Look who is around you…
Torey is Founder & Leader of URBN HMES: A client focused real estate experience that blends conventional principles with modern lifestyle to ensure comfort and optimal performance in a constantly changing marketplace.
- - -
There are three phases of homeownership: Buying, Enjoying, & Selling. The majority of our time as homeowners is spent in the “Enjoying” phase, as buying and selling are each brief and transactional in nature.
Sometimes, the enjoyment of your new home is utter bliss, other times it is an utter nightmare. The most unfortunate thing about this nightmare is the emotional pain that comes along with such issues. Beings your home is meant for fostering positive memories, what is the most concerning issue that buyers face in the city of Philadelphia preventing you from creating those memories?
Poor Craftsmanship / Poor Construction top’s the charts!
This issue can rear it’s head in many forms, from roof’s, to stucco, to improper laying of floors, plumbing mistakes, etc, the list can go on and on. The one thing theses mistake share is they each cost you time and energy.
Lets now attack this issue in a 2 part series. Part 1 (Last week) answered the question of “Why is construction quality poor across the city?” Part 2 (below) will cover “How can you shield yourself from poor construction headaches.”
How can you Shield yourself from poor construction headaches?
Use a recognized home inspector and have a strong agent.
Some may view a home inspector, when associated with any new construction deal, as a waste of money. You may think: “the home is new, why do I need an inspector?” Well as we now know, just because a home is new does not mean it was built well. A reliable home inspector will show you flaws in construction, or bring up parts of the home that should be reviewed by a specialist (like a roofer for roof issues).
You need a strong agent to know what you really need and stand your ground around those boundaries. As your inspector’s may find issues, you will need to either re-negotiate the deal, or move onto the next deal if it does not make sense for you at the current price. Sometimes, because home buying is an emotional decision, you as the home buyer may just overlook the information a professional is telling you because you want the home so badly. In this situation, the agent can better frame the decision at hand for you so you can better make the decision of sticking with the deal, or onto the next one.
Either way, when dealing with properties that were recently constructed or rehabbed, you need to know what you will settle for, and not settle for less under any circumstances. If you choose to bend on certain issues, that could be a decision that could cost you some sanity and money when the dust settles.