5 Tips When Looking to Get a New Construction Home
Buying a newly constructed home means planning inspection milestones alongside your builder’s schedule. Independent inspections can help you document visible conditions before work is covered, before closing, or during the warranty period.
For buyers building within NextDay Inspect’s service area, these five tips can help you plan questions, site visits, and inspection timing.
1. Hire an Inspector
Builders and local jurisdictions have their own inspection responsibilities, while an independent home inspector works for you. NextDay Inspect offers new construction home inspections at four stages: foundation and footing, pre-drywall, pre-settlement, and 11th-month warranty. You can book any stage individually or all four as a set.
Each inspection documents visible findings at that stage so you can ask questions and share the report with your builder before closing or during the warranty period, depending on the inspection stage. If possible, attend the inspection to learn more about the home and discuss what the inspector observes.
2. Maintain good communication with your builder
Starting with the pre-construction meeting (where you will go over all the details of your home with your project manager), establish a line of communication. For example, will the builder email you every Friday with progress updates? If you are an out-of-state buyer, will you receive weekly pictures of the progress via email? Can you call the builder and if so, how often? How often can you visit the site?
3. Look for builder’s incentives
The good thing about buying a new home is that you can add the countertop you need, the mudroom you want, or an extra porch off the back of your home! However, there is always a price for such additions, and they add up quickly!
Some builders offer incentives that can help reduce the amount you spend on your home. Do your homework and see what sort of incentives the builders in your area are offering.
4. Schedule Extra Time into the Process
There are many things that can impact the progress on your home. One of these things is the weather, especially if you are building in the fall and winter. Rain can delay the pouring of a foundation as well as other necessary steps at the beginning of construction, while snow can freeze pipes and slow your timeline.
Build extra time into your own move and inspection plans. Construction dates can change, and an inspection stage may have a short access window. Ask your builder when the work for that stage will be complete and accessible, then review the matching inspection stage before you schedule: pre-drywall before the walls close, pre-settlement before closing, or an 11th-month visit before the applicable warranty deadline.
5. Visit the Site Often
Ask your project manager what site visits are permitted and which construction milestones you may document. When access is allowed, keep dated photographs of visible framing and rough-in locations before they are covered. For an independent record of accessible conditions at that stage, review the pre-drywall inspection scope or request a quote for your home’s current stage.
Bottom Line
Plan inspection dates with your builder so you can document visible conditions at the appropriate construction stage. Confirm access and timing before work is covered or closing and warranty deadlines approach.
Building in NextDay Inspect’s service area? Review our new construction inspection stages, schedule your inspection, or request a quote to plan the appropriate visit for your home’s current stage.