Inspector Wonders Whether He Just Inspected a Good New Build and Shows What Made This One Different

Most home inspection stories you see online are horror stories. Leaky pipes, missing parts, and shoddy work make better entertainment than a house done right. So when a follower asked @inspector.jordan whether he ever finds a new build in really good shape, he decided to give it a try.

New build inspection story: creator cover beside a new home photo

He had just finished inspecting a brand new home, and he says the builder did a fantastic job. He admits that is part of why you do not see many positive new build videos: they simply do not get as many views. But he was ready to have some fun with it.

@inspector.jordan

The small touches that impressed him

First, outside. He calls out a pop-up sewer cap. If the sewer line backs up, the cap opens so the mess comes out in the yard and not inside the house. He describes it as roughly a $20 upgrade, but super useful.

Up in the attic, he found an aluminum ladder rated for 375 pounds with a handrail. He jokes you could throw a party up there. He also noticed plenty of extra wire left in the attic, which he likes, and that the builder had left a bunch of leftover flooring tile for the homeowner. It is porcelain, he says, and he mentions it is made in the USA, with tile flooring all through the house.

Inside, the kitchen has under-cabinet lighting and a nice backsplash. The microwave vents to the outside, which he calls pretty cool. He also liked the lighting package.

A water heater that saves energy

In the garage he points out a hybrid water heater. It pulls warm air from the garage to help heat the water, so it uses much less energy than a standard electric tank. This type is often called a heat pump water heater. He adds that the whole house had not a single loose fixture. Not one.

The little extras kept coming. There was no easy entry point for snakes, spiders, or mice. The wire for the photo eyes on the garage door was neatly run out of a nice plate and stapled along. There was baseboard trim in the garage, and real wooden shelves instead of that metal mesh type.

A friendly reminder for new-home buyers

Even with a builder this good, he offers a piece of advice. When you buy a new build and close on it, spend an hour outside and check your shutters and everything else you need. Do not assume a new house is perfect just because nobody has lived in it.

That is a good rule in any case. Even great builders have workers who rush, and every house has something small that was missed. A careful walk around on day one is free.

What a good new build looks like

You do not have to be an inspector to learn from what impressed him. Here is a short checklist of things that suggest a builder cares about quality, based on the details he praised.

Protection against sewer backup. A backwater valve or a pop-up cap is a cheap upgrade compared with cleaning up a flooded basement or first floor. Ask whether your home has one.
Safe attic access. A sturdy ladder and some way to move around safely makes it much easier to check for problems later.
An efficient water heater. A hybrid model can lower your power bills, though it works best in a space with enough air around it, like many garages.
Venting to the outside. Microwave hoods and bathroom fans should vent outdoors, not into the attic. That helps keep moisture and grease out of your house.
Solid fixtures. Switches, outlets, and light fixtures that do not wiggle are signs someone was careful.
Leftover materials. A builder who leaves extra flooring tile gives you something priceless years later, when you need a repair that matches.

How to find out for yourself

Hire your own inspector instead of relying only on the builder’s walkthrough. Inspectors who work for you are looking out for you.
Go to the walkthrough with a notebook. Write down anything that looks off, take photos, and send the list to the builder in writing.
Ask about the warranty. Many new homes come with a limited warranty on workmanship, systems, and structure. Learn what is covered and for how long, and what you must do to file a claim.
Test things. Run the faucets, flush the toilets, open every window and door, flip every switch, and turn on the heat and air.

The lesson from a house done right is that quality shows up in the little things. The sewer cap, the sturdy ladder, and the leftover tile cost the builder very little, but they show how a company treats the people who will live in the house. When you see that kind of care, you can feel more comfortable that the parts you cannot see were handled the same way.

Willow and Hearth