New home full of defects
Q. We bought a new home last year and have had numerous problems. Several months ago, the cable guy was in our attic and found that a roof truss had been cut in two places to make room for a heating duct. Our builder had an engineer look at it five months ago, but no repairs have been made. All we were told is that "there is a plan in the works." Besides this, we've had a long list of plumbing problems and feel that we've waited long enough for some solutions. Now we wish we had hired a home inspector before buying the property. Is it time to hire an attorney, or is there something else we should do?
A. The most common mistake people make when buying a newly built home is to forego a professional home inspection. The general belief is that the building was just approved by the municipal building inspector is therefore free of possible defects. What people do not know is that municipal inspections take a fraction of the time needed to perform a professional home inspection; the purpose of a municipal inspection is to verify code compliance, not to affirm good workmanship; and municipal inspectors seldom, if ever, inspect inside an attic. The also do not test outlets for grounding and polarity, nor do the test the performance of plumbing and of other built-in fixtures.
A qualified home inspector would have inspected the attic spaces where your cable guy went, and would probably have discovered the damaged truss. A competent home inspector would also have inspected and operated all of the plumbing fixtures, reporting on observable defects in performance and workmanship. Then you could have demanded repairs as a contingency of the purchase, instead of depending on the builder to make repairs after the close of escrow.
My advice is to find the most qualified home inspector in the area: someone with years of experience and a reputation for thoroughness. Call several real estate offices and ask who is the nit-pickiest inspector in the area. A good inspector will find defects that you have not yet even discovered. Once you have the inspection report, you can have an attorney put pressure on the builder to expedite all necessary repairs.
Q. The closet in my bedroom has an opening for the attic, and the cover on this opening is too small. This allows air from the attic to blow into the room, and the smell is terrible. Since the bathroom is right next to the closet, could the odor be from the plumbing system? If so, should I get a plumber?
A. It is possible that a sewer vent is open in the attic, but you'll need to have the attic professionally inspected to be sure. It is also possible that you have rodents or bats in the attic. The smell from bats, in particular, can be intense. Whoever checks your attic should consider all possibilities. And when the odor problem has been resolved, have someone replace the attic access cover with one that is properly fitted.
• To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.
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