Buying a brand new construction - what to look out for?

[MarieIG]

I watched a few new constructions of houses, condos in nearby town. Also a few in another town where a farm is paved over for condos. None would I ever buy. They would need to pay me a lot of $$$ to live in them.

I'd say hire an inspector at the beginning of the construction and have them watch the process. And require corrections.

After it is built, the hidden shortcuts and cheap materials are not observable.
Good luck.

This makes sense to me. (Maybe put something in the contract which gives your inspector the ongoing authority to inspect throughout the construction process.) I would also want short reports back from your inspector as to status following each visit, with photos - as photos are easy enough to take even on one's phone.

 

[freedomatlast]

Previous posters covered the basics on the house pretty well, but I would want to make sure the ground the house is built on wasn't recently filled. Around here, some builders build cookie-cutter houses on newly filled ground. And in a year or two (after the one year warranty expires) the effects of the settling are horrific. Cracked drywall, doors that wont latch because there is a 1/4" gap due to settllng, cracked foundations, windows that won't open, doors that don't close, pipes that break....the list goes on and on. The lawsuits pile up, the builder declares bankruptcy and then emerges again under a different company name the next year.

 

[cbbennet]

Pictures before sheet rock goes up

I took pictures at every stage and they came in handy when the inevitable problems arose.
1. After footings go in.
2. After framing is complete.
3. After plumbing and electrical is complete. (Helped find a shelving nail which went through a vent stack - stinky closet!).
4. Before and after flooring goes down.
5. Before kitchen and bathroom counters go in.
6. In yard before they cover water line, electrical connections.
7. Breaker box with all labels complete.
Best of luck. We love our new house!

 

[Sanstar]

In new houses we were going to finance, we kept upgrades to a minimum. We didn’t want a 30 year mortgage with interest extended to appliances and other upgrades. When the builder grade stuff wore out, we upgraded and paid cash for higher quality vs financing appliances for 20 - 30 years. Another option is to pay up front for upgrades at closing.

Congratulations for your soon to be new home. Ours will be complete in 6-8 months. I’ll be following this thread and keeping an eye on the build progress. My picky issue with a new build is is making sure the workers’ food related trash is policed up before any rooms/walls are closed off. We’ll be paying for our own inspector before closing.

 

[Ronstar]

Too many things that need to be inspected to fit in a single post.

Hire your home inspector like others have said. When I sold my snowbird condo, the buyer hired a home inspector. Found a litany of things, most of which were minor. Point is - he did a very thorough job.

 

[Jerry1]

A lot has been said. I totally agree with hiring an inspector. However, don’t assume that it will be easy to get a problem corrected if one is found. Once something is done, it’s very difficult to fix and if it’s “good enough”, the builder is not going to want to mess with it.

My main advice is to do your research on the builder. Ultimately, it’s the quality of the builder that will be reflected in the final product. See if there are houses the builder has built that you can visit. Even better if some houses are in process and you can see their work - most of the important work is under the drywall. Try to get some references and hopefully some are 5 years or so old so you can get some input from past purchasers.

Finally, the more detail on the build sheet the better. What brand of windows, brand and model of any appliances (hvac and water heater . . .), brand of cabinets. The more you know going in, the better. As was said - builder grade is garbage and a statement like premium grade is meaningless without specific brand and model numbers.

Good luck.

 

[ransil]

search utube for new construction home inspectors, they do glorify stuff for clicks but you would think new construction plus code inspections would be top notch, not happening.

 

[COcheesehead]

A few houses ago we had major foundation issues. Prior the final diagnosis, we had two different home inspectors come look for the cause of multiple cracks in our home. Neither could find anything, which of course was not the case.
There is no certification for home inspectors. Interview them carefully before choosing one.

 

[Montecfo]

A few comments: in a strong sales market builders will not be as responsive. They know the property will sell. Expect this. Stay on them, polite but firm.

The is no substitute for regular inspection during build. If this is impractical, perhaps you can hire an experienced, well reviewed home inspector to do walk throughs for you. Yes, this will cost, but well worth it.

As suggested, do punch lists pre-close. They should agree and sign off. Hound them to complete these items. Understand you have little leverage but they will get them eventually.

