Submitted by Dwayne Boggs, Boggs Home Inspection Services
Frequently, our team is asked whether it’s better to have a newly built home inspected before moving in or sometime before the eleven-month warranty expires.
When my office assistant, Karen, joined our team this was one of the first topics that we discussed. I wanted to be sure that she could give an educated answer to home buyers.
The buyer has more power before you sign on the dotted line than after. I always tell home owners to do the inspection before committing to purchasing the home.
As our working relationship has continued, I call Karen after inspections and tell her about defects found on new homes. After nine years of inspecting homes in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and the surrounding area, I’m still shocked at what issues I find.
Recently, I completed an 11-month warranty inspection for a home owner. When Karen booked the appointment for the inspection, she mentioned that the owner had many concerns. In situations like this, I frequently don’t know what I’m walking into.
Here are just a few things that I encountered on this less-than-a-year-old home:
- The siding was installed incorrectly. There was no face nailing or flashing behind the butt joints. I actually see this more often than I would like on new Hardie plank siding.
- The floor joists were not secured. I could move them with my hand. There was large spacing between the between the bottom of the hangers and the joist. The above framing was really not getting any support.
- One of the main beams had a large crack in it, from one side to the other.
- My co-inspector Jeff Widmer looked up at the kitchen ceiling to see the light fixture hanging by wires. Mind you, this is not a 1940’s fixer-upper but an 11-month new home.
The home owner just looked at us and said “now you know why we are so upset.” In this new subdivision, many of my clients’ neighbors are having similar issues.
Once again, I stress the importance of a home inspection prior to signing on the dotted line.
Boggs Inspection Services
360.480.9602 (office)
