Should You Hire a Home Inspector for a New House?

Before committing to a purchase of an old house where time and climate has worn it down, everyone recognizes the great need to hire a home inspector to assess its condition. However, one question that is frequently heard is should I hire a home inspector for new construction or a new home?

The answer to this question is yes, regardless of how strange it may seem. Here is why new construction or a new house should also get inspected, and what is the best way to tackle this.

New Houses Can also have problems

By all means, a new house may appear flawless, but then that is because nobody has resided there to notice if anything is incorrect. you may have noticed how many new products with flaws are only discovered once the consumer tries them.

Well, this is also true for houses. Essentially, you are a guinea pig when you buy a new home testing whether the basement floods during the rain and how well the HVAC system works. On the other hand, with an older home where there may be some wear and tear, by law, the owner is required to disclose any and all known problems.

New Houses Are Not always Built to Code

Right now, you may assume that county building inspectors ensure that construction on a new house is up to code. While the county building inspectors should make sure, in reality, this does not always happen. County code inspectors are employed by the municipality and ensure new construction is up to minimum building code — as we said, minimum. Also, they are public servants who do not work for you. Furthermore, unless you know the difference between screwed drywall and nailed drywall, or you are a general contractor, basically, you may end up screwing yourself.

President of Structure Tech Home Inspection of Minneapolis, MN, Reuben Saltzman, stated that he has found gross defects in all trades of new construction. In fact, he discovered in one new house that the contractor never installed the insulation in the attic. The house was located in a state where below-zero temperatures were a regular occurrence during winter. In this case, it would have paid off for the home buyer to have a home inspection as the building code inspectors had missed this defect.

Reason New Houses Should Ideally Obtain Two INspections

Ideally, if you are purchasing a home that is currently under construction, the fact is that you should hire a home inspector twice. During the first inspection, he can check the home prior to the closing of the walls and inspect the home's framing and systems installation. Following the completion of the home is when the second inspection should take place to allow the inspection of everything else.

Depending on where you reside and the size of your home, a home inspector can typically charge between $300 and $500. While it may seem like costly overload hiring one home inspector twice, consider this: If you pay for an early pre-inspection of drywall, the inspector ensures the studs, beams, insulation, posts, and home systems were installed properly. Most home inspectors are unable to have this sneak peek with homes after the walls are up. Furthermore, if any problems do arise, you can take the list of concerns and complaints to your builder so they can correct them prior to the wall being closed.

After construction of the house is complete, ask your home inspector to examine it a few days prior to your final walk-through with your builder. A home inspector has the training to detect details that are normally unnoticed by the untrained eye. These issues can be added to your final list, and do not submit final payment until all problems are resolved.

If you are not part of the construction process and purchase a spec house following its completion, include a home inspection contingency to the sales contract, and before closing, hire an inspector to examine the property. The home inspector will not only ensure the house and system is sound, but they will also teach you how to operate as well as maintain your new home.