Tips From a Professional Home Inspector - the Finishing Steps

By: Mr. Benson - ACE INSPECTORS | Posted: 20-11-2007

The “Finishing Steps” for New Construction Homeowners

18 November 2007

The Homeowner’s Challenging Journey

The new construction homeowner begins the journey excited about thought of the family moving into a fresh and brand new home. The homeowner dreams about the great meals that will be cooked in the new spacious kitchen; about all the newly acquired space in the big garage; about the sunlight streaming in through that skylight in the laundry room. This new home is going to be the family dream house come true. Then the construction begins and so does the does the decline of the dream. The water meter housing ends up buried in the middle of the driveway; the wrong front door gets installed; the garage becomes a foot and half less in width because the foundation was laid out wrong. After the new homeowner battles a few of the issues it becomes apparent that this is going to be norm throughout the building process. Soon the new construction homeowner realizes that the small issues will have to give way to standing firm on the big issues. So the journey continues until near the end the new homeowner is exhausted with the whole thing and can hardly remember those fantasies of the family dream house.

The Homebuilder’s Profit Bottom Line

The new construction homebuilder doesn’t intentionally create issues, they happen because of various reasons intrinsic to the new home construction business. It is tough for a homebuilder to survive and make a profit. The cost of subcontractors, the cost of their own workers and the cost of materials are continuously occurring expenses they try to minimize. Often this struggle can result in poor quality workmanship and materials and the results are often discovered when it is too late. Now add to the mix unpredictable weather and the customer’s wants and needs and you have the makings of a journey that will have challenges. Some new construction homebuilders manage and mitigate these challenges better than others and usually know it and charge accordingly. But no matter if it is the well-managed new construction homebuilder or the worst managed, they must balance the customer’s satisfaction with their own profit bottom line. At the end of the new home construction building process, the homebuilder is nearly as weary as the homeowner.

The “Finishing Steps”

Most often the new construction homeowner nears the end of the home construction building process tired, weary and anxious to move in. Likewise, the new construction homebuilder reaches the end anxious to be done, to finalize the expenses and realize a profit. So you would think that the “Finishing Steps” would be executed with driven intent to be completed correctly. Think again, often this not the case experienced by this inspector (Professional Inspector Texas License # 8796). Usually the new homeowner has never been through the new construction building process before and the homebuilder frequently neglects these steps in hot pursuit to get the house completed. So here are the “Finishing Steps” in simple terms.

Get the kitchen appliances installed (dishwasher, cooking range and range hood) and turned on

Get the natural gas meter installed and turned on (electricity and water are installed earlier and used throughout the building process)

Get the water heater and furnace turned on (they are usually installed earlier in the building process by the plumber subcontractor)

Execute the “Walk Through Inspection” with the homebuilder (the above mentioned must be done first so that the homeowner knows if these systems pass the “Walk Though Inspection”) – DO NOT allowed the above mentioned to happen after the “Walk Through Inspection”

Execute an independent thorough "Licensed Home Inspection” (the above mentioned must be done first so that the Licensed Home Inspector can execute a complete inspection of all of the house systems) – DO NOT allowed the above mentioned to happen after the "Licensed Home Inspection”

Make the homebuilder fix all that is found in need of repair from the “Walk Through Inspection” and the "Licensed Home Inspection”

Once the new construction homeowner is satisfied with the repairs and fixes made by the homebuilder, the homeowner signs the final closing documents and takes possession of the house (the dream house as it were).

The Best Inspectors

The “Finishing Steps” as described above rarely occurs in the proper order and Licensed Home Inspectors often arrive at incomplete houses not ready to be inspected. However, some Licensed Home Inspectors will go ahead with the inspection and turn an easy inspection (quick bucks). The best Home Inspectors will always advise the new construction homeowner of the above mentioned “Finishing Steps” and offer to return when the appliance are installed and the gas is turned on. It is one of these Licensed Home Inspectors that you want hire.

The Professional Home Inspector’s Tips

New Construction Homeowners, know that the new construction homebuilding process is going to be a Challenging Journey. But battle fearlessly.

New Construction Homeowners, know that new construction homebuilders must balance the customer’s satisfaction with their own profit bottom line. But battle fearlessly.

New Construction Homeowners, learn the “Finishing Steps” to the new construction homebuilding process so that your Licensed Home Inspector can do you the best job possible. Battle to make this happen.

New Construction Homeowners, hire the best Licensed Inspector available so that that you get the best inspection and know what the homebuilder needs to fix prior to your house closing. Battle to make them fix them all.

Good Luck and stayed tuned for more “Tips from a Professional Home Inspector”

Written by Mr. Benson

El Paso Texas Professional Home Inspector

ACE INSPECTORS

Texas License # 8796

 

About the Author:
As a designer and engineer Mr. Benson has a received numerous patents and awards, but architecture and building structures are his passion. Mr. Benson is a licensed Professional Home Inspector in the El Paso Texas metropolitan area, a degreed Mechanical Engineer and owner of ACE INSPECTORS.