Brand New = Care Free
When you are moving into a brand new home, the smell of fresh paint and the brand new appliances and fixtures can make you feel like everything is in place and all good to enjoy your new home worry-free. For those of you who have moved into a new home, you can confirm that this is not always the case. Things will probably not be perfect. Regular home visits during the warranty period can go a long way to identifying any issues and having them corrected before the warranty ends.
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Just over the past six months, during routine home inspections we have found:
- Roof Leaks
- A/C Issues
- Shower Leaks
- Paint and Beam Cracks Due to Settling
- Pool Pump Blow-Uups – and the list goes on and on
These were not necessarily due to the fault of the builder or architect. The homes had all received the Certificate of Occupancy. The problems were due to a number of other factors including natural causes, general foundation settling, or a genuine oversight.
Bigger & Better Could Mean Bigger Problems
The bulk of new construction in Naples in the 34102 and 34103 zip codes is custom built. The likelihood of something happening in a custom built home is greater than in comparison to the cookie cutter track home communities in Collier County. This is the be expected.
These custom homes are built using the latest technologies and highly sophisticated products are often installed. This leads to a higher probability of something going wrong. Even the larger size of the properties can simply mean more square-footage for things to go wrong.
Leave No Stone Unturned
In a recent incident, a client called us with an issue in his guest bath that they had not noticed for quite some time. It seemed he had some water collecting on the far side of his shower and was concerned when the shower tile became discolored.
We asked when was the last time they had used the shower since moving in nine months earlier and his response was never. He had only used it as his wife was in the shower in the master and they were in a rush to go to dinner. I asked if he had guests use it and he said, no, they used the other guest bathrooms.
This is a great example as to why it is important to use and regularly inspect the entire house. Use all of the bathrooms and when you have guests visit, invite them to highlight any items that may not be working properly. They may be uncomfortable to provide such feedback otherwise.
Regularly Monitor Every Square Inch During the Warranty Period
During the warranty period, it’s important for you to utilize the residence as much as possible and complete regular home visits.
Sure some items have a longer warranty period, however, the one year warranty that many builders extend is an important one as they are on your side during this period. They want to make sure they have happy clients and will assist as much as possible.
How Can We Help?
At Luxury Home Services we offer complete Estate Management and regular Home Watch services.
If you are not in residence for some or all of the warranty period we can act as your Home Watch company providing routine and thorough inspections of the property catching any warranty issues quickly and assisting you to resolve them through your home builder.
As Estate Manager, we oversee any vendors on site, make home inspections regularly and make sure any warranty issues are dealt with on your behalf. We can work with you to plan and execute the overall management of your home or act as your Home Watch provider while you are away.