Let your builder know that you plan to have an independent new construction inspection before closing. It may make your builder give your home a little special attention to detail.
