Buying a New Home, an experience worth living:

Inspectors polled from across the Canada on new home defects unanimously agree that most, if not all, new homes are not totally free of defects. None have ever discovered a perfect specimen, regardless of the quality of construction or the integrity of the builder.

Even when the builder warrants the work for one full year, such guaranties are of no benefit unless inherent defects are discovered. Unfortunately, many types of building problems and safety violations do not become apparent for many years. A faulty wiring condition might not be revealed until it damages your computer or causes a fire. Other defects might only be discovered when you finally resell the property, and the buyer decides to hire a home inspector.

A home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind, but often clients are overwhelmed with the amount of information they must absord in a short time. This often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, environmental reports and what the inspector himself says during the inspection. All this combined with the seller's disclosure and what you notice yourself makes the experience even more overwhelming. What should you do?

Relax. Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and minor imperfections. These are nice to know about. However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories:

1. Major defects. An example of this would be a structural failure.

 

2. Things that lead to major defects. A small roof-flashing leak, for example.

 

3. Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy or insure the home.

 

4. Safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electric panel.

 

Anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially in categories 2 and 4). Most builders are honest and are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection.

The list of faulty conditions that have been found in new homes is extensive and includes such items as,

defective roof installation

improper fireplace construction

errors in electrical wiring

excessive water pressure

fire safety violations

unsafe venting of heater exhaust

leaking drains

faulty site drainage

hot water piping connected to the toilet (can you imagine a steaming bowl?)

etc, etc.

In one infamous case, a new home was built and approved on a concrete slab without a perimeter foundation. Obviously, we're not likely to find a major list like this in any particular new home, but every new structure contains a few undisclosed defects, sometimes minor, sometimes not. New homes are often presumed to be exempt from human error, and consequently many close escrow without the benefit of a final examination. For buyers preparing to make such a large investment, assumptions about quality of workmanship can be financially fatal.

Your best advice is to take nothing for granted. The cost of an inspection is incidental when compared to the price of a new home. A qualified home inspector will most assuredly find items that need repair. Better to discover them now than after the close of escrow.