Should You Get a Home Inspection on a New House?

Originally Posted on Feb 4, 2011 - In general, home inspections are very important.  Home inspectors are licensed, and most have a very keen eye to notice elements of a home that might be out of place, much better than the average joe.  Few people would question getting a home inspection on an existing house, but some feel it unnecessary to get a home inspection on a new construction home.

A new construction home will have had multiple contractors and inspectors (depending on building code and permit requirements of your area), through the home by the time it gets to the time a buyer would occupy a new construction home.  In Norman, Moore, and Oklahoma City, inspections must be completed at various stages of new homes, and the inspector will not allow anything that is against code or doesn't meet standards to pass.  Because of this, the odds of there being a major problem with the new construction house are not very high!  That being said, in Oklahoma, the builders generally provide you with a one year warranty on the materials and craftsmanship of their homes (appliances like the dishwasher, microwave, HVAC, water heater, etc... will usually be covered under their own manufacturers warranties), and any issues that there might be with a home might not get found until you sell it and an inspector goes through and notices the problem -- at that point it is usually well past the builders home warranty and will have to come out of your pocket.  Even a small repair can cost more than what an inspector would charge to do an inspection to begin with.

A builder, regardless of how reputable, will hire subcontractors that do the majority of the work, and people make mistakes, and some subcontractors can cut corners.  Under a good builder's oversight, this will be minimized, but still can happen.  

Some Examples:

1) This home was built by a very highly rated tract home builder -- the buyers bought directly from the builder and were very pleased over all -- every element of the home appeared to be well done and the buyers moved in and enjoyed their home for 5 years.  I listed their home for sale and the new buyer did a home inspection & noticed that the subcontractors that put the insulation in had missed putting insulation over the entire master bedroom, and had gas exhaust vents touching woodwork, among some other minor issues that would have been caught if they had done a home inspection to begin with.  Total cost of repairs was nearly $700.00.  At the very least they knew why their master bedroom was never cool during the summer or warm during the winter.  

2) A brand new home was being purchased and the buyer opted to get a home inspection.  The home inspectors noticed some settling on one side of house and a structural engineer was called & it was found that piering was necessary on one side of the home (on a brand new home!).  Total cost: appx. $1000

There are also examples of homes that have been inspected and the home inspectors find absolutely nothing.  In either case, if you are going to be spending what in many cases is hundreds of thousands of dollars on a home (read: investment), saving $200-220 by not getting a home inspection may not be saving anything at all.   

You can always call me with any real estate question you might have!  I specialize in the Norman/Noble, Moore, and Oklahoma City areas and am always available to help!

Rob Schaerer
Dillard Group Real Estate
Preferred: (405) 694-8537
Office: (405) 366-7707
Rob@Dillardgroup.com
www.OklaHomeSeller.com

"It's not about houses -- It's about homes."

I am a Real Estate Agent specializing in the Norman OK, Moore OK, and Oklahoma City OK areas.  I am a member of the National Association of Realtors, and have access to the Norman MLS and the Oklahoma City MLS.  I can help you as a buyer broker or help you as a listing broker for your home in Norman OK, Moore OK, and anywhere in the Oklahoma City metro area.  I would love to be your Oklahoma Real Estate Agent -- let me know how I can help you with your next move! 

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