09/15/2026
"New" does not mean "done right." I've walked through brand new homes with problems that would make a 1990s resale blush. Builders are moving fast right now. Sixteen straight months of at least 30% of them cutting prices means crews are being pushed to finish faster than they should. Here's what I check in every new build before my buyer signs anything.
1. Open the attic. Not the closet. The attic. Missing insulation, ductwork lying on the drywall, a bathroom fan venting into the attic instead of outside. This is where the shortcuts hide because nobody looks up there.
2. Run every faucet and flush every toilet at the same time. If the pressure drops to a trickle, there's a plumbing issue that gets a lot harder to fix once you're living there.
3. Look at the dirt outside. It should slope away from the foundation on every side. If it slopes toward the house, water will too, and that's a foundation problem waiting on the first big storm.
4. Turn off the lights and run your phone flashlight along the walls. Nail pops, unfinished seams, sloppy corners. Drywall tells me how much the crew cared about everything you can't see.
5. Open and close every window and door twice. Sticking, rubbing, a lock that needs a shove. That usually means the framing moved or the install was rushed.
6. Look under every sink. Loose fittings, missing caulk, a drain that already drips. Thirty seconds, and I know whether anyone checked the finish crew's work.
7. Hire an inspector anyway. A new build gets a city inspection, but that checks code minimums, not quality. I bring in an independent inspector at pre-drywall and again before closing. It costs a few hundred dollars. It has saved my buyers tens of thousands.
Warranties are great. Not needing to use one is better.
Comment BUILD and I'll send you a list of every new construction home in our area.
