Before you buy a Long Island Home, review
this site. Information
provided on this site was obtained from over 20 years of meeting Long
Island homebuyers, Long Island home sellers, Long Island real estate
agents and attorneys as part of evaluating and inspecting Long Island
homes for potential buyers.
The information of this site is the opinion of its author.
Is a New Home Better Than a Resale Home?
A new home is not always better than a resale
home.
The best homes that we have inspected are not new
homes but resale homes where the homeowner has upgraded aging systems
with quality replacements.
New construction usually does not have quality systems
installed. They have
“contractor” grade systems or “builders” grade systems
Here are some typical findings in many
new-construction inspections!
- Cheap
Windows – The top sashes of many double hung windows are designed
not to move.
- Cheap
doors
- Cheap
kitchen cabinets.
- Cheap
bathroom fixtures.
- Low-grade
hardwood floors.
- All
bathroom electrical outlets connected to one electrical circuit.
- Air
Conditioner and Boiler are not top brands.
- The
use of OSB
instead of plywood for flooring and exterior sheeting.
Here are some defects I encountered in a recent
new-construction inspection.
This information was extracted from this summary of the home
inspection report and pasted to the web page. This builder really cut corners on this house.
- 100
AMP service is inadequate for this house. This is a brand new 4 bedrooms, 2 ½ bath
colonial. That alone
justifies a 200 AMP electrical service. However this house also has:
1. Two
central air conditioning systems
2. An
electric hot water tank
3. Electric
clothes dryer.
The electrical
service must be updated to 200 AMPs.
- This
house is supplied with gas but the builder installed an electrical
heated hot water tank to generate the hot water for this house. Producing hot water
with electricity is expensive. This 2 ½ bath house including a Jacuzzi
should have a 60 to 75 gallon gas fired hot water tank.
- This
house is supplied with gas but has an electric clothes dryer. Once again, producing heat
with electricity is expensive.
The electric clothes should be replaced with a gas clothes
dryer.
- The
air conditioner handlers located in the attic must have pans installed
under the units in case there is a condensation back-up. These pans must be connected
to pipes, which must be routed over an exterior gutter to alert you
if there is a problem with the handlers.
- Water
dripping into the basement from multiple plumbing leaks located
under the first floor bathroom and kitchen.
BTW the realtor (at the house during the inspection)
stated to the homebuyer that 100 Amps electrical service was adequate for
this new-construction. I
told the realtor she was overstepping her expertise.
COPYRIGHT AL Triolo,
PE 1-800-ENGINEER
www.1800engineer.com
We
Won’t let you buy a lemon!
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