WARRANTY INSPECTIONS
WARRANTY INSPECTIONS ARE OUR SPECIALTY
While some inspectors shy away from warranty inspections, we specialize in them. We enjoy doing warranty inspections in The Villages and it is the mainstay of our business. We do over 800 warranty inspections a year. In many ways warranty inspections are more difficult then a “new buyer” inspection because in addition to everything else we inspect, warranty inspections also include cosmetic issues.
WE KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Because we do warranty inspections in The Villages and surrounding communities everyday, We know what to look for in the different model homes and make sure those issues are found and included in the report. We have a good relationship with The Villages and other builder warranty departments. They get our reports everyday and they know me well.
PROFESSIONAL INSPECTION AND SAME DAY REPORT
Because one or both of us are at your home at the same time, we can do a complete inspection in about two to four hours onsite. After our inspection we will go over anything that you may have found or have concerns about, then return to our office to work on your report for another hour or so. We then send the report to both you and the warranty department that same day. Your report is a professionally done, easy to read and understand report complete with plenty of pictures, diagrams, etc. The warranty department will then call you within a day or two to start scheduling the contractors to fix the issues in the report. It is that easy.
BENEFITS OF A "PUNCHLIST" INSPECTIONS
Typically the builder will ask you to submit a “punchlist” of any items that need attention within 7 days after you close on your new home. While most homeowners do this themselves, we also offer this service. Because some items found during this “honeymoon” period will only be fixed at that time, this is an important task to perform. For instance, a small scratch in a mirror or a kitchen sink may be repaired or replaced during the first couple of weeks, if found ten months after you have owned the home, it typically will not be fixed because it could have been caused through normal use within the last few months by the homeowner. Some new homeowners see the value of a trained eye doing this “punchlist”.
DISCOVER REPAIRS BEFORE YOUR WARRANTY EXPIRES
Our company is unique, as most of our inspections are new home warranty inspections. Most builders give you a warranty on your new home, with most components warrantied for one year. Towards the end of your first year, usually around the ten month mark, we come to your home to do the “one year” inspection. It is common at this time to find settling cracks, etc, that were not in the home during the first few weeks. This is also the time to find any problems not found during the punchlist timeframe. This is also usually the last time you can have issues repaired or replaced by the builder without opening your wallet.
BEWARE OF THE $300 INSPECTION
Recently while doing a warranty inspection in The Villages, I noticed another inspector driving up to a home across the street from the home I was inspecting. While I was inspecting the utilities in the garage, I noted the time. I noticed that he never went up on the roof, and I do not think he went in the attic area. He left 49 minutes later. As he was leaving he handed the homeowners a piece of paper with checkmarks on it.
This bothered me, as I know a good inspection typically takes at least 4 or more man-hours. A professional report should have plenty of pictures and diagrams complete with a detailed account of the issues found. Also, I sometimes find serious issues on the roof and in the attic. If even one serious issue is missed, a “bargain” inspection may turn out to be a very costly mistake. Let the buyer beware.
IS A WARRANTY INSPECTION WORTH IT?
In my opinion, Yes.
While I think The Villages and other local new communities build a good home, they are built so quickly the builder cannot oversee every worker every day. Because of that we find some strange and sometimes serious issues. Unless you know what to look for; a walk on the roof, crawling around your attic; you may miss getting a serious issue fixed. It is your last chance to get issues fixed without opening your wallet. The cost of a good inspection can often be much less then having to pay for even one issue not found or reported during the warranty period. In the hundreds of warranty inspections we have done for homeowners in The Villages and surrounding communities, we have yet to have even ONE customer say the inspection was not worth it.