HELLO Everyone
We are in process of building and Final Inspection is coming in with in few days time. We have a inspection company who will be doing inspection with us and our-self too. Is there particular we need know or keep eye on. ANY TIPS HELPS :)
DEEDS
Your question is incredibly broad. Have a look at the approved DA/CDC plans. If what you have built is directly comparable to what was approved, and is built to BCA, your final inspection will be 100%.
buy a box of little stickers like little coloured dots,
walk around with a pad and pen and start putting coloured dots on things you think are a problem…
write down the location followed by the fault and the expected rectification in 3 columns. if you are keen you can even number the coloured dots to correspond to your notes in your pad..
i.e coloured dot 01. kitchen cabinet above stove. - chip in poly paint on corner of cabinet door - replace door or repaint.
such a helpful tip :)
That way you can send them the list and when its all done… you go back down your list and check each item… and the process starts again. whether they have done it, not done it or didn't do it properly.
Very broad question and there are so many things to look out for. It might be worthwhile taking a roll of coloured masking tape and a pen / marker to write notes to highlight any issues you raise.
The inspection company should pick up on anything that doesn't comply to building standards but from a quality point of view you should take your time and go through each room slowly and be as picky as you can. A house is going to be the most expensive thing you own normally so you need to ensure it's right.
As a starting point check for things like:
Doors and windows are correct size and will open / close / lock / unlock freely.
Hot and cold works on all taps / showers
No leaks below vanity cupboards from tap or trap connections. Check all drawers and cupboards open and close correctly
Check kitchen appliances work including gas
Check all lights function correctly
Check for any major defects with plaster or painting ie cracks, paint runs, scratches on walls, etc.
Make sure carpet is the same in all rooms
Power points / light switches are in correct spots
Make sure everything aligns with the specs that you've chosen from the start.
Be prepared for the inspection company to find some faults. They feel obliged to find some faults even if the house is perfect so that you feel like you are getting your moneys worth from them.
what everyone else has said.
take a small electric device to plug in and test power points. e.g. night light
A hair drier is a good thing to test with. It has quite a high current draw so you can check the plug under a decent load.
I'd also take a torch (in case power may not be on) and watch for paint coverage even-ness
e.g. we found some areas where clearly they'd barely managed a single-coat of paint…. it was tough to see unless looking at the spot from different angles
Check for any dodgyness in the bathroom. Heaps of new home have issues with waterproofing there and they're extremely costly to fix in 5 years when everything is rotting.
yeah and turn the taps and shower on
make sure the water runs into the drain!
a little off topic but ask for the paint colour/code. easy to touch up in a yr or 2.
The builder usually gives a couple of Touch up paint cans after handover. Usually in a pack of 6 cans.
The home owner can access their contract tender info, colour sections to access paint codes.
I remembered something else small, but it annoys me when it is done.
Check that light switches are consistent. For example in the ensuite bathroom the light might be on the top switch and the fan on the lower switch but then in another bathroom or toilet the fan is on the top switch and the light below it.
Firstly, I would compare if the inclusions of the "Final and signed/initialed by you and the builder" Contract Tender are actually installed. For example, did they provide to correct brand tap mixer …. toilet, oven … etc.
(These are some things that not even the Building Inspectors check are listed below)
Then I would look down the toilet bowl rim(s)/ basin ceramics to see if there are any cracks. (Yes, some dodgy contractors use the toilet bowl bases as a step ladder to paint the ceiling and they crack as a result)
Check the shower screens, the complete glass assembly for any fine cracks esp. at the corner joins.
Too many to mention as I don't want to use too much time typing.
To assist you further, please download this as a guide as "Guides to Standards and Tolerances 2015"
I am not sure if current, but a great guide to all new home buyers.
http://www.vba.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/29063/…
This will be very handy to use to compare what is "legally" acceptable by the builders that love to wiggle out of everything.
If you are still not happy with the inspection results and the builder wants the Final Payment, then ensure that they HAVE IT IN WRITING all the repair work to be carried out in a "Letter of Undertaking"
Do you mind me asking who is the builder?
Cheers
Carlilse homes
OK. I built with them. In my view, another builder that is good to suffer conjunctivitis during an inspection and loves the wiggles! LOL
This is just the final inspection prior to moving in…you then have a further 90 days to find and document all the defects and provide them to the builder to rectify. Final inspection is only there to catch the major whoopsies. They may make some notes of critical misses and get them fixed before you move in - things like missing toilet roll holders, missing power points. The 90 day defect report you want to spend some time with - I produced a Word document with photos and picked on absolutely everything - it all got fixed…by a guy who looked like Mike from Breaking Bad! (but he was good…of course he was good…Mike fixes things ;)
In addition to the above, get your Dad/Mum, Grandad/Mum, Uncle/auntie, Grand Uncle/auntie, depending on your age.
When we had our house built, we wanted all double electrical powerpoints. In the spare bedrooms, we wanted 3 outlets and not 2 as the house plan said. So inspection day came, and I went and checked that all of the changes, that we had wanted had been done. In one bedroom, there was only 2 power points. I asked the builder to show us where the third one was, he couldn't find it, so he phoned the electrician who had done the installation. Its definitely there he said. After about 30-45 minutes we found it. It was in a built in wardrobe. The electrician had installed the power point, the carpenters turned up and built the wardrobe over the power point. Then they put the drawers in, covering the power point. Best of luck with your inspection, take lots and lots of photos, with the date/time on them
While it's important to be happy with any home you invest in, i think some things are always more important than others to look out for. For example, a bad paint job can be redone pretty easy. You do not want to have to deal with unexpected water ingress 6 months down the line.
If any part of the house has a box gutter, check there is sufficient flashing under the tiles / sheet, and sealant around the joins, so that water does not leak or overflow in that once in a while downpour. You might do the same for those shitty modern high front gutters that sit on top of a boundary wall anyway! On the same topic, you want to check that gutters fall correctly, that down pipes are plentiful and large enough to handle heavy rainfall, and that there is adequate drainage around the perimeter of the structure to get excess water off the property. These things, if not right, can make you a sad panda.
ninja edit: your inspector will probably have 10 pages worth of get out clauses. caveat emptor, they are a necessary evil.
Check insulatin in the roof as the house I bought did't have it in the garage roof its all part of the building I didn't realize it until much later!!! And it did make a difference when I got more installed and they topped up the rest of the house as the existing insulation was quite low!!