Maryland and Virginia Real Estate and Homes Blog

HOME INSPECTIONS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION? WHAT IF THERE IS A DEFECT??

HOME INSPECTIONS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION ARE IMPORTANT, HOWEVER. . . . .

Jay Markanich an experienced home inspector in Northern Virginia, offers good advice for new home buyers.  Have your new home inspected by an experienced new home inspector.  Good advice, however, it is also important that new home buyers work with an experienced new home Buyers’ Agent.

NO HOME INSPECTION CONTINGENCY.  One critical matter that a buyer’s agent is likely to convey to a new home buyers is the fact that, new home contracts of sale are written by attorneys for the builder.  In that process, new home contracts are often silent on the matter of buyer’s home inspections.

It is important that the home buyer(s) understand that, unlike most resale contracts, in new construction, there is no HOME INSPECTION CONTINGENCY.   The financing bank may have code or other inspections throughout for draws of money by the builder, but the buyer, even if they have purchased and own the lot, usually has no contingency.   So, for these and other reasons, periodic inspections for the buyer are as important for new construction as well as resales. 

BUYING A NEW HOME IS NOT THE SAME AS BUYING A RESALE.  Home buyers with previous home buying experiences may have had seller corrected defects.  However, new construction is a different world since “operating condition” is not usually the basis for defects, it’s the actual construction of the property that may be defective. 

This is why I encourage new home buyers to have pre-scheduled inspections throughout the construction process.  Waiting until the home is completed could leave construction defects hidden behind drywall. 

WHOM DOES THE SALES REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENT?  In my experience, after selling dozens of new homes, while building superintendents are often not overly friendly with home inspectors, the builders will take documented defects quite seriously.  Let the builder know in the contract phase that you will hire an outside inspector.  You just might get a better house.  In time and with experience, buyers’ agents learn builders in their area who are cooperative with home inspectors and those that are not.  It isn’t unusual for the builders’ representative, who represents the builder, to advise a buyer that “You don’t need to pay for a home inspection.  The county inspects the house throughout the building phase.”  While that is true, county code inspectors inspect for safety, not necessarily quality of construction.  We’ve had home inspection reports with several pages of construction deficiencies that were not noted by the county code inspectors. 

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988.  Serving new home buyers in Loudoun County, Virginia.  Ask about the Homefinders.com new home buyers REBATE.