Home walk-through advice

[N-Smooth]

I am too but it's a slippery slope so please don't write anything off early on. For the most part, it's their responsibility to complete the house to the letter. If you uncover something in your attempt to repair, even the warranty company can take issue with that.

Also, if you do take on repairs, document every step. Pictures and documentation have saved us 25+ thousand working with contractors in this last year. I still feel twinges of rage after our most recent property fiasco.

Lots of people just want to get in and get it over with, but if there are some issues to be attended to, I'd find a friend, relative, or hotel to sleep at and don't close until it's wrapped. You'll be surprised how crews can be freed up and wallets open when the buyer's pens are set down.

So the only reason that sucks is I would have to move twice and anywhere I move it to is farther away than the house. It would take a really big problem for me to choose that option. Fingers crossed we don't have anything like that. If we didn't have to be out of here on the 31st, 2 days after closing I would definitely ask them to fix little stuff before closing.

EDIT: hopefully we only have minor stuff on the punch list and it can all be resolved before closing. I reckon they can get a lot done in 15 days.

 

[Johnny Quest]

look at all windows intentionally from multiple angles; you might not see a crack unless the light hits it just right. We had a handful of broken windows that we caught during our walk-through

edit: also, bring a level, and check all the walls and door-frames. you'd be surprised what isn't square.

 

[ChestonScout]

Sounds like y’all need to find some better home builders. 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

[mbryson]

Sounds like y’all need to find some better home builders. 🤷🏼‍♂️

I wish I had made different decisions. I had a hell of a time finding someone that would take a call about building a single home. Home builders are possibly not the best marketers?

 

[N-Smooth]

look at all windows intentionally from multiple angles; you might not see a crack unless the light hits it just right. We had a handful of broken windows that we caught during our walk-through

edit: also, bring a level, and check all the walls and door-frames. you'd be surprised what isn't square.

That’s gnarly. I’m glad you mentioned that.

Sounds like y’all need to find some better home builders. 🤷🏼‍♂️

I don’t really have a reason to believe they’re not doing a good job- check back tomorrow. But also we found a house and lot we liked that was already being built. No real options there

 

[Evolved]

Yeah it'll all depend on the severity of the issue. I'd like to keep a running list of stuff that we find over the next couple years and just have them come out and fix it all at once.

One thing I will say in response to this. It is a hell of a lot easier for a builder to get a sub to your house when there are other houses going up close to yours. I think you said you were NOT the last home to be built in your development, so subs will be floating around. We too had a two year warranty and found a few things in those years. After year one it was super tough to get subs back out to touch up or fix things after because the builder had moved on to the next project. I also feel it was because they had their money and I had zero leverage. That being said, 95% of the things I called on got fixed and I think I would build with them again. It was a great experience except for the last year getting the small things fixed.

 

[Spork]

Forgot flip on and off all the lights, if you have plugs tied to switches verify they are or aren't how you want. On my house I found the two bedrooms were tied to the one switch.

 

[N-Smooth]

One thing I will say in response to this. It is a hell of a lot easier for a builder to get a sub to your house when there are other houses going up close to yours. I think you said you were NOT the last home to be built in your development, so subs will be floating around. We too had a two year warranty and found a few things in those years. After year one it was super tough to get subs back out to touch up or fix things after because the builder had moved on to the next project. I also feel it was because they had their money and I had zero leverage. That being said, 95% of the things I called on got fixed and I think I would build with them again. It was a great experience except for the last year getting the small things fixed.

I definitely foresee that. Yes, there will be another 3 or 4 houses finishing within a few months of us. They also have another project going on like a mile away. They’ll be working on that one for quite a while and I can keep tabs on it if a secondary punch list is growing lol

 

[comingdown]

look at all windows intentionally from multiple angles; you might not see a crack unless the light hits it just right. We had a handful of broken windows that we caught during our walk-through

edit: also, bring a level, and check all the walls and door-frames. you'd be surprised what isn't square.

The shorter list would be what walls are plumb and what is level. The doors are set to the walls so you can do Sheetrock and trim, and the walls are typically out of plumb. So it can really be a shit show. And that’s not an issue the builder will fix, so somethings the less you know you know?

