Is your builder’s warranty expiring soon?
Often enough, homeowners forget about the expiring warranty. The new home feels fresh and nice. Sometimes it is hard to imagine that there might be something faulty underneath all that glimmer.
We recommend that you get a home inspection before your builder’s warranty expires. Because new construction homes come with warranties that will protect you as a homeowner, the builders are accountable for any considerable quality issues. As Avalon Management points out, it would not be too smart to pass on this opportunity to defend your rights.
In this article, we will explain why you need a home inspection before your builder’s warranty expires. Additionally, you will learn about home inspections and what it can uncover.
The Starting Point: Home Inspection & Builder’s Warranty Expiration
Builder’s warranties usually expire after your first anniversary in the new home. Many homeowners are excited about their first year coming to an end without any problems occurring.
However, this is exactly the time when you should get a home inspection. Even though everything might seem fine, it is not completely out of the question that some trouble is brewing underneath the perfect façade.
That is an important decision because letting this opportunity go means you will cover the repair expenses yourself. But when you uncover the building blunders early enough, the contractors or subcontractors need to pay for the fixes.
What is Included in a Home Inspection?
You may discuss with your home inspection company to add or remove some areas of primary focus. Since you are getting an inspection that has to do with the expiration of your builder’s warranty, the particular necessities may vary.
However, we will take a look at the main priorities of home inspections in general. You can get the full typical inspection called an 11-Month Inspection for Builder’s Warranties or a custom one after discussing the detail with your inspector.
Keep in mind that the schedules and methods differ among home inspection companies and even individual inspectors. Still, we can present you with a list of the typical features.
- HVAC: The HVAC system is a huge priority when it comes to home inspections. Your inspector is going to take note of any damage or even serious malfunctions of the HVAC unit. The inspector will scrutinize your HVAC because any problem can jeopardize the health and safety of residents and pets.
- Safety: Speaking of safety, every home inspection aims to uncover safety problems so that you can fix them at the earliest opportunity. Some of the key areas for safety include checking the fire sprinklers, stair situation, guardrails, and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Foundation: The full integrity of your home structure rests on the foundation. As a homeowner, you want to make sure that nothing threatens the structural integrity of your house. Whenever there are serious signs of a failing foundation, you need to act quickly and take care of these issues before they deteriorate any further.
- Roof: The only big structural component standing between your living spaces and the threatening outside elements is your roof. No professional home inspector skips a roof. Many potential problems can affect your roof. For instance, your inspector will check for water leaks, damaged or missing components, mold, mildew, and rot.
- Plumbing: One of the essential support systems in every home is plumbing with all its components. All of these need to be kept in check. That is because even minor plumbing problems can lead to long-term risks of mold growth, flooding, and water leaks.
- Windows & Doors: You may have a new home, but that does not mean the windows and doors would not be prone to common issues. A poor job can quickly result in visible cracks, screeching hinges, and even rot. Have the inspector check these parts of your house as well.
In a Nutshell: Home Inspection Before Your Builder’s Warranty Expires
Obtaining a home inspection before your builder’s warranty expires is an essential part of using your homeowner’s rights. You may think that there is nothing to find, but some issues may be hard to detect for a non-professional.
The optimal time to get your home inspection is a month before your warranty expires. Most of the problems should have surfaced for a trained eye. Then you can take the home inspector’s report to your contractor or sub-contractor to get the problems fixed as soon as possible without you having to pay a dime.