Pre-Closing home inspection

For someone who is about to get his new Condo (first time), is it recommended to get the pre closing inspection done by a professional ? I dont even know what to look for and i understand that the builders representative have their own checklists (i might be totally wrong) however lets say if one wants to be thorough during the inspection and wants to miss no minor items or issues - what is the best way to do it ? is there a generic checklist that one can use for preconstruction condos (for items to looks for) or are there professionals available who do this inspection as a part of their job ? what is more recommended ? All information is much welcome Thanks

Remember you have a new home warranty, so you will have some time to discover any deficiencies.
New construction is much less involved when it comes to home inspections as opposed to old properties or houses.

I have done my own home inspections for new construction and it is not very hard.
You will need to inspect every inch of the place. Most punchlist items tends to be trim work and wood floors installed poorly, things that contractors tend to rush on at the end.
I suggest getting a tool to test electrical outlets (they are inexpensive and could be bought from the Home Depot). Run all of the plumbing fixtures for at least 5 minutes and watch for leaks, water pressure, etc.
Inspect the furnace thoroughly and make sure the the room or closet it is in is clean, dust and debris free (you will need to change your filter more oftenly when you first move in because of all of the construction dust).

Having the most complete punchlist to the builder as soon as you can would help the process a lot, and developing a good relationship with the contractor will do wonders.

Hiring an inspector doesn't cost much so if you not entirely up to doing the inspection yourself it may be a good small investment.

My PDI is coming up as well. The builder requests that only purchasers on the contract to be present. I have made a fair bit of modifications to the basic layout which was approved by the builder. A revised floorplan was drafted and attached to the purchase agreement. So, my question is what if during PDI I find the layout not done as revised or if there are significant incompleted items... such as balcony railing/panel missing... etc...
so, other than documenting on the PDI report, what are my options? what is the appropriate action? can/should I refuse signing the PDI?

any advice would be much appreciated....

thanks.

tc416 said:

My PDI is coming up as well. The builder requests that only purchasers on the contract to be present. I have made a fair bit of modifications to the basic layout which was approved by the builder. A revised floorplan was drafted and attached to the purchase agreement. So, my question is what if during PDI I find the layout not done as revised or if there are significant incompleted items... such as balcony railing/panel missing... etc...
so, other than documenting on the PDI report, what are my options? what is the appropriate action? can/should I refuse signing the PDI?

any advice would be much appreciated....

thanks.

Click to expand...

Nevermind my previous question... just found the other thread about PDI... http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/7367-Pre-delivery-Inspection-and-occupancy-fees

thanks!