The builder will do a walk through shortly after you close. Take notes he will give you valuable tips, like putting 1 gallon of water through your A/C drainage line per month to keep it clear. Turning off your house water if you'll be away for a while etc.
Then the builder will tell you that you have 15 or 30 days to submit a punch list of items that need to be addressed. Check for any hairline cracks in walls, ceilings etc., paint drips on the walls, smooth edges on your window edges, check your exterior water drainage when it rains. (my neighbor reported water buildup between our houses through his warranty, they didn't fix it satisfactorily as it was killing the grass, but 18 months afterwards he was persistent and The Villages installed a drain between both houses to deal with the water at no cost to either of us because he had reported it several times through warranty) Once your punch list is submitted the warranty department will contact their contractors to schedule fixing the issues with you.
Then as others have suggested about 9 months from closing schedule a home inspector to go through your house inside and out. Our inspector found there wasn't enough insulation in the attic along with a number of other things. He submitted the list to the warranty department and they arranged for contractors to come fix everything. It was money very well spent as it saved us quite a bit on repairs.
An inspector that comes highly recommended is D'Angelo Inspections 352-250-7818
Good luck and welcome to The Villages!
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