The 5 Most Common Defects Found in Newly Constructed Homes

If you're someone who's building a home from scratch, you already know all of the work that goes into it. Therefore, it's a pretty safe assumption that once the contractors are done and they tell you that your house is ready to move in, the last thing that you want to do is discover some unexpected defects.

So, in the effort to prevent this from being your experience, here are a list of five of the most common defects that are found in newly constructed homes. By knowing about these ahead of time, hopefully you will remember to review these things with your contractor before the big move.

Window leaks. Something that you should definitely make the time to inspect are your windows (and your doors). If when you turn out the lights in a room, there appears to be light showing along the windowsills, this usually means that your windows were not put in properly or that they need to be sealed. It's important that you take care of this as soon as possible so that you don't have to worry about spending more on energy costs in order to keep the rooms in your house at a comfortable temperature.

Installation problems. Speaking of installation problems, another fairly common defect is to have things like your water heater, HVAC unit or gas furnace not put in as securely as it should. Something that you can do to prevent this from being as much of an issue is to request that each professional who worked on each item sign a form stating that they can guarantee the dependability of their work. That way, if there is a problem, you can get additional service done for free (sometimes, you can even get some of your money back).

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Plumbing defects. One of the reasons why you might want to consider conducting an energy audit, even right before moving into your place, is because it can help you to detect if you happen to have any plumbing defects such as a leaky toilet or faucet. One website that can walk you through how to conduct your own energy audit is Energy.gov. Just go to the site and put "DIY energy audit" in the search field.

Electrical hazards. When it comes to a new construction home , something that you definitely don't want to overlook is the electrical system that is inside of the house. If there happens to be things like ungrounded outlets, no shock protection or lose wiring, this can all lead to potentially hazardous situations. So, make sure that an electrician thoroughly inspects your place. It's one of the best things that you can do for the safety of you and your family.

Code violations. If a company like Zoomlion Rough Terrain was used to add onto your new house before you moved in, then that's a sign that there were construction projects done that required permits. However, if there happened to be certain ones that were overlooked, that would be considered a code violation which is a serious warning sign for home inspectors. For more information on how to handle code violations, visit HomeGuides.SFGate.com and put "fix building code violations" in the search field.