Inspection on new build home

[Michaeljay]

Hi,
We are building in Shady Brook and will be closing in November. The wife wants to get the home inspected when we close on the home and I want to wait until closer to the one year mark. So I would like to know what others have done about getting an inspection on a new build . Was it worth it or a waste of time. No matter what we decide to do we’ll still get the home inspection before the first year is up.
Thanks

[villagetinker]

We did a new build in 2013 and held off on the inspection until 11 months later, our inspector Frank DeAngelo found several items that needed to be taken care of. I believe this is the best way to handle this.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

We did a new build in 2013 and held off on the inspection until 11 months later, our inspector Frank DeAngelo found several items that needed to be taken care of. I believe this is the best way to handle this.

same, the builder's one year warranty for almost anything and living locally, is very responsive. A lot of the local contractors lively hoods depends upon quality installation and service, and add on service in the future so everyone is helpful and wants to insure a good product. This isn't the same scenario as most parts of the country.

There will always be exceptions, but just live in the house for 11 months and you will find the obvious issues, and then have The DeAngelos find the remaining issues after they become a bit more obvious and easier to find.

We found that the roman shower missed a second niche per the plans, so we did some thinking of what we could swap for instead of all the additional re-construction, and they agreed. . . again, minor oversight, as we had alot of electrical changes and additions, so that was their main focus. . .

[retiredguy123]

There are a lot of things you can inspect yourself. Here are just a few that I would check:

- Shine a flashlight on all ceilings, including the closets, to look for water stains.
- Shine a flashlight parallel to long drywall runs to look for excessive bowing.
- Run your finger along all countertop edges, top and bottom, to check for chips and cracks.
- Use a 2 or 3 foot long level on countertops and hard floors.
- Try to walk in every part of the house to check for loose flooring.
- Check windows for fogging between the panes.
- Test all electrical wall outlets and switches. Switches that control an outlet may have a red dot on them.
- Turn on all faucets and fill sinks to check for proper draining. Flush toilets.
- Operate all appliances.
- Check the outside during a rainstorm for proper grading.
- Open and close all doors. Make sure they latch and have small, uniform gaps when closed.
- Use a thermometer to test the accuracy of the thermostat.

[bruce213]

There is nothing saying you can't do both inspections. It's $ vs peace of mind.

[vintageogauge]

There are certain items that only have a 30 day warranty for repair such as landscape plantings, sod, concrete cracks, missing or separated caulk, irrigation, etc. You will have a walk through with your builder at closing so don't let him or her rush you through it look carefully at everything. You also might want to walk around the house several times before closing if you are renting down here and take notes of what to discuss during your walkthrough. They are very good at taking care of any problem you find so don't let that be a worry.

[asianthree]

Hi,
We are building in Shady Brook and will be closing in November. The wife wants to get the home inspected when we close on the home and I want to wait until closer to the one year mark. So I would like to know what others have done about getting an inspection on a new build . Was it worth it or a waste of time. No matter what we decide to do we’ll still get the home inspection before the first year is up.
Thanks

First you need to do a punch list within 7 days, turning into warranty. Some items only have a 7 days window to fix or not covered. Your rep will tell you what is the list today.
This is our fourth house, so we did our own punch,( scratch's in windows, irrigation not correct so landscaping dying, is the 7 day fix now or on your own.)
We have alway used Frank D’Angelo, schedule him the week you close for 9-10 months out. Yes he is that busy.

We had everything cosmetic on our 7 day punch list, cabinets touch up, drawer not soft closing, something in the garage disposal (screw). And so on. Also within that year you can email warranty with items after your punch list as something becomes a problem.

Then at your 10 month mark your hired inspection, will take care of structural, roof, electrical, paint nail pops, and any major items for you. They will submit directly to warranty.

[snbrafford]

Hi,
We are building in Shady Brook and will be closing in November. The wife wants to get the home inspected when we close on the home and I want to wait until closer to the one year mark. So I would like to know what others have done about getting an inspection on a new build . Was it worth it or a waste of time. No matter what we decide to do we’ll still get the home inspection before the first year is up.
Thanks

We are on our 2nd home - just move to a 4 year old home in July. We insisted that the inspector (that we paid for) take a look at the irrigation system as we had to spend quite a bit getting the irrigation system on our first "older" home working properly. With that said, the inspector did a poor job saying all ok. After moving, we found that 15 heads didn't even pop up because they had become overgrown with grass and we had to pay to have someone come in and get everything working. We did get money back due to the poor inspection. My reason for saying all this is that I suspect most things will be ok on a new build but the irrigation systems are a real pain to kept working properly.

[Pondboy]

I’d also recommend a pre drywall inspection.

[rjm1cc]

I did a walk through just before settlement. A/C not working. Fixed in a couple of hours since they did not want to delay closing. I would go through the day before if you can. Test all the wall outlets and lights. Turn on all equipment. Turn on heater. Open close all windows an doors. Test locks etc. Then get the professional at the end of the year as settlement type problems might have developed over time and you may not be able to spot.

