Why You Should Never Rely on a Simple Handshake with a New Home Builder
If you're getting ready to close on the purchase of a brand-new home, you will be full of excitement. You cannot wait to move all your furniture in and to stamp your personality on the property, and you are counting the days until settlement. However, you do need to make sure that the new structure is not just fit for the purpose but has been finished to the highest standard, and for this, you need to bring in an outside consultant. Why is it simply not good enough to walk through the finished home with the builder instead?
Errors Can Happen
In truth, most people are trustworthy and like to think that an individual contractor will do a first-class job. With this in mind, you may have chosen the builder carefully and checked their credentials, and they may indeed be someone who is capable of getting it right. Yet everyone can make mistakes and sometimes, subcontractors are involved in a job like this as well. The bottom line is that you need to make sure that everything is right for you, and you should get an independent expert to take a closer look.
Potential Problems
Problems can arise in any part of the home, and there are many different reasons why this could be the case.
For example, you may find that parts of the attic are unfinished, or some air conditioning ducts are not connected. A strip of siding could be missing under an eave, or some of the installation may be to the wrong specification. A hot water tap could be connected to the cold water by mistake, or some electrical outlets may simply be dead.
Don't Rely on Government Inspection
Remember, government inspectors are not charged with the responsibility of finding problems like this as they are simply looking to see if the property is in line with building codes. Don't rely on them to give you an early warning of other issues.
Unwanted Consequences
If you are not careful with a home inspection, then you may not become aware of any issues for some time into the future. In the meantime, they could have caused you unexpected problems or have increased the size of your utility bills, and it's better to know now than find out much later.
Best Course of Action
Always bring in an independent home inspector to look for problems and uncover any errors. You will then be able to work with your builder to rectify before you settle on the home. Speak with a professional who provides new residential inspections to learn more.