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Real Estate Fort Mitchell Alabama
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| Tips for What to Look for in a New Home |
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What to Look for When Buying a New Home
Recently
a mini subdivision of upscale homes was built in a desirable
neighborhood in the Fort Mitchell, Alabama. The homes in
the project were reasonably priced. They sold quickly, some to buyers
who were moving from older homes in the same area.
The appeal of
a brand-new home is obvious. You get to be the first person to occupy
the property. It hasn't been messed up by negligent owners or botched
up by bad remodeling. And in most cases, the maintenance and upkeep
will be minimal, at least for a while.
New homes aren't always
free of problems, however. One couple bought a new home in a
subdivision and found it was plagued with water issues. The roof
leaked, windows leaked, and in some places, water penetrated right
through the exterior stucco.
Know your home builder
Your
new home is only as good as the builder's reputation. You may want to
look at several-year-old homes built by the same builder to find out
how well they have held up over time. One couple found out that their
builder's weakness was drainage systems by talking to owners of other
homes built by the same builder. Check with the Better Business Bureau
and the Contractor's Licensing Bureau to find out if the builder is in
good standing with both.
Municipal building codes
Don't
assume that a new home has been built correctly just because a
municipal building department was involved. Typically, the building of
a new home is governed by requirements set forth by the local building
department. Municipal inspectors routinely inspect after various
critical stages of the construction process. Even so, the building code
is not uniformly enforced.
For example, in the City of Auburn,
the building code requires adequate ventilation of the areas underneath
the living areas of a house. Yet, many new homes in the area lack
ventilation, which can result in condensation, mold and dry rot.
Don't
rely solely on municipal building inspectors to inspect your new home.
Even though the home is new, you should have it thoroughly inspected by
a home inspector and/or engineer.
Home inspections
Before
an inspection, try to get your hands on as much of the
construction-related documentation as you can. Ideally, you'd like
copies of the soils or geotechnical report, the structural calculations
and the architectural plans.
In addition, it's helpful to have
copies of the inspection letters that were written by the project
engineer to the building department indicating that the various phases
of construction-like grading, and foundation and drainage
installations-were done properly.
If you're having an engineer
inspect the property, have him review the construction-related
documents. File these documents in a safe place. They will provide
documentation of the construction process when you decide to sell.
Check the paperwork
Many
new homebuilders require that you write your offer on a purchase
contract that was drafted by the builder's attorneys. These contracts
often don't provide a contingency for the buyers to complete
inspections. An inspection contingency can and should be included as an
addendum to the contract.
Some new home projects don't permit
representation by buyer's agents. Those that do may require that your
agent accompany you the first time you visit the project. If buyer
representation is not permitted, you may want to hire an attorney to
review the builder's contract before you sign it.
Before you
close on your new home, make sure that you understand what the
builder's liability is to you for construction defects. Ideally, the
builder should have a formalized written procedure for handling
complaints.
The closing: Many new home developments have
Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs). Make sure you
understand these before the deal is closed. |
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Posted By - Nelson Rodriguez - 09/28/2009
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