Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi neighbors, I need some help. If you have experience in real estate, home inspection, or building, that would be especially helpful, though I welcome opinions from anyone.
My husband and I are currently building a home in a newer neighborhood approximately 20 minutes from downtown Raleigh. We went with a local, well-known builder. It is a smaller house, approximately 1,600 square feet. We have never built before, but I feel that our expectations when making this decision were reasonable. I know everything will not go smoothly or perfect; building a house is hard. As the closing date nears, though, I can’t help but feel concerned. We have found several issues, some minor cosmetic things, some more serious.
We decided to hire a private home inspector prior to the drywall being installed at that point. I made the builder aware that I was hiring one and asked for a time he would have the house ready for the inspection. The inspector found several things, including framed walls that were not nailed to the subfloor, mold growing on several trusses, two large holes in the peak of the roof, and recessed can lights that were installed directly against the air ducts (despite a warning label).
I gave the builder the inspector’s report and asked that he notify me when all of these items were addressed, as I planned on having the inspector make a follow-up visit. The inspector came back out when the builder was ready, and only a portion of the items were addressed. The roof was addressed, but the inspector did not find that their patch job was satisfactory. The inspector then generated a follow-up report, which I gave to the builder.
Since then, the builder has assured me that the roof has been taken care of. He says that he has had the roofers and the framers out there several times to look at it to ensure it has been properly repaired. They have, of course, moved on with construction and have installed drywall, cabinets, countertops, paint, hardwood floors, tile, etc. Most of their work has been ok since then.
Yesterday, though, we visited the house in the evening. It rained briefly a few hours before our visit, which made it clear that the roof was leaking. There was water dripping from the ceiling in the upstairs bathroom, resulting in a large puddle on the floor. Note, this bathroom is not near the two previously discovered holes in the roof that had been repaired. I contacted the builder this morning to make him aware of this issue. His response was:
“When these things are put on, every effort is made to make sure they are water tight and will prevent any issues, but sometimes water still finds its way around and you can't tell there is an issue until you see it and where it is located. Sometimes it comes down to never having any issues until the wind blows the rain just exactly the right way. That being said though, this isn't a difficult fix and can be handled.”
He went on to say that the leak appears to be at the ridge vent. I do not doubt that this can be fixed, but I am very concerned that we will continue to have problems with the roof over time. We will have a warranty on the home, but several of the existing members of the neighborhood have expressed that they have had difficulty getting the builder to address warranty issues. I would like to hear your opinions and experiences with new home construction. Are these issues typical or is this a red flag that this brand new roof has already had the problems I have described? Does new construction usually have issues like I have described? Any insight or help would be greatly appreciated. We plan to, of course, bring our home inspector back out before we close on the house, but I thought I would reach out on here as we are curious about other’s experiences in the area.
Quick post to say: Take pics of EVERYTHING you think is wrong AS they are building the house. It will be much easier to deal with the warranty company and the builder later. It will also make it easier for your inspector.
... Yesterday, though, we visited the house in the evening. It rained briefly a few hours before our visit, which made it clear that the roof was leaking. There was water dripping from the ceiling in the upstairs bathroom, resulting in a large puddle on the floor. ...
This is horrible. Framers know how to cut and fit rafters, and install sheathing. Roofers know how to put down shingles such that there is no leak for thirty years. A puddle on the floor of a new house? No excuse.
Quote:
He went on to say that the leak appears to be at the ridge vent. I do not doubt that this can be fixed, but I am very concerned that we will continue to have problems with the roof over time.
If your builder hired framers and roofers who do sloppy work, maybe he hired unqualified subs for plumbing, electrical work, and HVAC. More sins of incompetence will surface... just after the warranty expires.
Quote:
Are these issues typical or is this a red flag that this brand new roof has already had the problems I have described? Does new construction usually have issues like I have described?
Not typical. Red flag. Red flag!
Quote:
We plan to, of course, bring our home inspector back out before we close on the house, but I thought I would reach out on here as we are curious about other’s experiences in the area.
Ask your home inspector how many times he's seen puddles on the floor.
Housing demand is high; skilled tradesmen are in short supply. Subcontractors are tempted to do sleazy things. True story: I hired a reputable company to paint the exterior of my house. A crew showed up on time and did a decent job. However, on their lunch break I watched a painter using an electric miter saw to cut small pieces of trim. I asked what he was doing, and why. His answer: "Today we are painters, tomorrow we have a job as trim carpenters. We have no experience with that kind of work so I am practicing!"
Having a home built to contract gives equal measures of joy and heartburn. Been there, done that, paid those dues!
At least they let you choose your own home inspector.
Believe it or not some builders will only let you use one from their "approved list".
If you have a real estate buyer's agent (not the builder's agent)....have them look over the contract.
If you don't have an agent.....definitely hire an attorney who specializes in real estate to look through the builder's contract. This should NOT the closing attorney you are using if it is the builder's attorney.
At least they let you choose your own home inspector.
Believe it or not some builders will only let you use one from their "approved list".
If you have a real estate buyer's agent (not the builder's agent)....have them look over the contract.
If you don't have an agent.....definitely hire an attorney who specializes in real estate to look through the builder's contract. This should NOT the closing attorney you are using if it is the builder's attorney.
The "approved list" is a euphemism for "Inspectors that don't write up much which helps the builder hide problems".
Do you have a contract with the builder? Can you refuse to close on the home since you've documented issues discovered by a Home Inspector that have yet to be addressed and at that continue to add to the problems and value of the home you are building and buying? If the builder is not adhering to the contract by delivering on his promises, you might consider consulting with a lawyer. Once you close on this house, how reliable and responsive do you feel this builder will be to your "warranty" claims? IMO, I would not even consider anything to be a warranty issue that was discovered and documented during construction, they are construction issues. Installing can lights against manufacturer instructions and that are touching duct work I would imagine is a code violation as well as a fire hazard.
