Do I Need a Home Inspection for a Brand New House?

One of the most common mistakes I see people make when buying a newly constructed home is them not having a professional home inspection. The comment I hear most is “why should I have a home inspections when everything is new” or “Isn’t it inspected by the city or county while it is being built.”

The answer is yes everything is new, and yes it is inspected at different stages by a plumbing inspector, insulation inspector, etc. However, these inspectors are looking for very specific items and sometimes they are on a very tight schedule or are so friendly with certain contractors, they do miss things and they are not looking for something outside of their specific inspection.

I strongly encourage all of my clients to have a home inspection. Some of the home inspections have uncovered things that are very simple and easily fixed, but could have caused significant, long-term damage had they not been taken cared of upfront. I have also seen home inspections on brand new homes that uncovered so many severe defects that I am not sure they could be remedied to a point where I would have been comfortable buying the home.

The cost of a home inspection is around $500 depending on the size of the home. In my mind this is cheap insurance.

A lot of builders require the sale of a new home be written on their own forms. Remember to have your agent write the home inspection clause into the contract. In most cases, the home inspection clause will not be included in the builder’s contract. (More to come on “Builder’s Forms” in a later blog.) There is specific language that should be used and written correctly. A good, reputable builder shouldn’t have an issue with a home inspection clause.

Another comment I hear for not having a home inspection is “isn’t there a state-mandated one or two-year warranty on new construction homes.” DON’T COUNT ON IT!

Next blog: The Home Warranty Myth!