[Retiring]

I built three years ago. Had Frank DeAngelo, he’s retired so his son’s did the inspection, do inspections on day one AND at the eleventh month. Found several issues on both inspections. Originally, I wasn’t going to have a day one inspection but the walk thru with the super that built the house wasn’t very comforting. I found several problems immediately and all he could say was, sorry I’m new at this. Your house is a big investment, get an inspection now and at eleven months. It’s like insurance, they may find everything is perfect in which case you might feel it was a waste of money but what if they find everything is not perfect???

I did have one issue that lingered, but TV sub eventually fixed the problem.

[Michaeljay]

I’d also recommend a pre drywall inspection.

What is a pre drywall inspection.From what our realtor tells us, we can not have any inspections done before closing because the developer still owns the home.

[villager7591]

On our second house, we had 50+ items upon inspection of new-build home last September. DEFINITELY get an inspection.

[Marathon Man]

Do both. Down the road you will not miss the few hundred dollars.

[Pondboy]

What is a pre drywall inspection.From what our realtor tells us, we can not have any inspections done before closing because the developer still owns the home.

It’s an inspection that looks at the “Guts” of the house, before the drywall hides it all ; the HVAC piping, the plumbing, the electrical lines, the way the joists are secured to each other, the flashing on the windows.

Google it for further details.

[Stu from NYC]

On our second house, we had 50+ items upon inspection of new-build home last September. DEFINITELY get an inspection.

Seems like cheap insurance to make sure home was built properly

[CarlR33]

Seems like cheap insurance to make sure how was built properly$500 for a home inspection, why not….what was your question, LOL

[egmcaninch]

Hi,
We are building in Shady Brook and will be closing in November. The wife wants to get the home inspected when we close on the home and I want to wait until closer to the one year mark. So I would like to know what others have done about getting an inspection on a new build . Was it worth it or a waste of time. No matter what we decide to do we’ll still get the home inspection before the first year is up.
Thanks
In a sense, we actually did both. The builder will walk through to do an inspection before you move in, marking anything you/they find that needs attention. For a year, you are to keep watch and note anything that needs attention. Then, DeAngelo did a great job inspecting our home. The Villages took care of any issues he found. Be aware of your warranties (ie: windows & roof) and note issues before the warranties run out,

[rsmurano]

Sounds like you don’t know how to inspect a home yourself so I would do both. Since TV building dept only gives you a few days to report things like window scrapes/gouges, appliance gouges/stains, then I would have D’Angelo do an inspection before you close. I know half dozen of my neighbors that had their sliders heavily scratched and all of the sliding doors had to be replaced. We had to have our appliance doors replaced because the final cleaners used a chemical that stained the doors. We also had our large quartz slab replaced because of 3 scratches that you could barely see. They tried to fix them by polishing/sanding them out, but the repair guy said these scratches would eventually start to discolor so TV replaced it. I caught this right at the end of the 7 day period and I got a little push back but they did it.
If you wait to long, TV will claim you did the damage while you moved in and not by the TV construction people

[Ptmcbriz]

We did a new build in 2013 and held off on the inspection until 11 months later, our inspector Frank DeAngelo found several items that needed to be taken care of. I believe this is the best way to handle this.

Agreed. That’s what we did too. Frank is booked 3-4 months in advance so call early. Living in the house for 11 months allows you to find any issues. Once reported to The Villages they jump on getting them fixed. Your warranty on minor issues expires at 12 months. Whereas major structural components and equipment are far longer.

[Rwirish]

After 11 months.

[NoMo50]

As previously mentioned, be sure to contact D'Angelo Inspections now for your inspection to be done before your one year warranty expires. They do an incredibly thorough and very professional job, and will be worth every penny you pay them. The Villages Warranty department is very familiar with D'Angelo, and they take their inspection reports seriously. It is not uncommon for D'Angelo to be booked several months out, so book now and avoid disappointment.

In the meantime, get yourself a roll of 1" blue painter's tape. It will become your best friend for marking all of the areas that need attention in your new home. Welcome to The Villages!

[coconutmama]

There are a lot of things you can inspect yourself. Here are just a few that I would check:

- Shine a flashlight on all ceilings, including the closets, to look for water stains.
- Shine a flashlight parallel to long drywall runs to look for excessive bowing.
- Run your finger along all countertop edges, top and bottom, to check for chips and cracks.
- Use a 2 or 3 foot long level on countertops and hard floors.
- Try to walk in every part of the house to check for loose flooring.
- Check windows for fogging between the panes.
- Test all electrical wall outlets and switches. Switches that control an outlet may have a red dot on them.
- Turn on all faucets and fill sinks to check for proper draining. Flush toilets.
- Operate all appliances.
- Check the outside during a rainstorm for proper grading.
- Open and close all doors. Make sure they latch and have small, uniform gaps when closed.
- Use a thermometer to test the accuracy of the thermostat.

Excellent list. I would include checking that all your windows have their screens. Only 30 days to report a missing one. We know that by experience.

Windows are not the best quality so yes, checking for fogging or dots in the glass that signifies a potential leak in the gas between the panes is important.

Totally agree on checking all the outlets. We had one in the bathroom that was wired incorrectly.

