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.
Last fall, I placed an offer on a brand new house and it was accepted by the builder. So I hired a home inspector and had the property checked out. Several minor issues were found, but nothing major. The house came with a 1-year "bumper to bumper" warranty as most if not all new homes do.
Fast forward almost 10+ months and my warranty is about to expire. Is it worthwhile to have my home reinspected, in case he finds any new issues that didn't manifest themselves during the first inspection? Or would that just be a waste of money? Over the past 10+ months, I found several minor things that the home builder fixed. Now, everything looks good, but I'd like advice from those who were in a similar position as I am. Thanks!
BTW, I'm also getting some junk mail from various home inspectors who know my home warranty is about to expire, so that is making me a little more paranoid than I should be.
We're having a home inspection on our new house prior to closing, and unless they come up with some real major stuff, that will be our only inspection.
Having lived in two other new houses, I've found that within that first year it's a big pain in the butt, but you need to be on the builder to fix every little thing you find.
I think that if nothing major was found upon initial inspection or through your time living in the house, it's doubtful that anything major has manifested itself in a year's time.
Having been in your postition with a national builder I have to say YES! I would absolutely have a "final" inspection. The inspector will see things you won't even think of looking at assuming it's a good inspector, and this is your last chance to get them fixed without cost to you. What if your foundation has slipped a little would you notice? What if, what if, what if???? I think it's a small price to pay to protect the biggest investment you will ever buy don't you?
My neighbors hired an inspector in the 11th month (just before our 11th) and the inspector noticed ripples in the vaulted ceiling. Turns out all the sheet rock had to be torn out and relpaced due to a faulty install. Once he pointed it out you could see where every rafter was.
Check the siding for buckling etc, roof for water leaks or sheeting problems etc. Doors not square in the frame, things that happen when houses settle, and they all settle!
Good luck!
So it's a 50/50 split on recommendation. When I had the 6-mo. work done on my house (the builder said they come out 3 times for routine maint. unless it's an emergency - after 3 mos., 6 mos., and then 11 mos.), he said the house looks very good from a settling standpoint. Of course, he could've just said that to make me feel good.
The only real problems I've had at this point were a.) a leak in the flashing where it meets the brick siding (so far that looks fixed, but we haven't had heavy rain in a while where I live), b.) a bathroom sink that was slow to drain, c.) a couple squeaky floorboards (needed to be nailed down), d.) toilets that used to clog often (but not lately), and e.) a bedroom door that was hard to close, but has since been fixed.
I haven't seen a single nail pop, so it looks like the house is settling well. Of course, like Jim said, I can hire my home inspector that I used prior to me closing on the house just to get peace of mind. However, if it's not really needed, I can use that extra few hundred $ saved for some other expenditures I've incurred lately.
Thanks again for your input and I look forward to others' replies.
Last fall, I placed an offer on a brand new house and it was accepted by the builder. So I hired a home inspector and had the property checked out. Several minor issues were found, but nothing major. The house came with a 1-year "bumper to bumper" warranty as most if not all new homes do.
Fast forward almost 10+ months and my warranty is about to expire. Is it worthwhile to have my home reinspected, in case he finds any new issues that didn't manifest themselves during the first inspection? Or would that just be a waste of money? Over the past 10+ months, I found several minor things that the home builder fixed. Now, everything looks good, but I'd like advice from those who were in a similar position as I am. Thanks!
BTW, I'm also getting some junk mail from various home inspectors who know my home warranty is about to expire, so that is making me a little more paranoid than I should be.
I'd consider calling the same inspector and checking to see if he offers a reduced price to do a reinspect.
Some of the inspectors I've recommended to clients do, and it's worth the peace of mind to know from a professional that the home is settling well. It also gives you good documentation for your one last shot at having the builder repair the home.
I'd consider calling the same inspector and checking to see if he offers a reduced price to do a reinspect.
Some of the inspectors I've recommended to clients do, and it's worth the peace of mind to know from a professional that the home is settling well. It also gives you good documentation for your one last shot at having the builder repair the home.
Thanks, actually, when he inspected my home last year, he said he'd give me 10% off if I had it reinspected w/ him before the 12-mo. warranty expires. So if I decide to go for reinspection, I'd hire him.
I know it would give me peace of mind if I shelled out $200-something (whatever it'd be after 10% off) to get it reinspected. But I've been spending a lot of $ lately, so I'm being a bit cheap. It does boggle my mind that many buyers who buy a new home don't even get the initial inspection!
You've heard the saying "penny wise pound foolish"? Even if I was strapped I'd find a way to handle the inspection. This is your last chance to have someone else on the hook for any problems with your house like heating, a/c, plumbing,siding etc and those things are generally not cheap to fix. I guess you could roll the dice but for myself, I'm not that much of a gambler.
You've heard the saying "penny wise pound foolish"? Even if I was strapped I'd find a way to handle the inspection. This is your last chance to have someone else on the hook for any problems with your house like heating, a/c, plumbing,siding etc and those things are generally not cheap to fix. I guess you could roll the dice but for myself, I'm not that much of a gambler.
Yes, I've heard of that saying before. I'll contact my inspector to check his availability. The end of this month would make my house 11 mos. old since I moved in. I'll also ask some of my neighbors who moved in around the same time as me or just before to see what they're thinking about another inspection. Thanks again for the input.
boewulf7, it can't hurt to have the inspection. the worst is that you will have spent a couple of hundred dollars for peace of mind. On another note, where the flashing meets the brick, take a hose to that spot and spray it very hard to see if any water penetrates. It is the only way to know without that huge rain.
You might want to ask your neighbors what they've seen wrong with their houses up to this point, or if any have done the final inspection yet and what was found. Since y'all have the same builder it would give you ideas of what to look for.
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.
