Do you need a building inspection for a new home

Buying a home naturally entails asking quite a few questions. You’ll need to be sure that it’s the right property for you.

You’ll have multiple questions to help make up your mind. At some point, you’ll wonder, “do you need a building inspection for a new home?”

For older homes, the answer will be quite obvious, and nobody would argue with getting one. People seem to think that new homes are a bit of a grey area.

They’re unsure of whether the inspection is needed. If a home is newly-built, it shouldn’t have any problems.

While that’s the common expectation, it isn’t always the case. Do you need a building inspection for a new home? Yes, and there are quite a few reasons why you’ll need to.

Do You Need A Building Inspection For A New Home?

New homes are naturally quite different from older ones. They shouldn’t suffer from any structural damage or wear and tear.

That leads people to believe that they wouldn’t need an inspection. Do you need a building inspection for a new home? Yes.

The reasons why differ from why you’d need it for an older property. With older homes, inspectors will look for signs of wear and tear alongside structural damage and other problems.

While they’ll also be on the lookout for these with a new home, they’ll focus more on compliance with state and federal regulations.

The property will have to be built to a certain standard. If shortcuts were taken during the construction, that’ll start to show in the years afterward.

Preventing this is why you need a building inspection for a new home. An inspector will identify whether everything was built appropriately before giving you the go-ahead.

Get More Than One Inspection, If Possible

Most people assume that they only need one inspection for a new home. In many cases, it could be worth getting more than one.

That doesn’t mean getting the same one done several times. Instead, you could get a few types of inspections. These will take place at different times.

If you’re having the home built, that’s especially true. Ideally, you’ll want the foundation inspected as it’s put down.

A second inspection will then focus on the electrical and other factors. That typically takes place before the drywall is put up.

Lastly is the final inspection, which takes place after everything is finished. That’ll ensure that everything was done to the right standard.

If you’re not building the home, then you can skip ahead to this final inspection.

Issues Commonly Found During A Home Inspection

While a new home could look perfect from the outside, it may not be. Unless you’re a trained inspector, then many issues could be easy to overlook.

Though that’s predominantly the case with older buildings, you can also get it with a new home. Many of these will focus on compliance issues; the property will need to be built to a certain standard.

If it hasn’t, then certain things will need to be addressed. Faulty grading and poor framing can be some of the more notable issues.

There could also be minor issues with windows, doors, and other areas. Though small, these are things you’d want to see when you move into a new home.

Then there could be electrical issues and other hidden problems. Unless a trained expert inspects the property, these wouldn’t be identified.

Identifying and having these addressed before signing on the dotted line.

Do You Need A Building Inspection For A New Home? Wrapping Up

Nobody would argue that you’ll need an inspection for an older property. But, do you need a building inspection for a new home?

There are more than a few reasons why you should. While newly built properties are less likely to have problems than older ones, you’ll still need to be sure.

Ensuring that they meet safety and regulatory standards will be a priority here. Though that could mean getting a less comprehensive inspection done, you’ll still need one.

Without it, you wouldn’t know whether or not you’re moving into a house that has structural problems. Even to put your mind at ease, it’s more than worth it.

For futer information and helpful advice contact us or visit https://newcastle.nsw.gov.au/development/building-and-construction