new home final walk thru
- Thread starter brutepunk
- Start date
Hire a home inspector.
Here?s one of related thread below, you might find it helpful.
Also use the search function by type in ?final walk through?, there?s a lot of very informative post regarding to this topic.
http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,12587.0.html
Here?s one of related thread below, you might find it helpful.
Also use the search function by type in ?final walk through?, there?s a lot of very informative post regarding to this topic.
http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,12587.0.html
sgip
Well-known member
Knock on the door of anyone who has closed recently and ask what they found or wish could have been done differently before closing.
Lots of my recent closings through a wide spectrum of builders has been with the walk through staff saying "oh, we'll fix that after closing" or "Oh, here's X for your trouble. Thanks for overlooking this and closing". The builder often will take care of things in a professional and workmanlike manner so your risk is low of a significant production defect. This however is an indicator that there's been an industry wide rush to close with quality at sufferance.
PS - If you have a jetted "Jacuzzi" type bathtub - fill the tub to the brim and run the motor. Years ago a good friend bought a new construction home from a major builder in Anaheim Hills. They kept wondering why the tub wouldn't fill one night. A metric ton of water was flowing through their upstairs bathroom flooring into the downstairs kitchen. The builder's plumbing contractor forgot to attach the piping to the tub. "oops".
My .02c
SGIP
Lots of my recent closings through a wide spectrum of builders has been with the walk through staff saying "oh, we'll fix that after closing" or "Oh, here's X for your trouble. Thanks for overlooking this and closing". The builder often will take care of things in a professional and workmanlike manner so your risk is low of a significant production defect. This however is an indicator that there's been an industry wide rush to close with quality at sufferance.
PS - If you have a jetted "Jacuzzi" type bathtub - fill the tub to the brim and run the motor. Years ago a good friend bought a new construction home from a major builder in Anaheim Hills. They kept wondering why the tub wouldn't fill one night. A metric ton of water was flowing through their upstairs bathroom flooring into the downstairs kitchen. The builder's plumbing contractor forgot to attach the piping to the tub. "oops".
My .02c
SGIP
marmott
Active member
I would check the very basic things:
- all you options one by one to make sure they are there
- make sure they didn't put dry wall over recessed light / switches / outlets
- check the windows for scratches are bad fitting
- check every cabinets to make sure no shelves are missing and for scratches or bump to the doors
- light switches to make sure they put the correct ones in (i was missing a bunch of dimmers in my new build).
In my new build I recently closed the counter top on the kitchen island that was the wrong size (missing a hang over on one side). Compare your stuff with the model if you have a doubt.
And then you have all the cosmetic stuff with paint on walls and ceiling, base boards that can be damages, doors, flooring and so on.
- all you options one by one to make sure they are there
- make sure they didn't put dry wall over recessed light / switches / outlets
- check the windows for scratches are bad fitting
- check every cabinets to make sure no shelves are missing and for scratches or bump to the doors
- light switches to make sure they put the correct ones in (i was missing a bunch of dimmers in my new build).
In my new build I recently closed the counter top on the kitchen island that was the wrong size (missing a hang over on one side). Compare your stuff with the model if you have a doubt.
And then you have all the cosmetic stuff with paint on walls and ceiling, base boards that can be damages, doors, flooring and so on.
Ditto. Hiring inspector is easier but if you want to look it over:
- paint quality. they repair drywall but don't texture. they use the wrong paint finish to touch-up, e.g. semi-glass on matte.
- bad placement of switches, e.g. behind an open door. I found the switch for the light just outside the door leading out of the garage near the middle of the wall. Bizarre. like marmott missing dimmers.
- dents/chips in cabinets. missing shelves
- door trim, i noticed a lot of split corners
- tile work - not flat. the cutout for shampoo can be off-center
- nails for island frame were sticking out, you'd impale your knees sitting on a stool
- shower head was several inches to the left of the handle, did not line up
- broken windows
- bathroom flooring, tile piece that's too short so they fill it in with a blob of caulk. Happens at the edges where tile meets wall or cabinets.
- bathroom fans are crooked
- included framed mirrors had chips to the frame
- paint on the outlet/light switch wall plates. Outlets and switches don't sit flush to drywall
- paint on the carpet after they had to retouch drywall
- missing accent lightning - only noticed by comparing to the model
- paint quality. they repair drywall but don't texture. they use the wrong paint finish to touch-up, e.g. semi-glass on matte.
- bad placement of switches, e.g. behind an open door. I found the switch for the light just outside the door leading out of the garage near the middle of the wall. Bizarre. like marmott missing dimmers.
- dents/chips in cabinets. missing shelves
- door trim, i noticed a lot of split corners
- tile work - not flat. the cutout for shampoo can be off-center
- nails for island frame were sticking out, you'd impale your knees sitting on a stool
- shower head was several inches to the left of the handle, did not line up
- broken windows
- bathroom flooring, tile piece that's too short so they fill it in with a blob of caulk. Happens at the edges where tile meets wall or cabinets.
- bathroom fans are crooked
- included framed mirrors had chips to the frame
- paint on the outlet/light switch wall plates. Outlets and switches don't sit flush to drywall
- paint on the carpet after they had to retouch drywall
- missing accent lightning - only noticed by comparing to the model
irvinebullhousing
Well-known member
Ah all the fun things comes with the new house and the new house smell. How about the dryer vent in the laundry room?