 

[N-Smooth]

Well we got it done! All in all it was about what I expected. Lots of little wall nicks and paint eff ups that we blue taped the hell out of. Only a couple of more serious-ish issues like a scratch in the LVP flooring from the jackwagon that slid the dual oven assembly across the floor. Seriously, I would find out who it was and fire that moron. Oh and a few of the cabinets and drawers need adjustment but no biggie.

My agent is pissed about a crack in the driveway and won’t let it go so the guy said he’ll talk to the project manager and see what he thinks. I’m not really concerned but I’m also happy the agent is willing to take stuff like that to task for me.

My dad did pick out some useful things like basement insulation not being thick enough or secured in a few spots. Also behind one of the joists it wasn’t insulated at all in the cantilever. I’m glad I asked for his help cause I wouldn’t have caught that. Minor issues, easy to fix but not unimportant at all.

I also found out that the builder has to go back through the neighborhood and install rock retaining walls on some of the already completed lots. This is 100% because I called the city about our grading. So I was like

Thanks for all the advice fellas

 

[N-Smooth]

Oh and another walkthrough the night before closing to confirm everything was done. We didn’t know that detail until now but it makes sense. They said if anything has to carry over closing (like the windows) we will have a document drafted for it. I appreciate that.

 

[cjncustoms]

Only a couple of more serious-ish issues like a scratch in the LVP flooring from the jackwagon that slid the dual oven assembly across the floor. Seriously, I would find out who it was and fire that moron.

Thanks for all the advice fellas

Dude that is seriously the #1 item that gets the living shit beat out of the entire house. I have so many call-backs for the same damn thing. Pisses me off to no end!! Also, if ya ever need anything flooring related, hit me up. Happy to help!

 

[N-Smooth]

Dude that is seriously the #1 item that gets the living shit beat out of the entire house. I have so many call-backs for the same damn thing. Pisses me off to no end!! Also, if ya ever need anything flooring related, hit me up. Happy to help!

I can’t even imagine what it’s like as a flooring guy. I’ll hit you up when we finish the basement. I’d love to give you some business.

 

[nnnnnate]

We brought the upright piano through the kitchen rather than the front door and rolled it across the engineered wood floor. It didn't take much movement to realize that was a bad idea but not I've got track marks.

We've had a few driveways or portions of driveways ripped out and repoured in our neighborhood because they cracked.

 

[Johnny Quest]

One thing I forgot- check the insulation depth in your attic. There were a bunch of houses in our neighborhood that it wasn’t thick enough. And I believe it was covered under the home warranty.

 

[N-Smooth]

We just did our final walk through since we close tomorrow. There’s some stuff that we put tape on that clearly was ignored and that pisses me off. They also had their agent there and nobody from the builder. I thought that was weird. But anyways we pointed out the stuff that should’ve been fixed and he was like oh yeah I’ll pay a painter for a few hours to come out and fix it, the builder likely won’t do anything. My agent was PISSED and told him exactly how she felt. He said we have to expect lower quality in some spots because it’s a spec home and I was like dude it’s almost 3/4 million bucks, don’t give me that. Anyways, I just couldn’t believe he said that. I’m still blown away. All in all I think we’re getting into a home that we’ll love for a long time and some of the little stuff is to be expected with any builder. I just know for sure that I do not love their agent. I wish the guy that we walked through the first time would’ve been there. He was reasonable about stuff on our part and on the part of the builder.

 

[N-Smooth]

A real estate agent we used this fall talked about your exact situation when something popped up with our sale (a neighbor's garden edging was 6" on our property) and we found out with less than 2 days left before closing. Something like this could have been hell if the neighbor wanted to fight it and we'd already blown past the other close date.

I couldn't get ahold of the neighbors and I'd put so much time, money and energy to rectify this property's issues but then our agent said, "at this point the buyer is so invested, they won't walk or hold up." I hadn't really thought about the psychology in all that. That's why they wait.

The neighbor never called back, the docs were signed, the opposing attorney went silent (huge pia) and that was that... I'm still confused about all the drama that was the last few days and how it all dissolved the day of closing.

So, I would get it in writing before the documents are signed.

Yeah my agent is emailing the builder to ask for them to handle it and writing a separate email to the agent to say thanks for your offer to fix it, we’ll see what the builder says. At least that way it’s in text- maybe not writing but at least it’s something. If it doesn’t get fixed by either party that’s lame but not a deal-breaker for me by any stretch.