HI, I am buying a “New Home”. It should be finished within the next couple of weeks for the final walk through. I want to hire an inspector for my walk through, but I am not sure how to shop for one and not get more than I need. I want a full inspection, but I see alot of extras in most inspector’s websites. Do I need mold,termite, radon and all that stuff? Is just a home inspection what I need? Or, do I need any other extras?
I guess you have a valid question and I have some questions for you.
Have you been to the house as it was being built? Has there been an extended period of time when the house was closed up and no power was present?
Was there any water intrusion, unusual storms, anything unusual that allowed for water intrusion or high humidity?
Where are you in the states?
How long did it take for the house to be built?
Most NEW houses in my opinion, do not need a termite inspection (at least here in Florida homes are pretreated before being built).
If the house has been properly ventilated during construction and never had water intrusion problems and the humidity levels are acceptable (below55%), I personally dont see a need for a mold test, but consider hiring an inspector with mold testing ability and knowledge so they can better assess that at the time of the inspection.
Radon test - YOU NEED…no way to tell without testing.
Hope this helps…if not just reply and I will help further…
Good advice from Russell, also you should try to find an inspector that has an IR camera and agrees to report workmanship issues that are less than reasonable.
New homes will often have broken/damaged components, missing components and even code violations. The majority of issues will be workmanship and cosmetic which many buyers don’t realize is not included in most inspections unless you know to hire an inspector who has an eye for quality issues and will spend the time necessary for a top notch new home inspection.
Mold ,Radon,and all that stuff.
Actually only you can decide which services you are willing to pay for if they are optional.
Home Inspection itself is optional unless the Bank tells you it is needed.
Each service is there to provide yet another level of protection.
In states like Illinois for instance the seller is required to dis-close if Radon or Mold are known to exist.
How many people avoid Radon testing to also avoid dis-closure we may never know.
A experienced Home Inspector will look for signs of water Intrusion which is a cause of mold and IR camera is not always needed depending on the structure history/type.
IR is a big help in that it senses temperature differences such as a caused by a wet ceiling or missing wall insulation.
Most moisture related issues can be seen without IR however IR may catch them early if hidden.
You will pay more for those services and you can add possible asbestos testing,lead testing.,EMF testing for electromagnetic fields,well testing,etc if you want to be totally through.
No mater what always get the home Inspection and go with someone recommended by a past client or has a good reputation.
Ask how long they have been in business,check BBB not to find but to see if there are complaints,Angies list,Website testimonials,etc.
Your answers here will vary according to which Inspectors answer this as they will always tell you their particular auxiliary service is needed or that you should only look for an Inspector that does it their unique way.
That is just good business marketing.
Asbestos and lead testing on a new home?
I was speaking of Home Inspections and aux services in general Russ but thanks for pointing that out.
Way more 100 year old homes over new in the city Russ.
I was speaking to a larger audience but should have pointed that out however the general idea is the same.
Home Inspection… Yes
Radon… Yes
WDI… NO
… But… dependent on market area
In the Northeast, subterranean only
will take a colony 3 - 6 years to re-establish in excavated soil.
Septic Yes… If property on a Septic System (I have seen new systems fail)
H2O Well… Yes
Water should always be tested and treated to fulfill the most basic requirements of potability…