There is no way to check for during walk thru. After we moved in and finally got all of the appliance installed, it was two weeks worth of dirty clothes for us to do. Fire up the washer and wash away no problem there. Then after the first load, we started to use the drier, after the cycle finished some 50 minutes later the clothes still damp. Not completely dry. Push for another cycle and let it run, after the second full run, clothes still damp. And I noticed lint?s settled on the new floor. Strange I thought. Wife complained that the drier is now broken because the moved might have killed it. This unit Samsung is fairly new. After 1 more week and having the kids wear damp clothes, we moved in dead of winter and that year it was rained heavily in December so chance of sun dry. The kids clothes and our smell not fresh even when we use lots of dry sheet. And the laundry room started to see a lot more lint?s settle on the floor and everywhere it lands on in the laundry room. Then I look at the vents funnel outside and see that it?s there. I attempt to climb up the ladder and check the flap but had to wait for the service rep since the house is under warranty and if you try to fix something it could void it. By now it?s has been 4 weeks without fresh smelling clothes. The service rep showed up and say? Ah ha we want to inform you that we just cleared the air vent flaps, our stucco and concrete contractor mortar it shut and ther was no ventilation?s. Part of me relief that I did not have to spend money on the new appliance, part of me were mad because our three kids were wearing wet clothes to school in December. Ah, the joy of new build.
There is no way to check for during walk thru. After we moved in and finally got all of the appliance installed, it was two weeks worth of dirty clothes for us to do. Fire up the washer and wash away no problem there. Then after the first load, we started to use the drier, after the cycle finished some 50 minutes later the clothes still damp. Not completely dry. Push for another cycle and let it run, after the second full run, clothes still damp. And I noticed lint?s settled on the new floor. Strange I thought. Wife complained that the drier is now broken because the moved might have killed it. This unit Samsung is fairly new. After 1 more week and having the kids wear damp clothes, we moved in dead of winter and that year it was rained heavily in December so chance of sun dry. The kids clothes and our smell not fresh even when we use lots of dry sheet. And the laundry room started to see a lot more lint?s settle on the floor and everywhere it lands on in the laundry room. Then I look at the vents funnel outside and see that it?s there. I attempt to climb up the ladder and check the flap but had to wait for the service rep since the house is under warranty and if you try to fix something it could void it. By now it?s has been 4 weeks without fresh smelling clothes. The service rep showed up and say? Ah ha we want to inform you that we just cleared the air vent flaps, our stucco and concrete contractor mortar it shut and ther was no ventilation?s. Part of me relief that I did not have to spend money on the new appliance, part of me were mad because our three kids were wearing wet clothes to school in December. Ah, the joy of new build.
Irvinecommuter
New member
Going back years...the final work through was a joke. Hired a great inspector and he really couldn't do anything because everything was covered up.
We had issues with our cabinets that the subcontractors came out like 3x to fix...never fixed them or came back because they were fired from the project.
Our water heater also didn't work so cold showers for a day or two!
I would say run the faucets (check for hot water)...run the appliances and turn on switches/heaters/etc.
We had issues with our cabinets that the subcontractors came out like 3x to fix...never fixed them or came back because they were fired from the project.
Our water heater also didn't work so cold showers for a day or two!
I would say run the faucets (check for hot water)...run the appliances and turn on switches/heaters/etc.
Hire.
An.
Inspector.
The builder will likely be very proactive and eager for you to identify cosmetic issues. You will all walk around happily with blue tape and mark paint splotches and scratches. They'll say, "We'll have our guy come in and touch this up right away." And, try as you might to be objective, you really don't want to see anything wrong beyond that, because you have so much invested in this.
Your inspector will come in and be objective and thorough. He/she will know the safety codes and where builders cut corners . . . and will find the big things that only a professional would recognize. And, unfortunately, there are likely to be 1 or 2 "big things."
Have done this twice now, and cannot recommend an inspector enough.
An.
Inspector.
The builder will likely be very proactive and eager for you to identify cosmetic issues. You will all walk around happily with blue tape and mark paint splotches and scratches. They'll say, "We'll have our guy come in and touch this up right away." And, try as you might to be objective, you really don't want to see anything wrong beyond that, because you have so much invested in this.
Your inspector will come in and be objective and thorough. He/she will know the safety codes and where builders cut corners . . . and will find the big things that only a professional would recognize. And, unfortunately, there are likely to be 1 or 2 "big things."
Have done this twice now, and cannot recommend an inspector enough.
usctrojancpa
Well-known member
Call Steve with Bilt-Rite Property Inspections & Consulting, LLC at 714-777-9111 is a homebuilder's worst nightmare and a new home buyer's guardian angel.
It's worthwhile to hire an inspector. And it's even better to do so before the drywall is up. Focus on the big issue, small cosmetic issues really doesn't matter that much after you move in.
But even that doesn't guarantee there won't be problems down the road.
We recently had a pipe under the bath tub broken and the water leaked from the kitchen ceiling. Although IP insist that it's out of warranty, the plumbing company that install the drainage was willing to take responsibility and fixed the problem for free. Still it's a big hassle cutting a hole into the ceiling, fixing the pipe and asking another company to patch the drywall around the thanksgiving time.
But even that doesn't guarantee there won't be problems down the road.
We recently had a pipe under the bath tub broken and the water leaked from the kitchen ceiling. Although IP insist that it's out of warranty, the plumbing company that install the drainage was willing to take responsibility and fixed the problem for free. Still it's a big hassle cutting a hole into the ceiling, fixing the pipe and asking another company to patch the drywall around the thanksgiving time.
usctrojancpa
Well-known member
emf1315 said:
You really want to do the inspection 1-2 weeks before closing so that you can get the inspection report and send it along with request for repairs to builder so they can address the bigger things before you close.
Hugo Township
Active member
Find another inspector. Here's another CREIA certified guy: joeytlee.com