In November 2018, over 1 million residential homes were built. Of these 1 million residential homes built 772,000 were single family homes.
If you’re considering building a new home, you can expect to pay about $150 per square foot for a 2,000 square foot home. You’ll also need to pay for a parcel of land which varies in cost depending on the location, size, and land features.
Lending institutions will also consider your new build a higher risk. This added risk requires that you pay your lender a down payment of 20 to 25% for a new construction loan.
Once you get past the initial sticker shock, building a new home can be an exciting adventure. From designing your new home’s interior to seeing the framing go up, new construction can symbolize a fresh start. You also feel more at ease believing that all the materials are up to code, more efficient, and in style.
But, does new construction eliminate all potential problems?
To be absolutely certain that your home was built to code and is in tip-top shape, it’s best to hire your own independent home inspector. Considering dishing out more cash after building a new home may seem like an unnecessary expense, but it could save you in the long run.
Read on to find out why you should hire an independent home inspector to inspect your newly built home.
Hiring an Independent Home Inspector for Your Newly-Built Home
Most contractors do their best to build homes up to code. Contractors and city inspectors are humans, however, and sometimes make mistakes. Discover the following reasons why you should hire an independent inspector for your new construction home.
1. Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
Builders hire subcontractors to complete specific jobs on your new home. They will hire HVAC technicians, electricians, roofers, and other specialists. These subcontractors are usually good at what they do, but they don’t focus on the big picture.
Subcontractors don’t always consider or know how each component of a home fits together. As these separate contractors work simultaneously, it’s easy to make mistakes. It’s also nearly impossible for a builder to check every square inch of the home’s construction to ensure quality.
Hiring an independent home inspector brings a new set of eyes to the construction. Independent home inspectors’ only job is to ensure that codes are being followed and that components function properly. Home inspectors are also qualified to review all aspects of the home from the roof to the plumbing.
Home inspectors usually spend hours inspecting a home, time a builder likely won’t have.
2. Your Interests
Independent home inspectors represent your needs and interests as a client. Even though your builder and the city inspector want to make sure your home is up to code and to your liking, they don’t always catch or correct every mistake.
City inspectors also only make sure the minimum building codes are followed. Simply put, they work for the city’s interest to ensure safety and regulation. They don’t work for you.
If a system in your home fails such as the HVAC or electrical systems, it’s not the inspector’s concern. It isn’t their money and financial well-being at stake, it’s yours. To avoid costly mistakes and damages later on it’s best to have someone in your corner in the form of an independent home inspector.
3. Finding Problems
You make think new builds are free from problems, but new builds aren’t perfect. An independent home inspector can help to find potential problems before they cause any costly damage.
It’s best to hire an independent home inspector to inspect your new build twice. Once before the walls are put up and once before the final walkthrough with your builder.
The first inspection should be conducted to ensure that framing and systems are properly installed before closing the walls. Inspectors will literally make sure the home is structurally sound from the inside out. This is an advantage most buyers don’t have when purchasing existing homes leaving them to find out about internal problems later on.
The second inspection ensures that everything else is up to code and free of defects. Home inspectors will test the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and other systems to see if your home is truly move-in ready.
4. Negotiation Tool
When you build a new home, your builder will provide you with a home warranty for various components of your newly built home. Some systems will be covered for two years such as electrical and plumbing, whereas other components will only be covered for one year. These warranties are using backed by the builder or a third-party warranty company.
If you didn’t get around to getting a home inspection during the construction phase or before the final walkthrough, you can still get an independent home inspection during the warranty phase. This inspection will give you a solid negotiation tool for getting the necessary repairs completed. If you have to make a claim with a third-party warranty company, it can also serve to solidify your claim.
However, the best time to use an inspection report as a negotiation tool is before you make the final payment. Before you make the final payment, you can insist your builder make these repairs prior to closing. This will give you the peace of mind that you’re actually getting what you paid for and what you deserve.
You’ve paid a lot of money to have the work done correctly, and your concerns need to be taken seriously. An independent inspection report can aid you in getting your needs met.
5. Selling
When you sell your home, it’s more than likely that a buyer will hire an independent home inspector. If the inspector finds moderate to major repairs that need to be corrected, then the buyer could make the sale contingent on these repair requests being met. This means more money out of your pocket when the issues could have been detected and fixed previously by the builder.
Ready to Hire an Independent Home Inspector?
The final reason why you should hire an independent home inspector is to get peace of mind. When you take steps to prevent any costly damage from occurring in the future you free up your mind and bank account. Even though it will cost you extra, it could cost you a lot less in the long run if expensive problems happened outside of the warranty period.
Building a new home in Northeast Ohio? Contact us today to schedule an inspection for your newly-built home.