The excitement of building your very own dream home can be almost overwhelming, but so can the number of concerns. It’s all too easy to be left liable for issues beyond your control when poor workmanship or materials lead to defects in the finished home. Protecting yourself, your new home and your financial interests is imperative for the new homeowner.
Who Helps You Build a New Home?
New home construction involves many components, all of which are coordinated by the builder, who oversees numerous trades throughout the build. Unless you’re an owner builder, this will be a professional hired to oversee and manage the building of your new home. The builder is tasked with assembling a complex jigsaw puzzle, each piece being put in place by a different trade. There’s a lot to keep track of, and sometimes things get missed. Walls may get closed in before electrical issues or plumbing leaks are noticed, for example.
Site supervisors are often working multiple sites and may be stretched to their limits, unable to visit every site to check each trade. Likewise, QA inspectors are under pressure to get to more sites than they may be able to manage thoroughly. It isn’t a question of negligence so much as it is a matter of excessive workload that occasionally causes issues to be overlooked.
Working to Protect Your Own Building Project
As with any complex project, it’s always best to have as many trained eyes monitoring the work as possible. Someone with experience in new home construction who can identify problem areas, and verify whether construction methods and workmanship meet standards is an invaluable asset to the new home buyer.
A licensed professional building inspector can give you independent advice that will help you make a more informed decision about the property you intend to buy. You need impartial, in-depth and easy to understand details about the property’s condition before you sign any contracts. Inspectors are registered builders themselves who know what to look for. A building inspector can identify issues while the construction is still underway, before they’re no longer easily accessible. By working with a professional inspector, you’re able to protect not only your own interests, but also those of a potentially overworked builder. Inspectors can find faults before they become cause for dispute after handover, or dispel your concerns if there are none to be found.
A pre-purchase building inspection will outline the various components of new home construction in a detailed report in accordance with Australian Standards. Your inspector will present these findings to you and explain any defects or potential issues to you. Should a dispute arise, the inspection report can help to sort responsibility.
Make sure construction is in keeping with the builder’s plans, and complies with State standards. Remember, once you’ve signed the contract, it may be too late to back out of purchasing a property that is wrought with issues that you’ll be responsible for unless they’re caught in time. A professional pre-purchase inspection can serve as a legal document in case of a dispute between the builder and the buyer.
Keep an independent advocate and an experienced builder in your corner before you buy that new home. Your professional building inspector can save you thousands on structural defects or maintenance costs down the road. Build your new home in complete confidence and learn more about its construction at the same time. Hire a licensed building inspector who can give you professional guidance today, and put an end to worries about hidden or undetected building faults.
Houspect Building Inspections– Buy, Build, Invest and Sell with Confidence