The builders are under a lot of pressure to finish on a close timetable. They are not required to use the best products to make $.

When checking the drywall for bows, also check for cracks.

Enjoy your new home. You will be all settled in before you know it

[bowlingal]

why can't you do both? Before closing and at 11 months?

[Rocksnap]

why can't you do both? Before closing and at 11 months?
The initial “punch” inspection is just for anything that has obvious damage. Like scratches, dents, missing/damaged windows/screens etc. no need for a paid inspector for this, if you can even find one in time, as you have one week from move-in.
The warranty inspection is best left to month 11. This inspection you want a professional to accomplish. The company mentioned many times here seems to be the preferred one. Book well ahead of time for your one year inspection.

[Shelbyh]

We did a new build in 2013 and held off on the inspection until 11 months later, our inspector Frank DeAngelo found several items that needed to be taken care of. I believe this is the best way to handle this.

We bought 5 months ago and will be doing the inspection 10 months in before the 1 year. Spoke to several others here and that was the recommendation

[Lisanp@aol.com]

If you can afford it, you should do both. The Village’s has become very strict about the 7 day “cosmetic” so many things found at the one year point won’t be addressed as they will fall under cosmetic category.

[MSGirl]

I’d also recommend a pre drywall inspection.

Absolutely! My neighbor found that some of his outside walls had no insulation

[Driller703]

Hi,
We are building in Shady Brook and will be closing in November. The wife wants to get the home inspected when we close on the home and I want to wait until closer to the one year mark. So I would like to know what others have done about getting an inspection on a new build . Was it worth it or a waste of time. No matter what we decide to do we’ll still get the home inspection before the first year is up.
Thanks

Wait. Anything you find just after you close, call the warranty department and it will be fixed right away. Give it almost a year for your paid inspection.

[RRGuyNJ]

What is a pre drywall inspection.From what our realtor tells us, we can not have any inspections done before closing because the developer still owns the home.

If I contract to buy a new home before or during it's building phase, I will be allowed entry during construction or there will be no contract.
I guess you may have to buy the lot first then have the house built to ensure you get the right to check on construction.
The Villages has so many weird rules.

[Tkbonesdir]

Hi,
We are building in Shady Brook and will be closing in November. The wife wants to get the home inspected when we close on the home and I want to wait until closer to the one year mark. So I would like to know what others have done about getting an inspection on a new build . Was it worth it or a waste of time. No matter what we decide to do we’ll still get the home inspection before the first year is up.
Thanks

Call Tom Stevens from Surf to Turf Home Inspections! 352-448-5567 He has a perfect 5.0 Google rating out of 193 Review!

Here is his facebook. [Log into Facebook | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/surftoturfhomeinspections)

[SusanStCatherine]

I would strongly recommend a cosmetic inspection or even whole home inspection within the first seven days. Make sure you get a receipt of the defects you submit to warranty. We submitted well over 100 issues we found ourselves. Wish we had hired an inspector who has more clout than we the homeowners. We had our whole home professionally inspected at 10 months finding over 60 remaining defects. After 12 months, you may lose any claim you have with the exception being systems and structure. BTW, many of our issues never were fixed properly, so warranty is not great to everyone. Good luck!

[HORNET]

Have up to one year for warranty , start checking out items ( by your self ) on day 1 of closing and call the Warranty Department and report your issues. First house used a Home Inspector “ waste of my money “ . Second home, started on day 1 of closing. Went over with “ fine tooth comb “ made installers and contractor prepare and replace several items. Don’t trust anyone with your problems, even made several self closing drawers be replaced when they couldn’t be adjusted properly, and a front door bottom seal replaced within the first month.

[rjm1cc]

What is a pre drywall inspection.From what our realtor tells us, we can not have any inspections done before closing because the developer still owns the home.

Yes this is a very good idea. We found several mistakes that would have been hard to correct latter on and the person taking us on the inspection also made several suggestions. The builder made all the suggested changes at no extra costs. (the builder was not the Villages)

[Angeloc]

Hi, when you buy a newly constructed home in the village you get a one year warranty for anything you can think of. We bought in 2019. In 2020 they changed eleven kitchen cabinet doors because my wife said the stain was not consistent throughout the kitchen. They also did some superficial concrete work. When they were unable to repair a leak in my shower which was leaking water onto the floor in front of the shower, they ripped the shower out to the studs and replaced everything new.
The warranty department is very receptive. I had an ongoing complaint that went into the next year. There was a crack in my siding on my golf cart garage which the warranty department said had to be done by my landscaper. I kept insisting that it was done by a vehicle and that it was behind a shrub installed by the villages. They sent the contractor who built the house over. When he saw the crack he agreed with me and replaced the siding within a couple of days. I have no complaints they addressed every issue that came up and rectafi it.

We are building in Shady Brook and will be closing in November. The wife wants to get the home inspected when we close on the home and I want to wait until closer to the one year mark. So I would like to know what others have done about getting an inspection on a new build . Was it worth it or a waste of time. No matter what we decide to do we’ll still get the home inspection before the first year is up.
Thanks[/QUOTE]