We've been doing home inspections since 2013; and as in everything in life, seasons ebb and flow. While what we do for a home inspection remains fairly consistent, there are some things that do change. One of those is the number of new construction home inspections we are now performing. In the Des Moines area inventory has remained low, and home buyers are looking at new construction on a regular basis. Depending on the contractor, at times we are allowed to come in and do "phased inspections"; but other home builders do not allow these sorts of inspections. We remind buyers time and again, just because it's new doesn't mean it's done right. Just this past week we were inspecting a new construction and a neighbor came out and said "How we wish we would have had our home inspected before we moved in!" We hear this often.
OUR ASK OF OUR REALTORS: Please be sure the utilities are on. This past month we experienced three different times where we were to perform an inspection shortly before the final walk through and utilities were not on; which of course, necessitates either an incomplete inspection or the need for us to go back for a second time for an additional charge. Not what a home buyer or us want to do!
We recommend clients have an inspection a few days prior to the final walk through; or at least a week before closing, and of course, contact the builder to be sure all utilities are on so we can perform a complete inspection.
A phased inspection is more thorough. We come into the home pre-insulation; pre-drywall; and then before final walk through. The list of items we find in new construction varies widely. We've often shared photos on our social media pages; oh the things we find!
An inspection on new construction is never money wasted!