I'm buying a townhome in Cary that should be finished in mid-April. Should I bother getting a home inspector for a new construction townhome in Cary?

I'm leaning towards no for the following reasons.
1) It's new construction
2) It's Cary and they require inspections almost every step of the way during new construction. I don't imagine the inspector to find something that the electrical, plumbing, exterior, etc. town inspectors didn't find.
3) Most people in our development didn't get a home inspector

What say you TWW?

[Edited on February 24, 2010 at 2:08 PM. Reason : if so then who do you recommend?]

2/24/2010 2:07:47 PM

Since it's new construction, and there will be lots of inspection during the process, I'd say wait until it's time to do your one year warranty list to get a private inspector.

2/24/2010 2:10:13 PM

I'd get one, even for a brand-new house. You're gonna spend a bunch of thousands of dollars on the place, it makes sense to pay a few hundred for someone to run over it one time.

http://stevesmallman.com/

He's inspected both my houses and I feel like he does a great job.

2/24/2010 2:12:50 PM

Some places you to have an inspector come one year after construction, as this will allow time for everything to settle. This lets you still stay under the new construction warranty.

2/24/2010 2:18:49 PM

Yes you should. I forget how much it costs but you're much better off getting it done now than a couple years down the road. An ounce of prevention dude.

2/24/2010 4:05:26 PM

i have used my inspector twice with great results...be sure you get troy

you can even schedule the inspection via the internet

http://deltaresidential.com/

2/24/2010 4:43:10 PM

Absolutely!

You don't know if the inspector is helping the constructing co. by "approving" their craftsmanship, while in return getting business from that company... Yeah, it sounds ridiculous, but shady things like this happen.

Cover yourself and get an inspector, someone who will work for you.
I used Steve Smallman. He is AWESOME. VERY thorough... His reports are very detailed and excellent and he's an all around nice/friendly guy. Very knowledgeable about what he does.

Steve Smallman Property Inspections, LLC
steve@stevesmallman.com
919-669-3639
stevesmallman.com/


^^^^ LOL, we used the same inspector. That's awesome.

[Edited on February 24, 2010 at 5:16 PM. Reason : .]

2/24/2010 5:14:53 PM

I work for a home inspection company now and usually we find more problems with new houses than with ones that have already been lived in. Most problems that show up would usually be fixed by the people living in the house already.

2/24/2010 5:27:12 PM

^was just about to say that. ESPECIALLY if you haven't been very involved in the construction process. Ideally you should spend a lot of time being out at the site and looking stuff over. Doesnt have to be every day but checking up on stuff over the weekend etc. helps especially if you are an Engineer or take the time to learn the codes etc.

The house my parents built 18 years ago, my dad said that when they first laid out the foundation, he measured and they had cut a full foot off of the master bedroom. Whether on purpose to cheat them out of money or ignorance, that kind of thing could go unnoticed until it is too late to fix it without some major rework. I know this is a townhouse so its probably a different case though.

[Edited on February 24, 2010 at 5:38 PM. Reason : ]

2/24/2010 5:36:23 PM

Get an inspector. Most new construction that goes on that isn't custom built and fairly high end is going to have some corners cut. Sometimes you can catch when they cut those corners, and if it's a new construction home you could probably hold the builder to fixing the problems before you buy the place.

2/24/2010 6:34:07 PM

Most people don't, but I got an inspection for a new construction townhome in Cary as well. We did a pre-drywall inspection. That way you are able to take pics of the plumbing/wiring before any drywall is put up. Those pics may come in handy if you have anyone come in to do work later or if you're doing some handywork. If you want to know the name of the guy I used I can provide that to you.

2/24/2010 7:04:43 PM

I am a general contractor and I suggest it. Make sure that you get someone that is thorough like some of the above users have used.

Also, when you do your final walk through be super picky. Your list and the inspectors lists will probably be different. You are paying good money for new construction and that is what you should get.

2/24/2010 7:58:10 PM

I'm also buying a house out in Creedmoor (built in 02). My realtor recommended one to me, but I'm imagining there is a bit of conflict of interest there (IE: he finds too much stuff wrong, she doesn't get paid.) Any suggestions? I've been quoted at a rate of 325 plus 65 for termites. Good price?

2/24/2010 8:48:47 PM

^I mean if it's bad enough to be a deal breaker on buying the house your agent doesn't want to sell it to you anyways, (good) real estate agents rely heavily on personal recommendations from happy customers.

I bought new construction and hired the home inspector that my agent recommended. The inspector ended up finding a couple problems the main one being that the outdoor water faucets were not properly secured. According to the report extremely cold temperatures could crack/rupture the pipes and after the winter we're currently experiencing, I'm glad it was taken care of before we gave the builder our money. My 1 year warranty runs out in April, so while it would have gotten fixed had it been broken from this winter it could have been 2 or more years down the road before it became a problem.

Basically is $3-400 worth it to you for the warm fuzzy feeling that the (likely) six figure purchase you are going to make isn't going to have any major/minor problems? I did the radon test too which was like an extra $50 or something, again totally worth the security knowing I'm not going to be irradiated on a daily basis. I mean to each his own, but it was a no-brainer for me.

2/25/2010 8:30:42 AM

I am gonna third Steve Smallman......geez he must be like the James Crouch of home inspectors.

2/25/2010 9:40:38 AM

I am not in Raleigh, so I can't recommend one in particular, but DEFINITELY get an inspection. We just moved in our brand new place in December. In our inspection, we have found that our cabinets were only partially connected and would have fallen once we put our stuff in, among a few other random things that were well worth getting the builders to fix rather than us pay for it. Pay the money now, not later, like many have said.

2/25/2010 7:09:39 PM

just had my prospective new (to me) home inspected, it cost 350, but he found a broken heat exchanger in each furnace (spewing CO). Current owners are now replacing 7k worth of heat exchangers prior to closing.

2/25/2010 8:39:51 PM

Yes, have it inspected. Bif the construction is shitty and goes south, you can sue the inspector for not catching it and telling you

2/26/2010 12:10:18 AM

My house was new construction, and I had it inspected. The inspection paid for itself with a few minor things that he caught.

2/26/2010 12:29:16 AM

after watching a few episodes of

Holmes on Homes.........hell yeah i would get an inspector

2/26/2010 1:20:18 AM

Didn't read what everyone else said but I just bought a new construction house in December and still had it inspected. It was around $150 I think and well worth it. The man found several things wrong that I would not have even thought to look for. One being that my water heater is in my garage and building code states that they have to be on stilts if in the garage. The legs were uneven making my it wobbly. I would say it is well worth it.


Also look get a copy of your warranty before closing and see whats covered. I didn't and am getting hosed on somethings that I could have gotten fixed prior to closeing. The main thing was screw pops. I figured I would wait till the end of my 1 year and get them all fixed at once. well my warrenty states that they will only be fixed if noted before closing. Oh well you live and learn. At least I got the contractor to leave me a gallon of each color paint for my house so I can fix the shit myself.

[Edited on February 27, 2010 at 10:08 AM. Reason : f]

2/27/2010 10:05:28 AM

I would get an inspector.

Use Advantage Building Inspection and Consulting

(919) 818-3009

2/27/2010 12:31:36 PM

I guess I'll get an inspector

2/27/2010 4:57:04 PM

Make sure it is a decent one with a good reputation. I moved into my house in September (it wasn't a new house) but within a month of moving in, two things broke that would have been caught if the inspector had done a better job.

3/1/2010 11:18:09 AM