Auckland building inspections: why you still need one with a building warranty
Sorting out a building warranty on your home build or renovation can be a daunting experience. With plenty of jargon and complicated words, it can be hard to know what’s what and how a building warranty might affect you – and since any building work on your home is likely to be a big financial commitment, you want to make sure it all goes to plan. Alongside a building warranty, it’s also crucial to get a property inspection done once your build is complete to get a second opinion on the quality of the work that’s been done.
The importance of a building warranty
A building warranty is immensely important if you are contracting anyone to work on your home. You’ll find great information on the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) website, especially about implied warranties.
Implied warranties are designed to protect your residential building work, whether you have a contract or not. They are automatic and cover almost all aspects of building work – from compliance with the building code to good workmanship, and even the timely completion of your building work. Breaching these warranties basically means breaching a contract.
However, it’s important to remember that a building warranty is only as good as the company behind it. Nowadays, it feels like we hear more and more horror stories of construction companies and builders going out of business before the build is completed. Nobody wants this to happen, and nobody wants to have to deal with a warranty dispute! It’s a good idea to do plenty of research before committing to a building company. Get feedback from people who’ve used them, read reviews, and try to meet them before you select them to work on your home. Never a guarantee but is a good place to start.
Building warranties
An example of a building warranty is offered by Master Builders. While being a member of the Master Builders group doesn’t guarantee a builder is an absolute expert in their field, selecting a builder who is a registered Master Builder means their work comes with certain assurances. If your builder goes out of business, you will still receive insurance from Master Builders. There is also the comfort of them being from a well-regarded organisation with a good reputation. I am not endorsing them, but it is an example of something to consider.
There are many building franchises out there so do your homework – the cheapest price may not be the best way to decide who to use to build or renovate your home. You want the building process to be as stress-free as possible.
Auckland building inspections: you still need one!
When your build goes to plan and you’re happy with the way your home is looking, it’s easy to rush in and forget about anything else. However, it’s still a good idea to have a professional give a second opinion on the quality of your build. A property inspector carrying out a building inspection can give your home a thorough inspection and provide a property inspection report. They’ll let you know if there’s anything that might be of concern or may identify things you may want to bring up prior to handing over that last payment. The inspection will be visual, but the workmanship may be an indication of the quality of the builder and whether things need to be rectified.
While it may seem unnecessary to get a house inspection on a brand new house, I have inspected many new houses which vary from well-constructed to poorly constructed with things missed by the council inspectors. Find out more about why a property inspection on a new home or new renovation is important here or request a free Auckland building inspections quote below.
