Home Inspection Tips

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Should a new home be inspected? Most homebuyers believe it is not needed. This is far from the truth. Below are some home inspection tips for your new home inspection.

New homes need inspections more than existing homes!!

Yes, the Code Inspector does inspect the home during the building process to a certain degree, however they spend a fraction of the time in the home that an experienced home inspector would spend. Also, the Code inspector has a brief list of items he checks and is usually only at the home for 10-20 minutes since they have so many homes to look at everyday. Further, there could be additional issues that are not code related violations, however can still create serious problems for the homeowner in the future.

Keep this in mind. The building codes are the bare minimum requirements that any contractor has to adhere to. So, if a builder tells you that the house is built to code, all he is saying is the home has been built to the minimum requirements. Believe it or not, during many of my new home inspections, they aren’t even built to the minimum code required.




Another little known fact: The majority of the building steps (foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc) are typically subcontracted to the lowest bidder. Unfortunately, quality is not the highest consideration for the builder, speed is more important (thinking time is money). Most people blame the builder for issues when the sub-contractors are usually the one who created the issue. Builders rarely personally monitor all of the sub-contractor phases during the building process, so they aren’t even aware of the problems created by their subs.

Think of all the energy, time & money spent on the purchase of your new home, a major defect or issue with the home is the last thing you want to deal with. The best way for you to be protected is by hiring an independent home inspector. The home inspector will act on the buyer’s behalf and will have their best interest at heart.

The best home inspection tip I can give you is to choose a well-qualified, experienced home inspector through a national organization. Most states have very minimal requirements to be a home inspector; therefore just to be licensed doesn’t mean much. The home inspector organizations are volunteer base, not required, and hence would demonstrate his dedication to his profession. The best of the best is ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) . I have been a certified inspector of ASHI for many years because they are the elite organization. They have the toughest requirements to become certified and required 20 continuing education credits every year. The ASHI inspectors also agree to inspect to a recognized Standards of Practice and agree to adhere to their Code of Ethics. There are several different inspections to consider on your new home if you are involved in the building process.

  • Foundation: Verify if footing/foundation are properly installed.
  • Pre-drywall: Verify framing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc are proper before everything is covered up.
  • Final Inspection: Home is 100% complete, check the entire home
  • 1 Year Warranty: Checking for movement, changes to the home over its first year.
  • Radon Testing Testing to be completed with the final inspection.
  • Another great home inspection tip: Attend the inspection with your inspector. An experienced inspector will always welcome you to accompany him during the inspection since they understand the value to you. There are so many things your inspector can teach you about your new home, provide maintenance tips, energy saving ideas, explain how things work, etc. Every client of mine that was with me has ALWAYS been extremely grateful for coming and appreciative of what they learned.


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    Building Tip

    "Do not use any wood on the exterior of the home. Wood is very high maintenance and will require painting every two to three years. There are many better alternatives."

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    INSPIRING THOUGHT

    "Living with nothing to hide, nothing to gain and nothing to lose is real freedom."
    ~ Ken Davis