Living in a brand new home sounds like a dream for many of us. There’s no need to worry about a dent in the wall, scratch on the floor, or squeaky cupboard. You may think since the home is newly built, it must be perfect.
With new home construction sales soaring, we often get a question from homebuyers: should I hire a home inspector for a newly built home? The answer is: yes! And here’s why.
Building a home is complicated, and nobody’s perfect
According to the National Association of Home Builders, more than 3,000 components are used in constructing a house.
That’s a lot of parts, and that number does not even include the fine detail of how critical components such as screws, nails, adhesives, and sealants are selected and installed.
Roughly 20 different sub-contractors most likely install these 3,000 components, and each subcontractor may employ as many as 4 to 5 employees to work on the house.
Upon completion, your home could have seen more than 100 different people working with these 3,000 components, including sub-contractors for things such as roofing, framing, painting, drywall, electrical, flooring, appliances, insulation, etc.
With so many people working on a house and so many components in actual construction, errors can happen. Of course, no home is perfect, but it’s necessary to know which aspects of a home are worth repairing and which are deal-breakers.
Most Common Issues with New Home Construction
Hiring a home inspector can help you find some of the most common issues that can occur in new construction homes:
- For example, incorrect roof installation may result in it having to be replaced.
- The mechanical room or space has been built too small and cannot fit all the appliances, including the furnace, water heater, pressure tank, etc.
- The home is not correctly insulated, tearing out finished walls and ceilings to fix it. That can be especially true in some inaccessible sections of the roof.
- The siding of the house is improperly installed and needs to be replaced.
- The basement walls were not insulated, which is particularly important in colder climates.
- Crawl space ventilation is not installed, resulting in water from condensation building up and causing more damage.
- Improper insulation around recessed lights can result in air leaks and heat loss.
- A leaking booster pump could cascade into a whole list of repairs to be made, including having to replace hardwood floors.
- Structural issues, such as a damaged roof truss system or an unusual configuration of the floor structure, could require structural engineers to be called in to evaluate.
You may be getting the picture of why a home inspection is advisable for new construction. However, a home is a complex system that, if done incorrectly, could result in future damage to the house and leave you footing the bill.
All New Home Constructions Are Built to Code, Right?
Below are four critical points to understand how building codes are applied to residential house construction:
1. Codes for New Construction Homes Are a Minimum Requirement
Building codes are a set of minimum standards by which constructing a home to any lesser degree is essentially illegal. So building new constructions to local building codes complies with local minimum standards.
However, these codes do not guarantee that “best practices” are applied when constructing the home.
2. New Home Construction Varies Regionally
Building codes are based on national standards, whereas quality and certain construction variables can vary widely across the U.S.
For example, you do not want to construct a house in Tampa, Florida, necessarily in the same way you would build a home in the mountains of Denver, Colorado.
Building codes accommodate this with varying wind, climate, and seismic zones. However, the nuance of regional construction methods, materials, techniques, and environmental challenges makes it difficult for codes to be adapted perfectly to localized standards and needs.
3. Building Officials Have Limited Time for New Construction Homes
The degree to which local building officials can check on new construction will vary by city, state, and county.
Because building departments are generally busy, it’s impossible to perform a thorough, perfect on-site inspection of every system of a newly constructed home.
However, local building codes and local code enforcement assist in the general structural and wiring examination of houses.
As mentioned earlier, over 3,000 components of a house require inspecting. However, given the average on-site time for building officials during the construction of a residential home is less than 4 hours, some problems may be overlooked.
4. Building Codes Defer to Manufacturer’s Specifications
Many new construction home components should be installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications, such as the roof, siding, and furnace.
The building code may have some basic standards, but proper installation will require following the directions from manufacturers. Sometimes, builders don’t check to confirm if these systems have been installed correctly.
Building codes and building departments do an excellent job of helping ensure that safe and reliable houses are being constructed.
However, even the best builders with the best intentions will have difficulty executing everything to perfection on a residential build.
There is a vast gray area between building codes, best practices, and the workforce employed in building your house. However, a fresh set of eyes from a third-party inspector will help confirm that your newly constructed home is in good shape.
Newly built homes are great, and buyers will benefit from a home inspection.
Living in a newly built home is exciting and typically comes with far fewer issues than buying an older home.
However, to ensure your long-term happiness and financial stability, hiring a home inspector to conduct a new construction home inspection will ensure you’re not investing in an asset that requires extensive repairs.
A good home inspection will provide you with the advantage of having an objective third-party looking over the house.
In addition, you’ll gain valuable insights into the houses’ attributes and vulnerabilities, as all homes have both.
A third-party home inspection can add value by evaluating the overall quality and design of the building.
Finally, it will give you the peace of mind that you’re purchasing a home that’s in good shape and that will bring you plenty of joy.
It’s your turn to be a homeowner in New Jersey
If you are interested in acquiring your new home or selling the one you have, do not hesitate to contact our EXP Realty consultants. We guarantee quality attention and the best homes in the area, with personalized marketing strategies to achieve the most significant benefit.
You will not regret working with us because we seek your best interests. Our clients certify them.