I agree with others here, these are NOT normal construction issues and are not being handled well by your builder.
Hi neighbors, I need some help. If you have experience in real estate, home inspection, or building, that would be especially helpful, though I welcome opinions from anyone.
My husband and I are currently building a home in a newer neighborhood approximately 20 minutes from downtown Raleigh. We went with a local, well-known builder. It is a smaller house, approximately 1,600 square feet. We have never built before, but I feel that our expectations when making this decision were reasonable. I know everything will not go smoothly or perfect; building a house is hard. As the closing date nears, though, I can’t help but feel concerned. We have found several issues, some minor cosmetic things, some more serious.
We decided to hire a private home inspector prior to the drywall being installed at that point. I made the builder aware that I was hiring one and asked for a time he would have the house ready for the inspection. The inspector found several things, including framed walls that were not nailed to the subfloor, mold growing on several trusses, two large holes in the peak of the roof, and recessed can lights that were installed directly against the air ducts (despite a warning label).
I gave the builder the inspector’s report and asked that he notify me when all of these items were addressed, as I planned on having the inspector make a follow-up visit. The inspector came back out when the builder was ready, and only a portion of the items were addressed. The roof was addressed, but the inspector did not find that their patch job was satisfactory. The inspector then generated a follow-up report, which I gave to the builder.
Since then, the builder has assured me that the roof has been taken care of. He says that he has had the roofers and the framers out there several times to look at it to ensure it has been properly repaired. They have, of course, moved on with construction and have installed drywall, cabinets, countertops, paint, hardwood floors, tile, etc. Most of their work has been ok since then.
Yesterday, though, we visited the house in the evening. It rained briefly a few hours before our visit, which made it clear that the roof was leaking. There was water dripping from the ceiling in the upstairs bathroom, resulting in a large puddle on the floor. Note, this bathroom is not near the two previously discovered holes in the roof that had been repaired. I contacted the builder this morning to make him aware of this issue. His response was:
“When these things are put on, every effort is made to make sure they are water tight and will prevent any issues, but sometimes water still finds its way around and you can't tell there is an issue until you see it and where it is located. Sometimes it comes down to never having any issues until the wind blows the rain just exactly the right way. That being said though, this isn't a difficult fix and can be handled.”
This is a load of crap! A properly designed roof structure with properly installed roof coverings and flashings does not leak.
He went on to say that the leak appears to be at the ridge vent. I do not doubt that this can be fixed, but I am very concerned that we will continue to have problems with the roof over time.
All roof problems when properly corrected will function well until natural age, deterioration, or Mother Nature takes its toll on it. The problem that arises with this is when it next occurs it can be blamed on these factors which most builders do not cover. If that occurs you then have to fight the builder to show it was an installation defect.
We will have a warranty on the home, but several of the existing members of the neighborhood have expressed that they have had difficulty getting the builder to address warranty issues.
See my comments immediately above. Warranties are great if they are supported.
I would like to hear your opinions and experiences with new home construction.
I inspect a lot of new construction and see the horror stories regularly!
Are these issues typical or is this a red flag that this brand new roof has already had the problems I have described?
Again a properly designed and constructed roof system with a properly installed roof covering and flashings does not leak! So no this is not typical and should not be expected or tolerated.
Does new construction usually have issues like I have described?
"Usually" I find many issues on new builds even from the reputed best builders. However I also encounter some very nicely built homes, some from the reputed worst builders. The quality of your home depends more on the Build Supervisor than most anything else.
Any insight or help would be greatly appreciated. We plan to, of course, bring our home inspector back out before we close on the house, but I thought I would reach out on here as we are curious about other’s experiences in the area.
Do you have a contract with the builder? Can you refuse to close on the home since you've documented issues discovered by a Home Inspector that have yet to be addressed and at that continue to add to the problems and value of the home you are building and buying? If the builder is not adhering to the contract by delivering on his promises, you might consider consulting with a lawyer. Once you close on this house, how reliable and responsive do you feel this builder will be to your "warranty" claims? IMO, I would not even consider anything to be a warranty issue that was discovered and documented during construction, they are construction issues. Installing can lights against manufacturer instructions and that are touching duct work I would imagine is a code violation as well as a fire hazard.
I agree with others here, these are NOT normal construction issues and are not being handled well by your builder.
Refusing to close is an option for any buyer. HOWEVER builders typically have all types and manner of protections in place to force the buyer to close whether they have those protections in writing or not. The deck is always stacked against the buyer and until serious legislation is undertaken to protect the buyer then the builders will mostly come out on top.
Refusing to close is an option for any buyer. HOWEVER builders typically have all types and manner of protections in place to force the buyer to close whether they have those protections in writing or not. The deck is always stacked against the buyer and until serious legislation is undertaken to protect the buyer then the builders will mostly come out on top.
Makes sense. I would NOT want to take ownership of a house with known and builder-generated (or ignored) major issues. IMO, consult a lawyer sooner rather than later.
I would back out if at all possible, even if I had to lose a little money. Better to take a little loss now than a big one later. I know that's easier said than done though.
We bought a new build that was a spec house in the process of being built when we decided to buy. I regret it. We won't be here forever though, and that thought runs through my head whenever I come upon another issue. We had our own home inspector and he found several issues before we closed, and builder fixed them, but there have been other problems and they have given me such a hard time about addressing them. They don't care cause their houses keep selling.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
