[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by villager7591

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]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Seems like cheap insurance to make sure how was built properly

$500 for a home inspection, why not….what was your question, LOL

[egmcaninch]

Originally Posted by 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

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by bowlingal

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Pondboy

I’d also recommend a pre drywall inspection.

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

[Driller703]

Originally Posted by 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

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]

Originally Posted by Michaeljay

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.