It is understandable that after the long and arduous process of building a new home, you want to settle in as soon as possible. After months of check-ins and constant visits to the sites, all the hard work from you and your contractor have almost come to fruition.
It is easy to get overzealous with the near-completion of this project; however, before you rush in and close the deal after months of anticipation, here are five much-needed topics to discuss with your contractor prior to closing the contract.
This will be a one to two-hour process that will prove vital for the comfort and security of your future home. Remember, these five areas are not an end-all-be-all of discussion points with your contractor; rather, they are some general guidelines you should follow to ensure the quality of your new home meets your standards.
1. The Exterior
First and foremost, it is vital to examine the exterior of your house. This will be the first impression people will have when they walk up to your home, so it’s necessary to ensure that everything on the outside is in excellent working condition.
2. The Interior
As you enter the home, you should keep in mind that a few finishing touches are still likely taking place, so be careful as you may encounter wet paint or uncovered sockets. Do, however, discuss the unfinished work with your contractor at Madison Homebuilders to have a more concrete understanding of the current undertakings.
This is the final moment before the house is turned over to you, so at this point you should not expect to inquire about why a window is installed adjacent to where you thought it would be or why grout color in the bathroom doesn’t look right. These are questions that should have been resolved months ago. Fixing these problems would delay your home up to several months and cost you even more money. If you do need to call attention to these issues, however, be prepared for the construction of your home to take a little more time. Remember, patience and diligence will pay off in the long run.
3. Maintenance & Warranties
When inspecting both the interior and exterior of your new home, it is vital for you to learn about the maintenance required to preserve them. When you move into your new home, you’ll bring products and utilities that you expect will be with you for a while, so it is in your best interests to learn about your new appliances. Your builder may have some hidden knowledge about how these warranties are broken down or some trade secrets about how to fix common issues, so ask.
A more pressing concern, however, is that these utilities might affect the pressures exerted in some points in your home, and you want to make sure they are truly secure and will run and work as expected. Don’t be afraid to test them out during this walkthrough as this is an important step in the process.
4. Future Repairs
If you notice something off about your house, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with your contractor, even if it’s after your contract review is over. Most contractors would be more than willing to review their work if any problem arises. At closing, you will also receive information on Madison Homebuilder’s Frontline Home Warranty program. Every Madison Home is backed by a ten-year insured structural warranty.
5. Review The Whole Contract
It definitely helps to make notes for yourself prior to meeting with your contractor as the project closes. Revisit the documented notes you kept that describe the details for your home you selected.
Just as you did when you first settled on the contract, review each item on your own prior to meeting to ensure your new home is developed just as you’d envisioned. Then ask the contractor to go through the nearly finished work.
In a walkthrough of the house, your contractor will likely describe the work that is on the verge of completion. This is the opportune time to not only clarify what you’re seeing as it relates to your finalized plans, but ask questions you may not have considered earlier.
You’ve worked hard to secure your new home. Making sure all the odds and ends are accounted for will save you work and money in the long run. It will also prepare you for any new developments for which you may plan as your life changes or family expands.