Do not believe what the sales agent tells you. Their job is sales.

Do not worry about the low grade appliances etc. Just take the builder grade. Replace as needed or upgrade as desired. Upgrading pre-close will not be economic.

This is nerve wracking but also a great adventure.

All the best!

 

[Mansderm]

Hire an independent home inspector. Interview a couple and choose the one with the most knowledge making sure that the inspector knows that YOU are the client. Visit the home with the inspector several times starting now as some deficiencies can be identified early and are easily addressed during construction. Take pictures. Let the inspector that you want a report after each of those visits.

It isn't enough that the building meets code...

Ditto!!! There is also a warranty period. Make sure you get defects/problems corrected as soon as possible.

 

[COcheesehead]

Take pictures of the home in frame stage before drywall. You’ll know where every wire and duct is.

 

[imnontrad]

1. See if you can go in and take photos of the walls before the sheetrock is in place to verify the location of the studs, the wiring and plumbing.
2. See if "age in place" bracing can be put into place behind the drywall in case you need to add grab bars for stability (and take photos in case you need this later.
3. Look at getting levers instead of doorknobs - easier to open when your hands are full or if you have arthritis.
4. research the possibility of the cork exterior finish which not only increases insulation but also increases fire resistance (https://thermalcorksolutions.com)

 

[vaxcat]

Take pictures

Try to take pictures of where the wiring and plumbing is in the walls and floors between levels.

Make sure the light switches are where you want them. For example, my kitchen as 2-pole switches (either one can turn the kitchen lights on), but both are on the same side of the kitchen where I'd like to have on each side of the kitchen.

Put a spotlight above the kitchen sink.

I paid extra to have a light switch for a light in the bedroom ceilings so I could install ceiling fans.

Some of my "if I had to do it over" ideas.

 

[WhenIsItTime]

Ohmigod. We live 4 hours away and cannot check daily. This is really anxiety provoking, especially as neither of us has any construction background or knowledge!

I'd be assessing how big a builder is this? Reputation? Do they know their subcontractors or are they different on every job? Are reviews typical where complainers are 10x more likely to post than happy customers, or something to really be concerned about?

Do you know somebody close to the building location who is knowledgeable about construction? Be good to have a personal connection w/somebody who can put frequent eyes on it.

There are lots of things to look for that can be noticed during the process.

I was watching a house for a buddy. Got a lot of rain while it was in framing phase. The OSB subfloor had standing water in a couple areas. Builder was going to cover it up with hardwood flooring/carpet. I noticed it and buddy had builder replace all the sheets with water damage.

Also, driveway sloped downhill to garage given property grade vs roadway. Builder wasn't going to do much other than slope cement for runoff. After raising concern, builder put in french drain so runoff was relocated off to side yard.

I'm sure knowledgeable people in this area could give 1,000's of examples.

 

[COcheesehead]

I'd be assessing how big a builder is this? Reputation? Do they know their subcontractors or are they different on every job? Are reviews typical where complainers are 10x more likely to post than happy customers, or something to really be concerned about?

Do you know somebody close to the building location who is knowledgeable about construction? Be good to have a personal connection w/somebody who can put frequent eyes on it.

There are lots of things to look for that can be noticed during the process.

I was watching a house for a buddy. Got a lot of rain while it was in framing phase. The OSB subfloor had standing water in a couple areas. Builder was going to cover it up with hardwood flooring/carpet. I noticed it and buddy had builder replace all the sheets with water damage.

Also, driveway sloped downhill to garage given property grade vs roadway. Builder wasn't going to do much other than slope cement for runoff. After raising concern, builder put in french drain so runoff was relocated off to side yard.

I'm sure knowledgeable people in this area could give 1,000's of examples.

We lived a mile away from where our current house was built. We were there everyday just because of things you list. The house can be within code, but the builder will make decisions that likely you as an owner would not. Everything from light switch placement, can light locations, which way a door will swing, hundreds of things. Our neighbors house was built as a spec. Ours was built custom for us. They have been dealing with lots of builder decisions versus decisions we made that we are happy with.

 

[Brat]

What cbbennet and vaxcat said!!!