Pre purchase building inspections – should you consider doing a new home inspection?
When people often think of pre purchase building inspections, they think they’re only for older homes or buildings. The reality is that any home, new or old, can have problems or inaccuracies invisible from the surface that might compromise its structure or safety. But how do you ensure that your new home is in perfect condition? And what kind of problems might your property inspector be looking out for in a new home inspection?
Why can new homes sometimes have problems?
A brand new home always looks flawless, but that might just be because no one has lived in it yet to notice any problems. New homes haven’t yet stood the test of time, so it’s impossible to judge its quality and safety without a thorough building inspection.
As New Zealand’s population grows at an overwhelming rate, it feels like new homes and builds are going up left, right, and centre. While this delivery and production speed is great for those looking for places to live, it does mean that some of the finer details of building can be overlooked under the pressure of a tight deadline. I’ve definitely seen a real variation among the quality of builds during my time doing inspections across Auckland – from some that are pretty great to some that are frankly appalling!
Sometimes things can slip through the eyes of builders, contractors, or even Council (I’ve seen properties that have been given their Code of Compliance which shouldn’t have!). These missed opportunities and small mistakes are worth picking up before you make the move to save extensive repair costs in the long run.
Addressing problems in the building report
If a problem does arise in the property inspector’s building report, then you’ll have a chance to get things sorted before signing on the dotted line and moving in. New Zealand legislation fortunately protects people if building work isn’t done according to an agreed plan.
If a warranty has been breached and work hasn’t been done to a sufficient standard, then whoever was contracted to do the work must redo it, or pay someone else to. Depending on the situation, a contractor might also have to pay you for any loss of value to your property. The finer details depend on a whole list of factors, which you can find more about here. A property inspection completed before you’re set to move in will reveal any of these problems and give you plenty of time to work through a solution.
Preparing through a property inspection
Building your own home, or purchasing a brand new one, is a big deal. It’s a hefty investment, so you want to be sure you’re not committing to your dream home that might turn into a nightmare! Arranging a property inspection with a qualified property inspector is the only sure way to do that.
And remember that, even if you don’t discover issues while you’re living there, whatever you buy today you’ll have to sell tomorrow. Better to know upfront that your brand new build has been done well so you don’t get any nasty surprises when it comes time to sell!
Interested in finding out more information about a property inspection on a new build? Have a read of our old blog that dives a bit deeper. Or, if you’re wanting to get your pre purchase building inspection started, get a quote below.
