home inspector for new construction?

[handles]

Is there any point or use in having a home inspector to inspect a new house that you are about to take posession of? Has anyone heard of this? or done it?
I was thinking of hiring one to come along for my closing. Any ideas

[Gloaming]

i would ESPECIALLY have a home inspector for a new home. Make sure they aren't affiliated with the builder either. If anything- get a competitor.

[BuildingHomes]

Is there any point or use in having a home inspector to inspect a new house that you are about to take posession of? Has anyone heard of this? or done it?
I was thinking of hiring one to come along for my closing. Any ideas

You will find more major problems with your house for the 1 year warranty period than you will prior to closing.

Most builders representatives who do your PDI will catch a lot of things that need correcting, and you will be able to point out all the more obvious stuff, such as paint and scratches, etc..

There are a million PDI checklists out there.

http://www.buildinghomes.ca/index.php/PDI_Checklist

[venice_it]

IMO, it's a waste of money for a new home. Generally, it is too soon for any major problems to be apparent. All you can tell is general fit and finish and make sure what is visible (i.e ductwork, furnace venting etc in basement) is to code.

[SW20 MR2]

I agree. If anything, save the inspector for the 1-year inspection since it will have given the house time to settle.

[ranny3]

I think its worth it. My home inspector caught stuff I wouldn't have. Before the house is done he'll have done 6 visits. You'd be surprised the stuff that gets left out (usually by accident)... ie: in the basement, they forgot to put the blocking on top of a beam - basically a block of wood that continues the beam to the ceiling (past the floor joist), without it - ur floor will sag, wall above can crack in a couple of years... with the drywall up, you'd never be able to tell it was missing.

Another thing was they didn't use blue/green board in the washroom - just regular gypsum. Things like that, if you already know about home construction it might not be worth it, if you have no clue - get an inspector, worth the cash.

[Diamondog]

Maybe fruitlandexpress should've invested in one of these guys and he wouldn't have gotten stuck with a Monarch "dump". ;)

[handles]

thanks everyone I think I'll skip it until the 1 year

[SW20 MR2]

Unless he's related or a friend, did you pay $2-300 every visit?

I think its worth it. My home inspector caught stuff I wouldn't have. Before the house is done he'll have done 6 visits.

[ranny3]

He charged 900$ flat rate, for 5-6 visits. The building is a triplex, maybe single home would be less. If you're in the Montreal area - I'd highly recommend him. His name is Brian Crewe - you can google him, he has articles for reader's digest, the newspaper and CTV



Unless he's related or a friend, did you pay $2-300 every visit?

[Neil]

I think its worth it. My home inspector caught stuff I wouldn't have. Before the house is done he'll have done 6 visits. You'd be surprised the stuff that gets left out (usually by accident)... ie: in the basement, they forgot to put the blocking on top of a beam - basically a block of wood that continues the beam to the ceiling (past the floor joist), without it - ur floor will sag, wall above can crack in a couple of years... with the drywall up, you'd never be able to tell it was missing.

Another thing was they didn't use blue/green board in the washroom - just regular gypsum. Things like that, if you already know about home construction it might not be worth it, if you have no clue - get an inspector, worth the cash.

Same thing here, I brought in an inspector mid-way when I wasn't getting credible answers from the builder. The inspector found a lot of stuff that would never have been possible later on.

You have to be prepared for confrontation though. The construction manager did not take well to this outside inspector and it was bordering on a war of words between him and the inspector. Luckily my inspector was highly qualified and prepared for that kind of reaction, otherwise I'm not sure how it would have went.

It remains to be seen how many of the inspector's findings will be addressed, but going through the company owner so far so good...

[spdztr]

We're approaching our one-year mark on our new home, and will be getting a home inspector. We didn't get one for our closing, but the builder's rep did a pretty good job of finding a lot of defects.

I think it's really hit-and-miss, as each house is different, and some things that are insignificant for someone may mean a world of difference for someone else.